Downy-Yellow Violet Viola Glabella is a native wildflower to North America.

By Joyce Arleen Corson
Guest Columnist

SYRACUSE — Downy-yellow violet viola glabella is a native wildflower to North America that I find as a lone and rare friend in my garden mixed with an assortment of our violets. The species have color on both sides of their petals.

Joyce Arleen Corson

Violet is the name of a girl, it also is the name of a flower with fragrance. Sweet violets have a distinct title of mixed colors of purple-lavender and can be white-yellow having irregular polka dots and other designs as do viola.

It opens in early spring, before most plants have even thought about stirring, and its distinctive scent can carry for many yards. By no means is the violet a look alike for viola. I remember the miniature violet, violas growing along the sidewalk at Aunt Alice’s farm as thick as honeybees on pollen. The striking miniature resemblances to the violet is charming.

The upper four petals act as flags to attract pollinators while four lower serves as a landing pad. Hairs around the nectar entrance provide a grip. The strong, smooth dark green leaves are glossy and smooth to touch, allowing surface moisture to shed quickly which may save any water with weed killer to run off with out damage to the plant.

The leaves last through summer adding filler and giving shade to soil. The coolness may help seeds to grow.

The colors, or carotenoid pigments, which are found in all flowers and material of plants, are very useful. Ireland has a climate that preserves the beautiful color of green, most rare, but the green does not stand alone. It needs a counter part of yellow pigment found on both sides flower petals and blue, the favorite color of all, found naturally in the rivers, sky and sea.

Shown is a picture of the Chicago River at St. Patrick’s Day. Many believed officials poured green dye in the river. But this photo reveals gallons of yellow “stuff” out the back of the boat! All due to yellow flower pigment. Photo provided by Claire Corson.

The ingeniousness of our being has it fig- ured to add yellow pigment to vibrant blue water of Chicago River to get green for St Patrick’s Day.

The violet preference is for part sun to part shade in loose soils with organic matter, medium drought tolerance that naturally occurs in rich deciduous forests, dry woods, meadows, low woods, sandy woodlands, and other wooded areas. This violet doesn’t tolerate mowing and a light dressing of fertilizer with phosphorus will strength the plant’s root. It is a perennial plant that does not make runners. The seeds are essential to make violet thrive hence the specialized soft seed bed.

They’ll grow in hedge bottoms, under shrubs and close to trees in dappled shade where the soil is moist. Quieter spots, where little else thrives, suit them well, and they spin you back to a gentler age as soon as they flower.

Her name violet brings out a multi task plant in more shade of violet than imaginable! I often find the yellow violet alone in mixed company with different shades of purple. Perfect for the shade gardens at home in borders, woodland gardens, wildflower gardens or naturalized areas. Grows up to 6-12 in. tall and wide (15-30 cm). This plant self-seeds readily, but not aggressively, and does not spread by runners.

One of the oldest common names is Johnny Jump Ups, “Shoes and Stockings,“ because the flowers looks rather like medieval slippers. However, violets were used to sweeten cakes and posits, before sugar was affordable. By the 19th century Devon Violet perfume had become a Victorian favorite along with lily of the valley, rose and peony.