A Couple of Wild Violets
They’re not just any old violets. One rebels from it’s perceived color image while the other seems to carry a big chip on it’s shoulder. It’s a toss up of which is my favorite. A yellow violet is contrary enough to make my day. But then the form of the other with it’s long spur is unique enough to make me want to chose it.
Smooth Yellow Violet – Viola pensylvanica
The Smooth Yellow Violet differs from two other yellow violets. The Downy Yellow has fuzzy stems and leaves and the leaves are also more heart shaped than the Smooth Violet. The Round Leaved Yellow is a stemless violet. (Leaves and flowers are on separate stalks)
I see this yellow violet around every year but can’t say it’s common. While I have spotted it around the county it seems to be our meetings are chance encounters. It appears more prevalent around my area in Canton but that could just be that I spend more time wildflower hunting here than other places.
I don’t know what made me stop and take a photograph of the next Violet. The sky had darkened and I was in a hurry to get home. A cloud of Black Flies had zeroed in on me and there was no escape until I passed through a doorway.
Long Spurred Violet – Viola rostrata
These were in the middle of a grassy path and just cute enought to stop for. I didn’t realize what they were until I got home and got a close look.
These Violets are a bit more choosy about where they grow. They prefer limy soil. The Madrid Sandy Loam in the center of St. Lawrence County suits them just fine.
The only problem with the Long Spurred Violet is the spur reminds me of a Smurf hat. And I hate Smurfs. With A passion.
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May 4th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
The one does kinda’ look like a smurf’s hat. BTW I think smurfs are corny. I did not know there was a yellow violet, they are both pretty flowers.
May 5th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Both very pretty. I don’t see a Smurf in there(-: I wasn’t a Smurf fan I guess(-:
Remember…A shower a day keeps the flies away(-:
May 5th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Your pics are absolutely beautiful!
May 5th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Ooh, I particularly like the long-spurred. And I finally saw pussy toes–in my friend’s alpine rock garden!
May 5th, 2009 at 7:09 am
But those smurfin’ Smurfs are so smurfy. It’s not like they buried everyone up to their smurf in smurf. We should all love them, the TV said so. Or maybe they can all just go straight to smurf.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Oh my smurf, what do you have against those cute, annoying little blue devils? Years ago my friend made the observation that the entire toon’ was based on drug trips….and why was there only one girl? Heh, I still get the theme song in my head and whistle it from time to time…I’ll refrain here, though.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Oh my …. I better not tell you about my SMURF COLLECTION then ?
tee hee !
They are pretty no matter how you malign them sir !
Now stop smurffing around and get your chores done !
April 26th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
It pains me to see such lovely flowers descried by a writer who does not know the different between it’s and its. A couple of wild violets – such lovely pictures – but:
It’s (it is) perceived image?
It’s (it is) shoulder?
Its (it is) a tossup hurray for one right out of three.
The first two should be “Its perceived image” and “its shoulder”
May 16th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Greetings,
i am an independent filmmaker and doing a documentary on the violets of Dutchess County, and Rhinebeck which was billed as The Violet Capital of the World” back in the early part of 20th century.
I see you have a beautiful picture of a yellow violet and wonder if I could get permission to use it in my documentary? I have some interviews where people mention a variety of wild violets in different colors, but I have not been able to find a yellow one locally, and now violet season is just about done, so, I’m seeking help.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Tobe Carey