The cultivar section of Fern Valley has acquired some cool plants this year. This one isn't out yet, but it won't be long. This is a selection of Viola pedata, the Birds-foot Violet made by yet another Georgia super-horticulturist, Don Jacobs.
Viola pedata is a variable species; in the trade it is commonly seed grown so if you shop for it you certainly ought to see the plant in flower. Some are distinctly and brilliantly bi-colored, others, though still beautiful, are much less striking. This one (not seed grown) is over the top! Because it's asexually propagated, any plant named 'Eco Artist Palette' should look like this. I dont know this particular cultivar, but some somatic mutations are not completely stable and there can be variability in a group of plants that are "genetically identical." This looks like that type of variation, but again, I don't know this cultivar!
One of those plants that is particular about where it grows, the Bird's-foot Violet prefers to live in a well drained area in full sun. I remember being amazed years ago seeing them happily growing on the margins of a dry dirt road in West Virginia. They seem so delicate! Be careful about overindulging them. I have a clump in my front bed (pure sand and full sun) that I never water and it has been getting bigger and bigger for years.
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