Charleston Mountain Violet
Viola charlestonensis
- Native to:
- United States
Stan Shebs
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Violaceae
- Genus:
- Viola
- Species:
- Viola charlestonensis
- USDA Symbol:
- VICH2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 15 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Atlantis fritillary (Speyeria atlantis), ⚠️Callippe fritillary (Speyeria callippe), Coronis fritillary (Speyeria coronis), Great Basin fritillary (Speyeria egleis), Hydaspe fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe), unsilvered fritillary (Speyeria adiaste), 🛑Zerene fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- butterflies, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to shaded woodland areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification and may germinate erratically over several weeks.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.
Source: Claude AI