does anyone know how dangerous violets are to other plants?? just dont want them spreading everywhere and strangling other flowers around them. Is it safe to let them spread or should i keep an eye on them and cut them back when they get out of control??
I've never heard of violets ever causing problems, but it'd be good to hear from others on the topic.
i've been letting the native violets and the wild strawberries have free rein in my beds... the violets form a nice ground cover and that keeps a lot of the weeds out. so far, they haven't interferred with any of the plants, bushes, bulbs or other perennials i've got. the strawberries make a half decent ground cover after a while. they can be a bit much, tho. no matter tho as they're easy enough to pull up.
If my violets get a bit carried away I just thin them out. As said great ground cover. Mine are in their full spring bloom and it is not even the end of winter yet. Liz
If they were harmful to other plants I would have nothing in my garden...they are all over and I can't get rid of them. Many seedlings etc. They bud up under ground...only plant that does that I believe. Roundup does not touch them. I am constantly pulling them out. As far as I am concerned they are a weed.
yes, they are a weed... i'm okay with weeds that look pretty when blooming and that provide decent coverage so that the really ugly weeds that actually do damage to the plants i want in the beds can't grow! creeping charlie is one weed that the violets actually stop from spreading, so the violets can stay :) they're easy enough to pull up, too - whether it's been established for a while or is new growth (and, yes, they do spread by underground sucker as well as seed).
i've been letting the violets grow in the beds for the past 3 years and they're very well established. the original plants that i left in are now up to six inches across and some get as tall (they were only a couple inches wide initially) so they do keep that stupid charlie junk at bay.
