Viola 'Abi'

Violet ‘Abi’ Violaceae

A charming little violet with serrated foliage and remarkably intense royal-blue flowers. ‘Abi’ forms a compact, robust mound and produces its flowers in late spring, when that rich blue really catches the eye. Small enough for the front of the border but sufficiently distinctive to earn its place among the more diminutive woodland plants.

Named ‘Abi’ for the daughter of the nurseryman who originally sold us the plant, giving this otherwise rather elusive violet a pleasingly personal horticultural history. Its precise botanical parentage and original wild provenance remain unresolved, and we prefer to leave it that way rather than shoehorn it into the wrong species. Grow in fertile, humus-rich soil in sun or light shade; it makes an excellent companion for small ferns, Epimediums and other woodland perennials.

• Hardiness: H6 — -20 to -15°C
• Height: 10 cm
• Spread: 10-20 cm
• Flowers: May–June
• Flower colour: Deep royal blue
• Foliage: Green, distinctly serrated
• Position: Sun or partial shade
• Soil: Fertile, humus-rich, reasonably moist
• Origin: Garden selection
• Name: Named for the nurseryman’s daughter, Abi