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looking for spreaders
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Posted by juliaw 8a/Sunset 5 -- PNW (My Page) on Tue, Jul 25, 06 at 13:57
| I have a yard full of medium and tall plants, but with the exception of some sedum along a baking curb, I have no short or groundcover types except for a slowly spreading clump of Viola adunca which I absolutely love (though my DH thinks they're weeds). The fact that they return so reliably and don't appear to interest the rabbits has earned them a place in my heart, and I'd like to get more, but different types for a less uniform appearance. I have no lawn, and every kind of growing area from hot and sunny to cool and shady -- moist can be arranged. My large yard is landscaped very naturalistically and I have room for all of them.
I've done a search of this forum and have seen a few references to spreading violets, violas and pansies. I'd actually like to get as many of these as possible, but I'm sure the list I've come up with is way short of what fits this category. I prefer perennials, but I welcome annuals if they're reliable reseeders in my zone.
So far all I really have from the search is:
Viola cornuta
Viola sororia (especially the "speckled/spotted/freckled ones")
Viola labradorica
Viola odorata
Viola pubescens
I know the following are native for my area, though I'm not sure about their spreading potential:
Viola adunca (have)
Viola glabella
Viola sempervirens
I also have Viola 'Bowles Black', but am not counting on them to spread (would love it if they did though!).
Anyone have any to add? Many thanks!
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: looking for spreaders
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| Some of these may be more than you can handle, due to their aggressive/invasive/persistent tendencies. If you'd like to know how the various species will behave and play with others, we can probably give you some idea. For now, some others I'm intimately familiar with include: -Viola canadensis
-Viola variegata (aka Viola koreana)
-Viola blanda (if you can find it commercially; more of a delicate spreader)
-Viola 'Sulphurea' (a less fragrant odorata type that seems tougher and even more willing to spread)
-Viola tricolor (common Johnny-jump-up)
-Viola striata
-Viola mandshurica I would offer that sororia, tricolor, striata, labradorica, canadensis, variegata, mandshurica, and odorata (including 'Sulphurea') are the most aggressive of the lot so far. |
RE: looking for spreaders
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- Posted by juliaw 8a/Sunset 5 -- PNW (My Page) on
Wed, Aug 9, 06 at 13:12
| Thanks for the suggestions stefanb8. My yard has zero grass, and large parts of it are landscaped in a naturalized way. The shortest plants I own are Alchemilla mollis, everything else would stand itself well above any plant in the genus Viola. Generally, the only reason for me to pull out a very short plant would be if it was growing in my walking paths, and since I mulch heavily in those areas, I'm really not even terribly concerned about that. I would, of course, be concerned about spreaders whose roots get so dense as to make life difficult for other plants. Are any of the ones we listed between us known for being that aggressive? Thanks again! |
RE: looking for spreaders
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| I would be concerned about planting V. sororia and V. canadensis with anything that can't survive nuclear annihilation - but those are about the only two ;) Of course, if your soil is exceptionally poor and dry as a general rule they'll be slightly more tame, but even on moist, poor soils or dry, rich ones they could be hard on their neighbors once they formed a choking mat of growth (and canadensis is quite tall, too). It does depend upon an interaction of many complex factors, such that I've seen plants become pests in my home yard that no one else has seemingly ever had trouble with, and vice versa. Plant carefully and be prepared to intervene if necessary, but otherwise follow what your heart desires. |
RE: looking for spreaders
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- Posted by juliaw 8a/Sunset 5 -- PNW (My Page) on
Fri, Aug 11, 06 at 15:07
| Thanks for all the advice stefanb8. You've been a great help! |
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