Viola cucullata alba

 

Viola cucullata alba photographed in April 2024

When I bought this viola on a visit to Broadleigh Gardens in 2024 ,  it came with a little hand written label 'Viola alba'. A few minutes of searching found the 2015 Broadleigh catalogue on line which gave the plants full name as Viola cucullata alba though it is wrongly spelt 'cuclulata'  The cucullata bit of the name which is the species explained much to me. Viola cucullata usually called marsh blue violet occurs naturally in Eastern North America.   

This year I thought I had lost it, but it was simply the case that it was in a position difficult to see,  hidden by overarching shrubs, and  being deciduous it was barely visible, quite unlike the other violas in the garden. Not knowing exactly where best to place it, I thought it a good idea to dig it up and pot it up, so that when it is in flower next year I can find the best position for it.  I can also keep it away from the slugs which rather favoured the plant this spring. I found the knobbly rhizomes to have increased and broken up the easily made three pots.  I shall trial them in different parts with differing sun and shade aspects.