Monday, April 21, 2008

Common Blue Violets

This "shrinking" violet is acting shy, trying to hide behind a couple of blades of grass in my sunny side lawn. ;-)

But don't be fooled. This innocent-looking blossom (less than an inch across) is trying to take over! But it's OK, as long as it stays OUT of my gardens!

Common blue violets (Viola papilionacea). are among the first plants to bloom in spring. Now, how could anyone NOT be impressed by that?

As a gardener, I think I’m supposed to hate them because they're invasive. But I don't. After all, blue violets are symbols of love and faithfulness. In fact, florist shops at one time sold tons of violets on Valentines Day. So what is there to hate?

And for you trivia buffs: the blooms you see here are actually sterile.

The problem are the inconspicuous flowers no one notices later in the season, which are self pollinating and open when their tiny, round, black seeds are ready to drop. Violets also multiply through underground rhizomes. So, yes, I do sometimes have to kick a few out my gardens. But that's not a difficult task.
But they can multiply all they want in my lawn. This is a patch in my shady back lawn.

5 comments:

dot said...

We have a few on our lawn but they don't see to be spreading much. Your's are beautiful!

Small City Scenes said...

The bright colors of Spring. Love it!!

Tom said...

I think Violets are a beautiful flowers..

I was sure I had a poem about Violets... the one I was thinking I could not find but I did come across this one.

Violet

Violet's inviolate
She shrinks away
By the time she's ready
To butter her cup
Another Daisy's gone by.

Kim said...

These little darlings are beautiful.

Brittany Kalaj Margulieux said...

I never knew that about violets.

Prettier than grass, huh? haha

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.