Dame's-violet
Dame's-violet on a brownfield site, Lancaster
White form
Mauve form
Young pods with bilobed stigmas
Elongated pods
Flower spike and leaves
Upper leaves
Lower leaves
Hesperis matronalis
Brassicaceae
May to August
It is found throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for Dame's-violet
Dame's-violet grows in moist, and often shady, waste
ground, hedgerows and brownfield sites, and by
woods, rivers and roads.
It is often a garden escape or discard.
It is a neophyte, which has been in the UK for over
800 years, but not recognised in the wild until the
early 1900s.
It is a perennial or biennial, woody, hairy, fragrant herb,
growing up to 1m.
Flowers are white to purple, up to 2cm across, 4-petalled
and in spikes.
Leaves are ovate to lanceolate and toothed.
Fruiting pods are cylindical and curve upwards.
Young pods show the 2-lobed stigmas.
The name derives from Damascus and has nothing to
do with dames.
Previous page: Cut-leaved Crane's-bill
Next page: Dropwort
Dame's-violet on a brownfield site, Lancaster
White form
Mauve form
Young pods with bilobed stigmas
Elongated pods
Flower spike and leaves
Upper leaves
Lower leaves
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