The Teesdale Violet isn't found only in Teesdale but has one or two other outposts such as Ingleborough and this one in at Arnside in north Lancashire. At Arnside it flowers much earlier than the Teesdale colony and the flower is white rather than blue. Usually Viola rupestris can be found in flower in mid to late March in Lancashire but only a few flowers were obvious in Mid April after the very cold March weather this year.

At Teesdale the blue Viola rupestris was coming into flower at the same time as Gentiana verna (Spring Gentian) was showing - both in mid April perhaps earlier than you might think. Viola rupestris has many similarities to Viola riviniana (Common Dog-violet) but has retrorse (pointing backwards) hairs and a more shovel shaped leaf with a very large apical segment.

Apart from an odd record in Wales the only sites in the British Isles for this rare plant are mentioned above: Arnside, Ingleborough and Teesdale.

LHS: Wild Flower Society meeting, Arnside Knott, Lancashire 15th April 2006 LHS Teesdale 24th April 2007

Added on 18th April 2006, modified on January 12th 2007, updated 24th February 2012