tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post4174589253126088861..comments2024-03-29T03:52:48.960-05:00Comments on MrBrownThumb: Collecting Wild Blue Violet SeedsMrBrownThumbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-39382972063796347902016-07-25T10:36:55.297-05:002016-07-25T10:36:55.297-05:00Wild blue violets are the only host plant for most...Wild blue violets are the only host plant for most fritillary butterflies--beautiful and rare enough. Females lay their eggs in the fall in areas where wild violets grow--even if they have gone dormant due to drought. The eggs hatch and the larvae crawl into the soil where they overwinter. They emerge from the soil in the spring with the violets and feed on their leaves.<br /><br />(Illinois is inconsistent in that the state insect is the Monarch Butterfly. So the state flower should either be a milkweed or the state insect should be a fritillary. It is worthy noting that the Monarch is endangered due to a lack of milkweed host plants. Plant milkweed and nectar plants in your gardens. You copuld even have your place certified as a monarch waystation. And on the same note, include wild violets in your garden and enjoy the beauty of their spring flowers and the fritillaries that will follow--they love zinnias for nectar (adults need nectar, caterpillars need host plants or they will starve--most specialize in a particular plant--dont kill the caterpillars thinking they are ugly harmful things.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-82960475604183417862015-04-12T22:06:05.384-05:002015-04-12T22:06:05.384-05:00I live in hot, humid Florida, and I bought two 3 i...I live in hot, humid Florida, and I bought two 3 inch pots of wood violets, and I must say they are now my favorite flower. I take the little seed pods and pop them and spread them where I want them to grow, and they have certainly loved living with me. I love to water..alot! They bloom their sweet little white violets in the "cold"<br />months of January, February, and a little in March. I am working on making a wood violet front lawn! The best<br />plant I ever purchased.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-14996641328847863232015-03-14T02:40:43.181-05:002015-03-14T02:40:43.181-05:00Thank you for this! I love these flowers very much...Thank you for this! I love these flowers very much and I'm glad you posted such detailed instructions!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-10842705242752206622014-10-23T08:11:02.616-05:002014-10-23T08:11:02.616-05:00I love my wild violets. I just went out to look an...I love my wild violets. I just went out to look and didn't see any seed pods. Maybe it's too late. I think I might try digging some up in the spring and transplanting them in the parts of the yard that don't have as many violets. I'd love it if they covered the whole yard and choked out all of the grass. I'd never have to mow again! :)Bethanny Parkerhttp://half-acre-homestead.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-89708643469119099372013-06-28T20:33:02.457-05:002013-06-28T20:33:02.457-05:00I love this website! Where else could I find this ...I love this website! Where else could I find this info?Curious Cargohttp://www.facebook.com/CuriousCargonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-46510833278254319562013-04-22T18:23:06.600-05:002013-04-22T18:23:06.600-05:00Ugh, don't even get me started on lawn service...Ugh, don't even get me started on lawn services and the needless killing they do of these wonderful plants. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-70359006402557492932013-04-22T18:22:14.799-05:002013-04-22T18:22:14.799-05:00You know, the leaves (crowns of the plants) actual...You know, the leaves (crowns of the plants) actually do resemble strawberries now that you mention it. Hadn't ever realized that. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-10850210177145151852012-12-10T04:01:54.058-06:002012-12-10T04:01:54.058-06:00Pretty flower! Doesn't the leaf resemble that ...Pretty flower! Doesn't the leaf resemble that of strawberry's?Asha Ramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497991305532837318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-59182485682271804052012-12-09T15:30:04.132-06:002012-12-09T15:30:04.132-06:00LOVE these little flowers! I'm blessed to have...LOVE these little flowers! I'm blessed to have them in the woods and yard at my place in Wisconsin, I've seen a few here in Minnesota on the rare spots of grass not poisoned by a lawn "service". Three cheers for natural wild lawn spaces!Garden Broadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15657219826611994631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-50183698247568566742012-12-01T10:24:50.028-06:002012-12-01T10:24:50.028-06:00Anonymous, Come to think of it...when I lived in A...Anonymous, Come to think of it...when I lived in Arizona I never saw any. I think they like it too shady and moist to do well in that area. You may have to settle for a some of the cultivated violet varieties during your "winter." MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-14941044498361116732012-12-01T10:23:46.444-06:002012-12-01T10:23:46.444-06:00Renata, Ha. I wish I had your problem. Send all yo...Renata, Ha. I wish I had your problem. Send all your unwanted violets to me. :0)MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-89015658422039985332012-12-01T10:23:14.398-06:002012-12-01T10:23:14.398-06:00Patrick, Good luck spreading them around! Patrick, Good luck spreading them around! MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-30094123073070109002012-12-01T10:22:08.414-06:002012-12-01T10:22:08.414-06:00Jason, I wish I had the white violet variety growi...Jason, I wish I had the white violet variety growing around here. I've been looking for a clump of it the past couple of years I could transplant to my garden, but so far no luck. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-54227153416150119442012-12-01T10:21:26.867-06:002012-12-01T10:21:26.867-06:00Karen,
