Viola sagittata aka Fringed Violet

Viola sagittata belongs to the violet family, Violaceae. It is a perennial, a plant that lives for years. People call it arrow-leaved violet or arrow-leaf violet. Kew gives its native range as the northeastern United States. Chicago Botanic Garden lists it as a Midwest native too. These sources place this American plant in temperate zones. The Royal Horticultural Society does not list it as native to Britain or Ireland.

This low violet creeps along the ground, rather than growing upright. Chicago Botanic Garden gives a height of 0.5 feet [0.15 metres]. Its small size suits planting close to the ground. The source gives no width for a full-grown plant. It does not say how fast the plant spreads. The creeping growth suits its use as groundcover. But that growth form alone does not show its spread rate. The supplied accounts give no leaf details for this species. They give no stem or root details for it either.

The flowers have shades of lavender and purple. Chicago Botanic Garden lists blooms from March through June. Its calendar splits this into March–April and May–June. The bloom season thus spans spring and early summer. The account gives no flower size or scent. It does not describe the fruit or seed. The RHS page gives a broader account of violet flowers. That text covers the genus, not just this species.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists full sun or part shade for growing it. It pairs these light levels with a moderate amount of moisture. Its USDA hardiness range runs from zone 3 through zone 8. These are the clearest growing tips in the supplied species accounts. The sources give no soil texture or soil pH needs. They do not show if it copes with drought or standing water. They give no tips on pruning this species. Nor do they say how to grow more plants.

Chicago Botanic Garden suggests this violet for groundcover and understory planting, beneath taller plants. Its low form and spring blooms suit those uses. The garden also lists it as a plant that draws birds. It does not name the birds or say what draws them. The supplied accounts name no pests or diseases. They give no species-level facts on parts to eat or toxic effects. These sources thus do not confirm its food use or safety.