Viola pedata
(c) Becknell and Lucas Media, www.bigeastern.com
Bird-foot Violet is one
of many species of violets in our area. This plant has
blue-violet flowers and leaves shaped like a bird's foot. It
grows up to 10 inches tall. Bird-foot Violet grows in
dry fields,
clearings in woods, and roadsides. Leaves grow up to two
inches long and are fan-shaped with three lobes
(finger-like parts). Each lobe has small teeth
on the edges. The petioles
(leaf stems) can grow to six inches long. Bird-foot flowers are
usually bluish, but can range from white to purple. Each
flower has five petals. Flowers are larger than those on
most other violets. They bloom from March to
June. Bird-foot Violets are
perrennial,
meaning they don't die in Winter. Eleanor S.
Saulys William S. Justice,
PLANTS Eleanor S.
Saulys These plants spread by
rhizomes,
underground stems that grow sideways. Rhizomes can send up
new stems to make new plants. Because of the way
rhizomes spread, if you see one violet, you will usually see
many. The rhizomes make "colonies" of many
plants. Bird-foot Violet fruits
are small capsules, up to nine millimeters long, full of
small seeds. Seeds are eaten by birds, including Mourning
Dove, Northern Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, and Dark-eyed Junco.
White-footed Mice also eat seeds. Leaves and stems are
eaten by rabbits. Bird-foot Violet, and
other violets, are used by some butterflies as
host
plants. Butterflies, such as the Great Spangled Fritillary,
lay their eggs on the plant stems. When caterpillars hatch,
they immediately start eating the violet's
leaves. (c) Becknell and Lucas
Media, www.bigeastern.com
