Viola sororia Albiflora

Viola sororia 'Albiflora' is the pure white-flowered form of a robust North American violet perfectly at home in most of our climates. It is very perennial and eventually forms superb carpets of small, well-defined clumps. In spring, this carpet of light green leaves comes alive with a multitude of small white flowers, which are very bright in the shaded areas where it thrives. Very hardy, very long-lasting, and undemanding, it is capable of growing anywhere, even in dry conditions under trees. Create beautiful maintenance-free borders with this violet!

Viola sororia, from the Violaceae family, is native to the northeastern United States and Canada, where it can be found in forests, as well as meadows, slopes, and along roadsides. It is also known as the Northern White Violet (Viola septentrionalis), or Butterfly Violet (Viola papilionacea).

This is a perennial plant that spreads and spreads on the ground thanks to large fleshy rhizomes on the surface and quickly forms large dense carpets, 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) high. The leaves and flowers emerge directly from the rhizomes and form a basal rosette. Its leaves, long and 7 cm (3in) wide, often heart-shaped, with toothed edges, are a beautiful acid green to bright green, with a shiny appearance. The 'Albiflora' variety is distinguished by a pure white-coloured flowering, which blooms from mid-March to June depending on the regions and climate, for 4 to 6 weeks. Each flower, 1.5 cm (1in) in diameter, is composed of 5 petals, one of which has a spur. This flowering is nectar-rich but not fragrant. This violet self-seeds quite easily in the garden and can be easily divided by separating the small clumps. The deciduous foliage disappears in winter.

This Viola sororia Albiflora tolerates both heavy and light soils and prefers to grow in shade or partial shade, even under large trees or at the base of hedges where it can compete with the roots. It is a worry-free plant that thrives from north to south of our country: it withstands harsh winters and tolerates dry soils in summer, going dormant and losing its foliage. It finds its place on the edge of woodlands, as well as in partially shaded borders. Pair it with white Cyclamen coum, Primula vulgaris, hepaticas, or Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass', for example. It can also be planted in a short grass meadow (where it sometimes self-seeds spontaneously), as long as it is not mowed too often or too short in spring.

Violets and pansies belong to the Viola genus. How to differentiate a violet from a pansy? By the arrangement of their petals: the former has two upright petals and three downward-facing petals, while the latter has four upright petals, with the fifth, larger than the others, bending its head. Violets are almost all native to temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of them are perennial, but hybrids with large flowers are sold and used as annual plants.