About Viola elatior Fr.
Viola elatior Fr. grows to a height of 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in) from a creeping rhizome. It has narrow, triangular leaves that measure 7 to 15 mm (0.28 to 0.59 in) across. Flowers form between late spring and early summer, with a diameter of 10 to 15 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in). Flowers are pale bluish or yellowish-white, with a short, greenish or yellowish spur. The petals are rounded and broad relative to their width. This species is native to central and northern Europe, and northern Asia. Its habitat is restricted to very local damp, lime-rich locations within tall vegetation, specifically fens and limy marshes. Viola elatior has specific growing requirements. Seeds germinate in spring on moist bare patches of base-rich peaty soil, but seedlings only become established if the soil surface becomes drier. Most seeds germinate very close to the parent plant, so seed dispersal is limited. Habitat disturbance can lead to this violet disappearing from its former habitat, but its seeds are very long-lived, and new plants sometimes emerge many years later. In the British Isles, Viola elatior is rare. It is only found in eastern and northern England, and in damp hollows with limestone soils in western Ireland. It is currently being reintroduced to newly suitable habitat in the Fens as part of the Great Fen Project. In Northern Ireland, it grows at a small number of locations: on rocky limestone lake shores around Upper Lough Erne, and in turloughs (ephemeral pools) around Fardrum, County Fermanagh. Due to its rarity in the region, it is classified as a Northern Ireland Priority Species.
