Giant violets, can you identify?

[hellohelenhere]

Hi all,
my garden has these growing around the edges, against the wall, and self-seeded in the paving:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IPfscUgkD74/S6eeEZTmx7I/AAAAAAAAAW4/Q4Z1rPYEQmU/s1600-h/IMG_4965.JPG

Large clumps of what appear to be giant violets - the leaves are up to 3 inches long. Any idea what they are?
cheers,
H

[hellohelenhere]

[goodlife]

Yep...they are Sweet Violet...Viola odorata..."only wild violet with richly scented flowers"..if they do not "smell"...Common Dog-violet...Viola riviniana ;)
First one has downy leaves  and dog violet has hairless  leaves.
Other violets have only faintly scented or scentless flowers.
So now you have go and have a good sniff..and let us know which ones they are.. ;D

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks Goodlife - but are you sure they grow to this size? As I say, they're quite huge, unlike any other violets I have seen or have growing in my garden. I should perhaps take another picture which shows scale, but bear in mind that the leaves are 2-3 inches long, and that isn't including the stem. They don't have any scent.

[goodlife]

ok..my book says...common dog-violet...perennial with rosettes of leaves, creeping runners, solitary flowers on slender stalks 5-10 cm tall.  Flowers 15-25mm long (that's 1in)..dog-violets have largest flowers out of wild ones...now there is always exceptions with everyhing that is how some garden varieties have evolved..as somebody has seen a plant that it's flowers are that bit better that normally..and those have been propagated..
Is that only clump that appear to have as large flowers?

[goodlife]

And there is several cultivated forms of "wild" violas...
viola odorata..sweet violet 'Govenor Herrick' ..that has flowers 3-3.5cm across flowering from November to April..there is quite few old cultivars on this form..
Anyway..that looks really lovely..you could lift some up and pot it.. ;).I'm sure there would be plenty of interest for swaps...I'll volunteer for one ;)..to keep plant same you would have to propagate..or lift as seed would not come true..

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks for the research, Goodlife! It does sound something like that Governor Herrick - and it has just stopped flowering, too, so that's about right for timings. I'll be glad to send you a clump, message me with your address. :)
cheers,
H

[Unwashed]

The curious thing about the scent of violets is that it quenches the smell receptors, so you smell them once and then your nose is desensitized to their scent.  It's a bit zen, but they may well smell, only not for your nose.

[hellohelenhere]

No, I really don't think they have scent. I have a pretty good sense of smell even with my ongoing hayfever. :)

[worldor]

Lovely!!! I have one largish plant of Viola Freckles. The flowers are small but beautiful so I hope they spread themselves about in my garden.

[goodlife]

Helen...sample arrived ;)..gosh even without flowers the plant is big..definately cultivated form of wild viola...I shall look forward for my identification session.. ;D
Anyway..thank you very much..and have fun with your seeds.. ;)