Violets in Japan

cultivar YUGIRI
Family: Violaceae Latin name: Viola
Height: 5-20cm Blooming season: spring

The Japanese have been fond of violets from old times. Violets are called 
SUMIRE in Japanese. The word SUMIRE already appeared in 
MANYOSHU, the first anthology of Japanese poems edited in AD 750. In 
the Edo Period (1603-1867), a famous poet BASHO made the following 
HAIKU (= short poem) and this poem is still popular in Japan:

YAMAJI KITE NANIYARA YUKASHI SUMIREGUSA
(I walk along the mountain road and find violets in bloom, how humble the 
beauty is!)

I am happy to know that a world famous singer Enya (Irish) was inspired 
by this HAIKU and made a song called "SUMIREGUSA".

It is said that 60 Viola species are indigenous to Japan. For the Japanese, 
violets have been one of popular plants in the wild.
Recently, violtes came to be appreciated as a pot plant. They are potted 
and on sale at flower shops in spring. At the same time, there are violet 
enthusiasts and they are engaged in activities for preserving the habitat.
In spring 2005, I went to the exhibition of the Japan Violet Society which 
was held at JINDAI Botanical Park in West Tokyo. I would like to show 
you the photos of violets taken there. Most of the photos are indigenous 
species in Japan.
Note: some photos were taken in other places


Japanese Violet Websites
Flowers
Photo Gallery
Violet Room
This amazing site is created by NYAN. This site introduces almost all the violet species in Japan. Click the Japanese letters in the left frame and click each image of violet species, then you can check detailed information of the species with plenty of photos. Most of the contents are written in Japanese (partly English). However you can recognize which species is introduced by species name. I really respect NYAN's continuous efforts to take such many photos of violets in the habitat.
This beautiful site is created by KAZE. This site consists of photo gallery and essays regarding violets. Click "Violet Photo Gallery" and then appear images of violet species in Japan. Click each image to access next page with detailed information and beautiful photos. Most of the contents are written in Japanese. However you can recognize what species by species name. Beautiful and excellent!

LES VIOLETTES
This beautiful site is created by Ms.Nathalie Casbas. She lives in Toulouse City in France. Sweet violet(Viola odorata) is the emblematic flower of Toulouse, and has been cultivated by the market gardeners in this city. I heard from her that Festival dela Violette is held in Toulouse every February. Actually her site is popular among Japanese violet enthusiasts since she was introduced in violet books in Japan several years ago.
 

Japanese Violets

Viola mandshurica
SUMIRE is the gereral word for violet in Japanese. However, Viola mandshurica is
called SUMIRE too in botany. It means that this species is the most common violet
for the Japanese. This stemless type violet can be seen in sunny places of all over
Japan.

Viola mandshurica
Japanese name: SUMIRE
This plant was originally collected
in MYOJINGATAKE of
HAKONE Mountains.

Viola mandshurica
bicolor type

Stemless Type Violets
Viola betonicifolia var. albescens and Viola yedoensis grow in sunny places. They
prefer more humid places compared with Viola mandshrica.
Viola japonica, Viola keiskei, Viola phalacrocarpa and Viola minor grow in half shade
places like sunny forests or the border of forests.

Viola betonicifolia var. albescens
Japanese name: ARIAKESUMIRE

Viola minor
Japanese name: HIMESUMIRE

Viola japonica
Japanese name: KOSUMIRE

Viola keiskei
Japanese name: MARUBASUMIRE

Viola phalacrocarpa f. chionantha
Japanese name: KOBOTOKESUMIRE

Viola yedoensis
Japanese name: NOJISUMIRE

Stemless Type Violets with deeply-lobated leaf
Viola chaerophylloides grows in half shade places like the border of forests or sunny
forests.
Viola eizanensis grows under forest trees. It prefers humid and daker places
compared with Viola chaerophylloides.

