A small, creeping herb with heart-shaped leaves that are edible and have a mild, slightly sweet flavour. They can be eaten raw in salads. The small, white or purple flowers appear in spring and summer. It grows in damp, shaded forest throughout New Zealand. The flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish. A plant that decorates its own plate. The leaves are heart-shaped, bright green, and slightly hairy. They are arranged in a basal rosette, with long stalks rising from the centre. The flowers are small and white or purple, with five petals. They appear in spring and summer, followed by small, capsule-like fruits containing the seeds. A quiet life in the shade. Native violet is a plant of the damp forest understorey. It grows in shaded, moist sites, often on the banks of streams or in the shelter of larger plants. It forms small colonies, never becoming aggressive. A plant that knows its place. To find native violet is to walk the damp forest floor. Look for the heart-shaped leaves, the white or purple flowers. It is a plant of the shade, a small beauty in the dark forest. The leaves are mild, the flowers are sweet. A few leaves can add a gentle flavour to a salad. The flowers can brighten a plate. A small gift from the understorey. In the deep bush, where the light barely reaches and the ground stays wet, the native violet spreads quietly. It does not compete. It does not shout. It just grows, low and slow, under the ferns and between the tree roots. Most people walk right past it. They never see the heart-shaped leaves or the small purple flowers. The violet does not mind. It was not trying to be seen.