Love ‘em or hate ‘em – wild violets

Q. Those purple violets will be coming up soon. What can I do to control them?

Sharon from Campbell

A. There seem to be two schools of thought about violets that pop up in our lawns every spring. It’s a love ‘em or hate ‘em situation. I am taking a stance here. I used to view them as troublesome weeds, I am ashamed to admit it. I tried to get rid of them. I have come to accept them, like them, and even look forward to their appearance as a sign that spring is here to stay. I decided to embrace them because I can’t beat them, and am so glad I have taken this approach.

Let’s explore both opinions. First, the love ‘em side. They are such delicate little flowers, a sure sign that spring has arrived. They grow in clumps and are only 4-6 inches tall. For me they bring back childhood memories of collecting wildflowers, many of which are not seen much anymore. Their dark green heart-shaped leaves and cheery bluish purple, sometimes white, flowers are just so darn cute. They are a host plant for a group of butterflies known as fritillaries, of which several varieties will lay eggs only where larvae can feed on wild violets. These delicate little plants also serve as a host to the mining bee. The blue orchard bee, aka mason bee, head first into the violet searching for pollen. This bee is a very important and effective pollinator because it visits many different plants.

Violet flowers and leaves are edible, packed with vitamin C – what a nice touch in a salad. The flowers can be sugared and used as culinary decorations. Violet jelly, tea, vinegar and syrup can be a nice treat. Just for fun, I like to freeze the little flowers in ice cubes and use in drinks – always brings lots of positive comments.

If you plan to eat them, be sure to pick violets that you know have not been treated with pesticides or other chemicals. And if you don’t like where they pop up in your yard, you can always move them to your “violet farm.”

On the downside, if you must have a pristine golf course-like yard, good luck if violets come to visit. They are tough and persistent. They spread by rhizomes and seed. They can spread while not in bloom. Their waxy leaves repel herbicides like glyphosate (the main ingredient in Round-up).

Hand pulling is not effective. If you leave just a speck of a root behind, the plant will consider it a challenge and spread.

Violets thrive in moist spots, but will tolerate sun, too. They tend not to appear in very thick lawns. Controlled fertilizing at the tight time may reduce their presence. Visit http://go.osu.edu/violetcontrol to learn about control options.

My advice: Be eco-friendly and enjoy them – they aren’t here for long, and deer hate them. Visit http://go.osu.edu/wildviolet to learn more about them and to get a few recipes.

Marilyn McKinley is an OSU Extension master gardener volunteer in Mahoning County. Winter hours for the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic vary. Submit questions to the clinic at 330-533-5538 or drop samples off at the Extension office in Canfield.