Dame's Violet is a
non-native
biennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in hedgerows, water margins and waste ground, to a mature height of up to 100cm.
Despite the name, Dame's Violet is not a violet, but like violets it does have sweet scent, especially at the end of the day. The flowers of Dame's Violet have a Wallflower-like appearance, but the flower colour is quite different, being various shades of lilac or pink. Its leaves are borne singly, are elongated and pointed in shape and have toothed edges. Dame's Violet was introduced into the UK from Europe in the fourteenth century.
Botanic classification and naming: Dame's Violet is a member of the Cabbage (Brassicaceae) family. The genus name
'Hesperis' identifies the plant as a Dame's Violet and its species name 'matronalis' means 'sedate plant'.
Benefits: Provides nectar at night for nocturnal moths and these in turn provide a food source for bats.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
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