I wonder how many people have that childho...Karen,<br /><br />I wonder how many people have that childhood memory of collecting that bouquet for mom. It's a great memory to have when you're older. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-28870328649286468742012-12-01T10:20:37.386-06:002012-12-01T10:20:37.386-06:00Hi Misti, I hope we both get that thick carpet of ...Hi Misti, I hope we both get that thick carpet of wild violets that we're both hoping for. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-44050886281238167342012-12-01T10:20:03.019-06:002012-12-01T10:20:03.019-06:00Hi Anna,
Yeah, I don't see why people remove ...Hi Anna,<br /><br />Yeah, I don't see why people remove them from the lawn when they make such a nice impact in the spring. The photo above was taken in a "lawn" that has grown wild over the past three years the owner has been gone. It is striking in the spring with all the violet blooms. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-19509182182551579832012-12-01T10:18:24.032-06:002012-12-01T10:18:24.032-06:00Very true, but if you eat them then they don't...Very true, but if you eat them then they don't set seeds. Maybe I should stop using my blue violet flowers in salads and they would spread more. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-3283702891057518642012-12-01T10:17:31.799-06:002012-12-01T10:17:31.799-06:00I wish wild violets bloomed through the winter her...I wish wild violets bloomed through the winter here. You're lucky. MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-20964638930119449522012-12-01T10:16:56.835-06:002012-12-01T10:16:56.835-06:00I don't have much of a lawn to speak of, so ha...I don't have much of a lawn to speak of, so having a carpet of wild violets would be an improvement over my "weedy" lawn. :0)MrBrownThumbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11326733084344581944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-35015345022076578132012-11-28T09:06:15.243-06:002012-11-28T09:06:15.243-06:00I miss these little flowers. I have none in my gar...I miss these little flowers. I have none in my garden, nor on the patio. Will again search for the seeds and of course look for them in the Tucson nurserys. Thanks for the lovely picture and explanation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-4237268135456293682012-11-28T07:19:55.724-06:002012-11-28T07:19:55.724-06:00I love them too, but I must admit that in my garde...I love them too, but I must admit that in my gardens they grow so well that I find myself pulling many and at times wishing they would not do so well. See for yourself.http://mygardenandhome.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-in-bloom-march-30-2012.htmlRenatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09345532084758732014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-26729639422179730902012-11-27T19:48:40.659-06:002012-11-27T19:48:40.659-06:00I'm blessed with some wild violets in an area ...I'm blessed with some wild violets in an area of grass in a shaded moist spot here at Trinity. Don't know why the professionally applied lawn program would let it grow. Have you seen such resolve in a lawn situation. Will try to collect this year to put more in the lawn.Patrickhttp://www.patricksgarden.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-18561306408931318862012-11-27T18:10:00.329-06:002012-11-27T18:10:00.329-06:00I like violets growing in the lawn. I also use the...I like violets growing in the lawn. I also use them as a groundcover under certain trees and shrubs. There is a kind of white violet I have growing wild that I think is called confederate violet. The only place I don't like them is in flower beds with rich soil, where they tend to grow into enormous clumps.Jasonhttp://gardeninacity.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-59755071629198381012012-11-27T09:23:17.143-06:002012-11-27T09:23:17.143-06:00The first "bouquet" I ever gave my mothe...The first "bouquet" I ever gave my mother had violets from her garden. I've loved them ever since. Am hoping to put some in my garden next year. Violets also are the state flower of Wisconsin, altbough it's the woodland variety.Karenhttp://www.hortiholic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14573299.post-18703502827964387662012-11-26T18:30:45.556-06:002012-11-26T18:30:45.556-06:00I love violets and would love to have a thick bed ...I love violets and would love to have a thick bed of them at some point. Mistihttp://www.oceanicwilderness.comnoreply@blogger.com