Wisconsin designated the diminutive and delicate wood violet ( Viola papilionacea) as the official state flower on Arbor Day in 1909, chosen by Wisconsin's school children in 1908 to represent Wisconsin's scenic beauty. Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island also recognize the common wood violet as a state symbol.
Wisconsin State Flower: Wood Violet
This is the violet commonly found in yards and along roadsides. It is one of the first plants to bloom in the low, wet woods of the preserve in early spring. A perennial with heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers, most commonly 2 to 5 inches tall. Common blue violet is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada.
Characteristics of the Wood Violet
Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant. It is variable in flower color and to a lesser extent leaf shape. Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Each heart shaped leaf is bluntly toothed and born on long stem.
What is the state flower of Wisconsin?
The Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia, is the Wisconsin state flower. With their heart shaped leaves and cheery blue flowers, violets aren’t really bad guys – in fact they are the host plant for a wide range of butterflies known as fritillaries.
What are the flowers that grow in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin Native Violets. Common Blue Violet. Wisconsin State Flower. Violets are often bemoaned as weeds when found in lawns and otherwise impugned for their tendency to easily reseed and spread. Once you start wandering in the woods you'll be amazed at how many violet species turn up, including white, yellow and even green flowered species.
How do violets gain genetic diversity?
Violets gain the benefits of genetic diversity through insect pollination as well as of being able to reproduce outside of insect pollinators' range through self-pollination.
Can butterflies smell violets?
butterflies seem to be able to find the violets even after they have wilted and blown away. It is possible that they can smell the roots of violets. Curiously, females of other species of fritillaries do not appear to be terribly careful about finding the presence of violets. They seem to choose shaded, weedy places that are likely to favor the growth of violets, thus many eggs are lost when the larvae search in vain for their food and cannot find it. These mothers can afford to be careless because they lay as many as two thousand eggs, so it does not matter if many are lost.
Do self fertilizing flowers produce seeds?
Of course with self-fertilizing like this there is no mingling of genetic information from two different parents. However, this was accomplished with the regular flowers produced earlier in the season. However, fruit capsules developed from cleistogamous flowers typically produce lots of perfectly fertile seeds.
Do bees pollinate violets?
Pollinators such as bees never can get to the flowers' sexual parts, and the flowers are obliged to fertilize themselves with their own pollen. The violet flowers gain the benefits of genetic diversity through insect pollination as well as of being able to grow outside of insect pollinators range through self-pollination.
What is the state flower of Wisconsin?
Official State Flower of Wisconsin. Wisconsin designated the diminutive and delicate wood violet ( Viola papilionacea) as the official state flower on Arbor Day in 1909, chosen by Wisconsin's school children in 1908 to represent Wisconsin's scenic beauty. Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island also recognize the common wood violet as a state symbol.
Which states recognize wood violets as a state symbol?
Illinois, New Jersey , and Rhode Island also recognize the common wood violet as a state symbol. All State Flowers
What color are wood violets?
Wood violet flowers are irregular in shape and the flowers are deep blue/purple or violet, and sometimes almost white with blue markings. Wood violet flowers have side petals having beards or tuffs near the center of the flower.
Where are wood violets native to?
(5/17/19). Wood Violet is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America.
What is the name of the violet with a purple center?
Wikipedia considers the Viola papilionacea a synonym for the Violet sororia. A form with white flowers that have a purple center has been called Viola sororia fo. priceana (Confederate violet). Viola: a classical Latin name for violets.
Who wrote the book "Violet"?
Violet. by Scottish author, Elizabeth Gordon. Modest little violet. Was her loving mother's pet; Didn't care to go and play, Rather stay at home all day. For more information on the Wood Violet, visit Wikipedia . Or, visit the UW-Madison Wisconsin State Herbarium website page about Wood Violet - Viola sororia .
Is a violet edible?
Violet flowers and young leaves are edible with the leaves having a high level of vitamins A and C. Above: Wood Violets near Council Ring, the Oak Savanna and also the Duck Pond in Madison, Wisconsin on May 3, 2019.