Irish wildflowers BSBI map

Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, Sailchuach chumhra
Photographs: Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork

Sweet Violet
Viola odorata
Sailchuach chumhra
Family: Violaceae

Flowering March - May. Perennial. Introduced / ?Native.

Very fragrant deep violet or white flowers with blunt sepals. Downy seed capsules. Basal leaves are +/- circular and slightly downy. Spreads by seed and rooting runners. Two white varieties occur: Viola odorata var. dumetorum (below) with a dark spur and hairs in throat of flower and var. imberbis with a paler spur and no hairs in the throat.

Possibly native in some areas but more often a relic of cultivation or garden escape in shady woods, hedges and naturalised in churchyards.

Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, Sailchuach chumhra

Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, Sailchuach chumhra
Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, Sailchuach chumhra

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