Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Viola arborescens

Shrubby Violet

Family ViolaceaeGenus Viola

A low sprawl of violet-blue violas with darker veined throats, among narrow gray-green leaves on broken pale limestone.
The whole plantHans HillewaertCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
VioletRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Algeria, Baleares, France, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 6 days to germinate.

100% germination in 6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67Public domain
Show the original text
Viola (Violaceae). Eight samples of rosulate Viola had been studied (2nd Ed.) and found to germinate with GA-3 at 40. This was unchanged by 4 y of DS at 70, and there was no sign of dying. It thus came as a surprise to receive seéds of seven species all of which rotted completely in either 70D, 70 GA-3, 40, or 40 GA-3.1 have no explanation for this. The seven species were V. arborescens germ. 70 GA-3(100% on 6th d), 70L(6%)-40-70D(94% in 3rd w), 70D-40-70D(none), 40-70D{45% in 2nd w)-4Ö-7ÖD(20% on 2nd d), and OT(15% in April). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40-70D(3/8 on 5th d) and 70D(all rotted).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

    6 germinated in this phase.

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 21 days.

94% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67Public domain
Show the original text
Viola (Violaceae). Eight samples of rosulate Viola had been studied (2nd Ed.) and found to germinate with GA-3 at 40. This was unchanged by 4 y of DS at 70, and there was no sign of dying. It thus came as a surprise to receive seéds of seven species all of which rotted completely in either 70D, 70 GA-3, 40, or 40 GA-3.1 have no explanation for this. The seven species were V. arborescens germ. 70 GA-3(100% on 6th d), 70L(6%)-40-70D(94% in 3rd w), 70D-40-70D(none), 40-70D{45% in 2nd w)-4Ö-7ÖD(20% on 2nd d), and OT(15% in April). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40-70D(3/8 on 5th d) and 70D(all rotted).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on December 31, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 15 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 5 days.

38% germination in 5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67Public domain
Show the original text
Viola (Violaceae). Eight samples of rosulate Viola had been studied (2nd Ed.) and found to germinate with GA-3 at 40. This was unchanged by 4 y of DS at 70, and there was no sign of dying. It thus came as a surprise to receive seéds of seven species all of which rotted completely in either 70D, 70 GA-3, 40, or 40 GA-3.1 have no explanation for this. The seven species were V. arborescens germ. 70 GA-3(100% on 6th d), 70L(6%)-40-70D(94% in 3rd w), 70D-40-70D(none), 40-70D{45% in 2nd w)-4Ö-7ÖD(20% on 2nd d), and OT(15% in April). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40-70D(3/8 on 5th d) and 70D(all rotted).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Up in April.

No stated waiting before sowing.

15% germination.

This source doesn't state how long step 1 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67Public domain
Show the original text
Viola (Violaceae). Eight samples of rosulate Viola had been studied (2nd Ed.) and found to germinate with GA-3 at 40. This was unchanged by 4 y of DS at 70, and there was no sign of dying. It thus came as a surprise to receive seéds of seven species all of which rotted completely in either 70D, 70 GA-3, 40, or 40 GA-3.1 have no explanation for this. The seven species were V. arborescens germ. 70 GA-3(100% on 6th d), 70L(6%)-40-70D(94% in 3rd w), 70D-40-70D(none), 40-70D{45% in 2nd w)-4Ö-7ÖD(20% on 2nd d), and OT(15% in April). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40-70D(3/8 on 5th d) and 70D(all rotted).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Viola p. 67. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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