Viola hederacea, Violaceae
As you walk along the border at the feet of the Oceania section of the Kibble Palace, at Glasgow Botanic Gardens, this beautiful species of Viola greets you with its curiously wind-swept looking petals, held up high above the almost circular leaves by a long, straight stalk. Native to the southeastern part of Australia and present in Tasmania, it is generally known as the Australian violet, although it is often confused with the similar, showier V. banksii, which is much more common in cultivation. Really interesting to see when you’re so used to the usual flower shape and variety of colours and patterns of European bedding viola hybrids.
Similarly to other more familiar Violas, it does best if grown in partial shade and on moist, well-draining soils. Its trailing habit will result in a clonal evergreen mat perfect as ground cover and in flower from spring to autumn, but the Australian violet is frost tender so here it’s kept under glass, where it seems to feel at home and do pretty well.