April is an exhilarating month for gardeners as the early spring bloomers begin their show. Diminutive and dainty, sometimes we don’t appreciate a plant that seems common. But take a good look at violets in your garden and at the array of insects they are feeding. Instead of spending money to rid yourself of them, value the violet. It can be used as a groundcover that is much more attractive than mulch while providing your landscape with blooms and bouquets in April and helping local ecosystems.
Difficult to tell apart from their European cousins, there are a number of native violets available in blue and purple hues as well as
yellow or white. It is difficult, even for experts, to differentiate them from each other. They are adaptable to different soils including heavy clay and can grow in full sun as well as shade. Think how lovely a groundcover of violets in the spring can be in those shady areas!
In addition to their own beauty, violets are significant because they are a nectar source for bees and other pollinators early in the season when little else is available. Imagine being a hungry bee flying long distances over green lawns that offer no nourishment! Finally, you arrive at a tasty patch of violets to quench your
appetite, a meal that comes few and far between in these early days of spring. Violets not only provide nectar, but are the larval host plant for a group of butterflies known as fritillaries which have been in decline. Fritillaries are lovely orange and brown butterflies, often mistaken for monarchs. However, monarchs have dark lines while
fritillaries have more of a checkered pattern. They include the spectacular Great Spangled Fritillary, whose caterpillars eat only violets like the other members of its family. No violets, no fritillaries. This butterfly should be welcomed in gardens just for its name alone!
Violets are edible and can be candied and used to decorate pastries. During the 19th century, floral bouquets weren’t just a collection of pretty flowers, each type of flower carried a message for its recipient. Violets meant love, truth and loyalty. As you work in your garden this spring, dive deep into the beauty provided by your violets and show them some love!