Hello,

I live in Oregon, so our winters are not as cold, but are certainly very wet. I have a number of varieties of violets in my garden, including 'Columbine' and mine also do not return consistently. Every other year or so, I buy new ones, as if they were annuals. They are available at a lot of nurseries in our area, including Home Depot, so it's not a big expense. Maybe it's just that variety? I am NO expert, but the root system looks a lot more like the annuals than the perennials (no rhizome-like roots).

Thanks, Dimati, for the response. I ended up digging it up to check the roots, and it was definitely gone. No sign of life whatsoever. Guess I will replace it. It came back so healthy and beautiful last spring. I don't know what happened. The expense is not my main concern. I just try to get my brain around the "why" of things. And when there's no concrete answer, it bugs me. I just need to relax and "let it be"!!!

Happy gardening. I LOVE seeing all the perennials coming back each spring. It brings me so much joy!

Sandy

Is Viola 'Columbine' the one with blue stripes on white, as it is here? I must keep an eye on it, it was sold to me as hardy, and so it is described in all the viola catalogues too, so far as I can see.

Mine did not survive the heat of summer. Alas, for I was entranced by the fragrance and beauty of this cultivar.