|
The blue violet is the state flower of New Jersey. Delightful and delicate violet flowers appear reliably every spring in gardens, open woodlands, meadows, fields -- and our lawns.
Some homeowners feel they need to pursue a perfectly uniform turf and therefore they should kill any violets amongst the grass.
That perfect turf requires broadleaf herbicides, fertilization, regular watering, and lots of work. And in the end that perfect turf is basically a green desert that offers almost no services to our ecosystem.
But Violets in the lawn should be accepted and enjoyed, not considered a source of shame. These small plants provide big ecological services. Violet flower nectar sustains many species of bees and other pollinators that emerge in spring when food sources are scarce.
Violet leaves and flowers are also the ONLY food source for Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly caterpillars (Speyeria cybele) and for the mining bee (Andrena violae). Many other species feed on violets, but these two species require violets to survive -- just like the Monarch Butterfly specie's dependency on Milkweed.
Violets in lawns are little treasures to be enjoyed.
| 
