Viola pedata is one of the most variable flowers in the world, just ask Martha Russell, better yet, go to the really cool gallery of photos that she put up on "Mr. Onion", Mark McDonough's, very cool web site, Plant Buzz. More about Mark in the future.

There's a really cool, bi-color form of Viola pedata, and you can see an image of it at the NARGS, (North American Rock Garden Society), website, where it was named Plant of the Month in May of 2001. If you are not a NARGS member, you should be. In addition to the beautifully illustrated quarterly journals and great study weekends, you are eligible for the seed exchange that offers over 6000 different species for 50 cents a pack. You can find out more about NARGS at the homepage, but navigation of the site is quicker from the site map

Propagation of Viola pedata is easy from seed. People talk about root cuttings, but I haven't had a chance to try it, have you?

Just the facts M'am:
Kingdom - Plantae - Plants
Subkingdom - Tracheobionta - Vascular plants
Superdivision - Spermatophyta - Seed plants
Division - Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class - Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Subclass - Dilleniidae
Order - Violales
Family - Violaceae
Genus - Viola
Species - pedata
Common name - genus - Violets
Common name - species - "Birdsfoot Violet"
Synonyms - none that I could find
Native of - see http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi
USDA Hardiness Zone - zone 5, maybe 4?
Light preference - Full sun to light shade
Soil preference - Average
Moisture preference - Dry, very well drained
Bloom time - Early Summer
Bloom color - Blue
Foliage - Medium to dark green, somewhat glossy, dissected
Spread - 3"- 6"
Height - 3" - 6"
Landscape uses - Rock Garden or front of a sunny well drained border
Medicinal uses - none that I have found

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© 2001 Barry Glick and Sunshine Farm & Gardens