There are so many places where you can find seeds of that one !!! Use Google or altavista and so on...viola odorata is not rare at all...

You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to find V. odorata in local nurseries across the U.S. - and growing them from seed isn't always terribly easy, either. Sometimes you'll run into a (very) limited number of cultivars at specialty nurseries, occasionally in the herb section, but your best bet is to buy them from a reliable mail-order supplier like Canyon Creek in Oregon. You'll get a far better selection and help support one of the only enthusiasts who actually markets these gems between our shores :) Another problem you'll run into is mislabeled violets in local nurseries, which is how I ended up with my Viola sororia problem years ago (it's a bit of a weed, to put it mildly). You may well find some violets like the ubiquitous 'Freckles', and perhaps a few others, more reliably in your average garden center. Fragrant ones are not nearly so easy to come by but are worth any extra time and money it takes to acquire them.

Stefan

Hello! I know this is an old post, but I have been searching for viola odorata this year for Spring planting.

I have found that Bluestone Perennials (www.bluestoneperennials.com) sells several viola species, including two viola odorata (Queen Charlotte & White Czar.) I am planning on ordering some from them this month.

Richter's Herb Specialists (in Canada - http://www.richters.com/) sells seeds. I have ordered lavender plants from them (but not any kind of seeds) and recommend them.
I haven't found any viola odorata plants in any of my local nurseries (around St. Louis.) If anyone else has any other suggestions, I'd appreciate them!

Thanks!

Nicole

I couldn't find any so I grew mine from seed that a friend picked up in Europe. It took two years to get flowers.

I've ordered seeds from various British seed shops before and had great success (I believe their seeds are fresher than any of the large catalog or online shops). With the exchange rate it comes to about $3 per packet but the smaller shops send more seeds per packet then the bigger places.

I've also ordered most of what Canyon Creek offers and all but one has survived and flourished. They know their violets and know how to ship them. I will be ordering from them again in the future.

John, do you think there are any British seed companies that are worth naming here? I've become jaded with ordering seeds from overseas because they were invariably too far past expiration. I don't think violets can be stored by humans more than a few weeks, perhaps a few months, before they simply refuse to germinate altogether - but knowing which seed houses who offer truly fresh wares would be invaluable. I think that Americans are at quite a disadvantage not having that many cultivars to choose from in the first place, given the difficulty of importing live plants from overseas (and live plants furnish the only means we have to help maintain most cultivars). Still, we need to actively preserve what we do have.

I've always received healthy and well-packed plants from Canyon Creek and would encourage others to patronize them, too. They are the only nursery that specializes in violets in this country as far as I am aware.

Hi all,

I ve been looking for this plant too..in Ontario Canada. I don t see any garden centres carrying it.

Just wondering: is Viola Odorata also called sweet violet? If so then it apparently grows wild sometimes?

S