Viola cucullata
Aiton.
Marsh Blue Violet
(c) Dra. Leah, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dra. Leah
(c) Shane Mercer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shane Mercer
(c) Luke Armstrong, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Luke Armstrong
What to Eat
Edible parts: Flowers, Leaves
Tea. Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra. A tea can be made from the leaves.
Where to Find It
Eastern N. America - Quebec to Ontario and south to Georgia.
NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador), United States (Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota (east), Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee)
How to Identify
Viola cucullata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects, Cleistogomy (self-pollinating without flowers ever opening). The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
How to Grow
Prefers a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. Very intolerant of drought. Succeeds in dense shade. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5. This plant produces cleistogamous flowers as well as the usual insect pollinated flowers. It usually self-sows freely. All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities. A polymorphic species. there are many named forms, selected for their ornamental value.
Propagation: Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in the autumn or just after flowering. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though we have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Medicinal Uses
Analgesic Dysentery PoulticeAn infusion of the plant has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds and dysentery. A poultice of the leaves has been used to reduce the pain of headaches. A poultice of the crushed root has been applied to boils.
Other Uses
RepellentA good ground cover plant but it is slow to thicken up and may need weeding for the first year or so. An infusion of the root has been used to soak corn seeds before planting them in order to keep off insects. Faunal Associations: The floral nectar of Marsh Violet attracts bumblebees, mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, bee flies (Bombyliidae), butterflies, and skippers (Robertson, 1929). Some of the bees also collect pollen. An oligolectic bee, Andrena violae, visits the flowers of Marsh Violet and other Viola spp. (violets). The caterpillars of several Fritillary butterflies feed on the foliage of violets primarily in open areas: Boloria bellona (Meadow Fritillary), Boloria selene myrina (Silver-Bordered Fritillary), Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary), Speyeria aphrodite (Aphrodite Fritillary), Speyeria atlantis (Atlantis Fritillary), Speyeria cybele (Great Spangled Fritillary), and Speyeria idalia (Regal Fritillary). Other insect feeders include caterpillars of the moths Elaphria grata (Grateful Midget) and Eubaphe mendica (The Beggar), the leaf-mining larvae of Ametastegia pallipes (Violet Sawfly), the aphid Neotoxoptera violae, and the thrips Odontothrips pictipennis. The seeds and other parts of violets are occasionally eaten by such birds as the Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, and Mourning Dove, and they are also consumed by the White-Footed Mouse, Pine Mouse, and Eastern Chipmunk. Similarly, the foliage of these low-growing plants is a source of food for the Cottontail Rabbit and Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta).
