White Sweet Violet

White Sweet Violet (Viola odorata 'Alba') is the white flowered form of the old fashioned sweet violet, and its perfume is the reason to grow it. Pure white flowers open through late winter and spring above heart shaped leaves, on a plant only 15cm tall that spreads to about 40cm by runners. It is edible, safe around cats and dogs, and it thrives in the shady ground where most flowering plants sulk.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that carries. The scent is sweet and unmistakable, strongest on still mornings, and a small patch beside a path or a doorway is enough to notice it.
• It flowers in the cold months. Late winter and early spring, when there is very little else in bloom at ground level.
• Edible flowers. The white blooms are edible and traditionally crystallised for cakes, or used fresh in salads and drinks.
• Not toxic to cats or dogs. A genuinely pet friendly groundcover, which matters when the plant sits at nose height.
• It fills shade quietly. Slow spreading runners knit into a soft carpet under trees and along shaded edges without becoming a problem to control.

Where it works best

Groundcover. Plant 25cm apart for a spreading carpet. At that spacing the runners close the gaps within a season or two and the leaves suppress most weed seedlings.

Borders and edging. A single row along a shaded path gives soft evergreen edging all year and perfume for two months of it.

Pots and containers. It suits a wide shallow pot or a hanging basket by a back door, where the scent is close enough to appreciate.

Growing White Sweet Violet in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade to full shade, with morning sun acceptable. It is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean plant, entirely at home in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney gardens. Frost hardy, so cold districts are no obstacle, but it will not persist through humid tropical summers.

Soil. Moist, humus rich soil is ideal, though it copes with poor ground better than most perennials. Work compost through the bed and mulch lightly with leaf litter.

Water and feed. Keep it damp through summer, as dry soil in heat is what causes plants to disappear. A light feed of complete fertiliser in early autumn sets up the flowering season.

Pruning. No pruning is needed. Shear the whole patch back after flowering to refresh the foliage, and lift and divide crowded clumps every few years to keep flowering strong.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock and in 175mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are small young plants, the economical way to cover a bed, and they fill out within a season. The 175mm plants arrive as established clumps with several crowns and are the quicker route to a finished look in a pot or a short border.

Small plants travel well packed upright. Expect them to look flat for a week after arrival, then to lift. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full groundcover range
• The best groundcover plants for shady gardens
• Compare plants that are safe around cats and dogs
• A guide to growing fragrant plants

Common questions

How many plants do I need to cover a bed?

Space them 25cm apart, which is about 16 plants per square metre for quick cover. Wider spacing still works, it simply takes another season to close.

Is it safe if my dog eats it?

Yes. Sweet violet is not toxic to cats or dogs, and the flowers are edible for people as well.

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads by runners but slowly, and unwanted growth pulls out easily by hand. Contain it with an edge if you want a defined border.