History and Care
Was the flower of the purple violet named after a color or are purple violet
flowers so lovely that the color was named after them? That’s probably
something we’ll never know, but one thing for sure is that the purple violet
flower is a much admired little blossom.
Four states have chosen the violet as their state flower, and while the only
state that has declared the Purple Violet as its emblem is Illinois, New
Jersey and Rhode Island have both chosen the Violet as their state flower
and the state flower of Wisconsin is the Wood Violet (also purple)
If you’ve missed the wild violet on your walks, next time you’re out and
about in mid-April, bend down close to any grassy patch and you’ll likely
see this sweet purple flower as it rests among blades of new grass. The wild
violet is a stem less viola with flowers that bloom from the crown of the
plant and leaves that bloom on separate stems.
Oddly enough, the flower of the purple violet is often noted for its azure
tint, as in the poem "Roses are red, violets are blue". . Poetry is filled
with references to their azure color. In truth, the purple violet flower
ranges from the palest lavender to the inkiest indigo, depending on what
variety you’re sweet on. (Speaking of sweets, the violet, was often used to
sweeten foods in ancient times and today is still often candied and used for
decorating cakes and pastries.}
Because of hybrids, today you find the flower of the violet in many colors
in addition to purple. Some purple flowers, like johnny-jump-ups and many
pansies are two and three-colored as well. Still, the wild violet is the
sweetest of all as it surprises us when we walk in wooded areas with its
purple display!