Not your tiny violet – Viola canadensis

Beautiful and underused in gardens, as it often happens, Canada violet can grow to 1 ft. tall with a round, bushy look habit. Vey floriferous, it looks great in combination with other shade perennials. It prefers a moist location and a few hours of sun will make it remain compact; can be sheared after flowering.

Although listed as growing throughout Canada and most of the U.S, it is rather scarce in the wild and even listed as an endangered species in the Illinois (US).
There are 3 varieties of V. canadensis listed in Flora of North America – those interested can read more:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100903

Viola canadensis in cultivation

After a good flowering period, the capsules are starting to mature and I’ve collected the first seeds.
Viola spp. capsules display an explosive behavior, reason why collecting the seeds can be a frustrating endeavor, especially from the wild.
In the figures below you can see the way capsules signal the near (1-2 days) release of seeds.

Viola canadensis seeds maturation

The next stage that follows:

A bit too late ;)

Other Viola species can be monitored for seeds collecting in the same way.