New England Blue Violet

Viola novae-angliae

New England Blue Violet

Allan Harris via iNaturalist

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Violaceae
Genus:
Viola
Species:
Viola novae-angliae

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
6 in - 1 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
apr, may, jun
Bloom Colors:
Red, Blue, Purple, Violet
Ground Cover:
Yes

Native Range

United States: Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite), Atlantis fritillary (Speyeria atlantis), Clossiana epithore, ⚠️Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana), Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Meadow Fritillary (Clossiana bellona), Mormon fritillary (Speyeria mormonia), nokomis fritillary (Speyeria nokomis), 🛑Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia), ⚠️Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Clossiana selene)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers habitats with organic matter

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o