Tag Archives: Common Blue Violets

Edible flowers

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I love adding color to my salads. Most of the year, I do this with vegetables – carrots, red, orange, & yellow peppers, beets and tomatoes. When spring flowers start blooming, my salads start to look like a rainbow. I cannot resist, as the blossoms are so beautiful and packed full of nutrients.

redbud tree

Redbud blossoms

Redbud blossoms

The Redbud (Cercis canadensis) tree blossoms are spectacular. Before the leaves appear, the magenta blossoms develop along the branches. The flowers look similar to pea blossoms and actually taste a bit like a pea. Not only are the blossoms beautiful, they are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants as well as linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid.

common blue violets in lawnCommon Blue Violets (Viola spp.) blossoms and leaves are lovely additions to a salad. I prefer the young leaves, as they are more tender. Violets are high in vitamins A and C.

YUM!

YUM!

Always remember, when foraging to make sure the area hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals or by the family dog.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Spring Blossoms

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Yesterday was the first day of May and it screamed for me to go for a walk in the woods. The weather was perfect; not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the 60s. I went for a hike with a friend in one of our local state parks, where we saw signs of spring everywhere. So, I decided to take photos of all the wildflowers along the trail and share them. Perhaps it will help you identify them on your next spring walk.

Early Saxifrage

When we walked out of the woods we came across Early Saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis)  growing among the grass in a field. It was so abundant.

Kidneyleaf Buttercup

Then we came across Kidneyleaf Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) growing inside a root ring. It looked like a fairy garden.

Round-lobed Hepatica 2 Round-lobed Hepatica

All of a  sudden we saw Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) everywhere. The flowers were white or white with a hint of purple. I tried to get a good photo of the leaves as they help for easy identification but the flowers emerge before the leaves and it was still a bit early.

white trillium

Then we had the honor of seeing White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) along the trail.

coltsfoot

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) screams spring. It looks similar to dandelion but unlike dandelions the coltsfoot flower blooms before the leaves come out.

Blue Violet

I was delighted to see some Common Blue Violets (Viola papilionaceae).  I love adding the tender young leaves and blossoms to our salads. They are tasty and  liven up an average salad.

As you can see, I’m not such a good photographer or the wind moved the flowers while I was taking their pictures so the pictures are not as good as I hoped.  I almost scrapped the idea of blogging this walk but I thought what the heck, it’s what happened and part of the blog is about what happens. I guess I could have gone out and to try and get better pictures but I am trying to be authentic here and some things work out well while others do not… that’s life. Regardless, I think you have gotten a good idea of what the blossoms look like.

I hope you have the opportunity to take some spring walks. Every day there are new things to see. Isn’t life glorious!