Viola chaerophylloides var. sieboldiana
Japanese name: HIGOSUMIRE

Viola chaerophylloides
Japanese name: NANZANSUMIRE

Viola eizanensis
Japanese name: EIZANSUMIRE

Viola chaerophylloides x Viola eizanensis
Japanese name: HIRATSUKASUMIRE

Violets Which Have Stems
Viola grypoceras is very popular to the Japanese as well as Viola mandshurica. This
species grows in half shade places everywhere in Japan although other half shade
loving violets prefer to grow on the border of forests. This species can be often seen
in half shade places of city parks.
Viola ovato-oblonga grows in half shade places sunny forests or the border of
forests. It prefers to grow in mountainous areas.

Viola grypoceras
Japanese name: TACHITSUBOSUMIRE

Viola grypoceras white flower type
Japanese name: OTOMESUMIRE

Viola ovato-oblonga
Japanese name: NAGABANOTACHITSUBOSUMIRE

Viola grypoeceras pink flower type
Japanese name: SAKURATACHITSUBOSUMIRE

Other Types
Viola yezoensis gows in shade places of mountainous areas. This species prefers to
grow in humid places under forests.
Viola brevistipulata grows in half shade places of cool climates. This species can be
seen in grasslands or the border of forests in mountainous areas. It is hard to grow
this species in flatlands because it does not grow well in hot and humid summer.
Viola iwagawai grows in shade places of Okinawa Islands(subtropical areas). This
species is not hardy. This species also does not like hot summer since it grows in
cool and humid places of mountainous areas.

Viola yezoensis
Japanese name: ASO HIKAGESUMIRE
This plant was originally collected
in ASO Mountain of Kyushu Island

Viola yezoensis
Japanese name: TAKAOSUMIRE
This plant was originally collected
 in Takao Mounrtain of Tokyo

Viola brevistipulata
Japanese name: OOBAKISUMIRE

Viola iwagawai
Japanese name: YAKUSHIMASUMIRE

Japanese Violet Cultivars
Before, only few violet enthusiasts tried to cross violets and enjoy their flowers.
Later, famous violet breeder Susumu Suzuki bred so many cultivars and they became
popular after 1975 in Japan. He tried to cross various species including foreign
species and bred stout and showy cultivars. Especially, his hybrids like `Rein Rosa`(V.
selkirkii x V. iwagawai) and `SUZUKISUMIRE`(V. chaerophylloides x V. mandshurica)
became popular. In recent years, Japanese violet cultivars are on sale as a pot plant
in spring and people love their tiny and cute flowers.

cultivar MOMONOSATO
SUZUKISUMIRE strain
V. chaerophylloides x V. mandshrica

unknown cultivar
SUZUKISUMIRE strain
V. chaerophylloides x V. mandshrica

cultivar HANAKAZURA

cultivar YUGIRI


Violets in Other Countries
Japanese violet enthusiasts also love foreign species and cultivars. The photos below
were taken at the exhibition.

Viola variegata
Habitat: Korea, North China

Viola adunca
Habitat: North America

Viola odorata cultivar Coeur d'Alsace
bred in Europe(1916)

Viola rupestris rosea
Europe-Central Asia

Viola arvensis
Habitat: Europe

Viola dubyana
Habitat: Europe


Art Works at the Exhibition
Art works related to violets were displayed at the exhibition. It seems that some
violet enthusiasts love to paint violet species flowers.

Flower arrangement

Flower arrangement

Botanical art
submitted by Ms.Eiko Tadano

Wooden case


<References>
Tabuchi, Seiya. SUMIRE WO TANOSHIMU (= Enjoying Violets. TOCHINOHA SHOBO,
2005): This is a guidebook for growing violet species and cultivars.
Igari, Masashi. NIHON NO SUMIRE (= Japanese Violets. YAMA-KEI Publishers Co.,Ltd.,
1996): This is a perfect guidebook for understanding Japanese violet species with
lots of beautiful photos.
Both books are Japanese version only.

–ί‚ι