When is a violet not a violet?

This violet is commonly known as 'native violet', and is often found for sale in nurseries around Australia. But is it native to Plympton, you ask? I don't think it ever has been. It is a lovely and quite hardy groundcover that loves the clay soils of Adelaide and grows well and flowers, even in deep shade, so is worth having in your garden.

There has been a lot of confusion about this flower, whose botanical name was until recently Viola hederaceae, until botanists realised this name covered more than one sort of native violet. So this plant is now known botanically as Viola banksii, although it will probably be sold as V. hederaceae in most nurseries all the same. There is a local native violet, Viola siebieriana, which is pretty in its own right, but not quite as glamorous as Viola banksii. This grows mostly up near Mount Lofty, and in the wetter areas in the southeast of the state. If you can find it for sale and want to grow it, then it is probably a slightly better choice than V. hederaceae, if only because it is a less common plant, and this will help preserve it.

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