Viola rupestris

‘Rosea’

PINK TEESDALE VIOLET

Syn. V. canina var. rupestris ‘Rosea’

Viola rupestris ‘Rosea’
PINK TEESDALE VIOLET
Syn. Viola canina var. rupestris ‘Rosea’

Viola rupestris ‘Rosea’ is the sweetest, cutest little violet.

Rarer than rare; scarcer than hen’s teeth

The extremely rare little Violet is known as the Teesdale Violet – because it is found in the wild in just four locations in the UK.
With the main colony growing in Teesdale in County Durham.
Sadly the Teesdale Violet is critically endangered in the wild, due to habitat loss, and as rare as hen’s teeth.

Pink is even more rare – like golden hen’s teeth

This is the even more rare pink form of the dear little Teesdale Violet.
Teesdale Violets are most usually purple-blue, sometimes white, and very rarely pink.
So the Pink Teesdale Violet is scarcer even than golden hen’s teeth.

Utterly delightful & an environmental good cause

But it is an utterly delightful (and easy to grow) garden plant or houseplant too.
So all gardeners can help save the critically endangered Pink Teesdale Violet.

Easy groundcover for under trees & shrubs

Viola rupestris ‘Rosea’ can be used as a carpet groundcover under trees and shrubs.
The delicate pink colour of the spring flowers, and the glossy deep green scoop shaped leaves, really light up a gloomy place.

Evergreen glossy low carpet

Teesdale Violets are evergreen, and spread gently by rhizomes to a make a low, thick carpet.
They are very long-lived perennials, just 10cm. High in flower and evergreen leaf, but hugging the ground as a carpet.

Revels in lower light & poorer soil

Viola rupestris ‘Rosea’ grows happily in fairly low light levels.
So plant in Dappled Light & Shade; Full Shade; or Morning Sun only.
Or keep in a pot indoors where it gets good light from a window but no direct hot sun.
It also grows best without too much fertilizer and pampering, as the native habitat has poor, impoverished soils. However it does like some lime.

Deer resistant groundcover

Deer do not like the taste of Viola rupestris ‘Rosea’ so the plants are deer resistant, but unfortunately rabbits will have a nibble if no tastier fodder is available.

Pollinator friendly

Though our essential little friends, the flying pollinators including bees, find the flowers a real nectar treat.

Frost hardy

The Pink Teesdale Violet is exceptionally frost hardy, and can easily tolerate temperatures to below -20C.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Indoors for early quick plants: First sow the seeds in a punnet / pot, on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds onto the surface of the mix, to ensure good contact.

Now finely cover the seed with sieved mix, fine grit, fine vermiculite, or washed sand.
Because these seeds germinate better in the dark.
But do not bury the seeds too deeply, so it is a good idea to cover the sown punnet with some black plastic or cardboard so they are in the dark to germinate.
Remove the covering as soon as germination starts.

Stand the sown punnet in a shallow water bath.
So the moisture percolates up from the bottom to thoroughly moisten the mix throughout.

Now wrap the moist, sown punnet in cling wrap or a clip-lock bag, and place in the fridge for 4-6 weeks. This gives the seeds a pretend winter.

Then bring the punnet out to a warm, well-lit position.
Moisten thoroughly, and keep the light cover on until sprouts emerge, then remove.

Place in a warm position

Temperatures of 17-20°C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a temperature-controlled heat mat if you have one to encourage rapid germination, but it is not essential. A warm, well-lit corner is also fine.

Continue to keep the punnet moist by spraying the surface of the mix a fine spray water bottle, or re-soaking in the water bath, as required.

Seedlings often begin to emerge in approx. 7-30 days.
Do not discard the punnet too quickly, as it is natural for this plant to stagger seed germination as a safety precaution.

Seed Count: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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