No image available
Violaceae FAMILY

Viola canadensis

Viola canadensis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[ 62 Title A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Publication Author Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Year 1982 ISBN 0442222009 Description Very readable. , 85 Title Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Publication Author Harrington. H. D. Publisher University of New Mexico Press Year 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9 Description A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants. , 159 Title Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Publication Author McPherson. A. and S. Publisher Indiana University Press Year 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4 Description A nice pocket guide to this region of America. ]. This species has mainly white flowers that are at first yellowish at the base then turn violet[ 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ].

Botanical Description

Viola canadensis is a herbaceous, perennial plant usually forming a clump of growth 3 - 46cm tall[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens where it can be used as a ground cover.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate
Native RangeN. America - Yukon and British Colombia to Nova Scotia, south to California, northern Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia
HabitatRiparian, coniferous or aspen forests, deciduous and mixed forests, cove hardwoods, northern hardwood forests, moist, shaded slopes, sandy, rich, or rocky soil, talus slopes, road cuts; at elevations from 50 - 3,600 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].