Viola blanda aka Woodland White Violet

Viola blanda, or sweet white violet, is in the violet family. This small plant grows back each year. It grows wild in eastern North America. It lives in damp woods, swamps, and land that floods. It also grows on ground that people or events have disturbed. It sends out runners, not a tall, upright clump. The runners take root and form patches over woodland soil. Its leaves die back; they do not stay green year-round.

Garden plants stand about 0.25–0.5 feet [0.08–0.15 metres] tall. Missouri Botanical Garden also lists a height of just 0.08 feet [0.025 metres]. Each plant spreads about 0.75–1 foot [0.23–0.30 metres] wide. Patches can reach farther as the runners grow. Heart-shaped leaves grow in low rings, called rosettes, along them. Each leaf is about 0.08–0.21 feet [0.025–0.064 metres] long. The dark green leaves have smooth edges and a few hairs. Both the leaves and green stems can have a red tint.

The small white flowers have a sweet scent. Each grows alone on a bare stalk, which may look reddish. Five petals form a bloom with an uneven shape. The lower lip has clear marks. The narrow top petals may twist or curl back. Purple or brown-purple lines mark the lower and side petals. Missouri Botanical Garden gives April and May as the main bloom time. NC State also lists blooms in spring and summer. Egg-shaped seed pods, called capsules, hang down after the flowers. Each holds many small seeds, which turn dark brown when ripe.

Grow this violet in part shade or light screened by trees. It needs moist soil that drains well. Soil rich in humus helps hold the moisture it likes. Clay, loam, and sand suit it when other needs are met. It likes soil with a mild acid level. It can cope with wet soil from time to time. Both garden sources say it needs little care. It grows at a medium rate. It is hardy in USDA zones 2–7.

Use it at border edges or in shaded rock gardens. It suits native gardens, woodland beds, and small ground-cover patches. Leave settled patches alone so their runners can spread. Bees and butterflies come to the blooms for nectar. Fritillary butterfly larvae feed on the plant. Deer tend to leave it alone. Neither garden source lists major pest or disease problems. NC State does link this species with southern blight. The sources give no guidance on whether this species is safe to eat. They do not say whether it is toxic.