Wild Violets, Boldly go where no Violet has gone before
 (Read 100+ times)
By Hans Dekker
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The success story of the wild violet is not without reason; this intriguing plant has a few tricks on it sleeves. Its reproduction methods are effective to say the least. The root system varies from species to species.
The different varieties can have either a tap root or a fibrous root system. But it’s very invasive system in all cases. The plant is mostly classified as a winter perennial, although it's also argued that it’s more a yearly returning annual, or biennial. The qualification is depended on the variety and discussion about the “true” nature of the plant is popping up every now and then.
Annual, biennial or perennial the fact that these plants grow two kinds of flowers makes them highly interesting. Tending these plants from seeds is difficult and takes a lot of patience. But you can find them at your local nursery as ornamental ground cover.
These plants make a lovely ornamental ground cover, but take precautions. The wild violet is rather wild and will boldly go where no wild violet has gone before. Before you work them into your perennial garden make sure to put establish vary firm barriers. If you don't it's probable you soon see them bloom in all gardens on your block. And although this is a very interesting plant, your neighbors might think otherwise.
The showy flowers that dazzle us with their brilliant displays are called chasmogamous flowers. These flowers broadcast their seeds to bloom where they fall or to be eaten and borne away by wildlife. Once seeds develop, the seedpod's dry until they burst, catapulting the seeds up to four feet away Since all parts of the plant are edible, wild violets are a favorite meal for many denizens of the garden.
After the larger flowers have withered, you'll see a patch of smaller violet flowers at the base of the plant. Fortunately, the violet knows how to make its seed germinate, grow and bloom. After the normal "showy" violet blossoms are gone, if you look closely you will see the tiny closed flowers that self-pollinate to produce violet seeds, the cleistogamous flowers.
These flowers, which never open serve only as an incubator for extremely fertile and abundant seeds and give the violet another rare characteristic, bisexuality.
The perianth (external part of the flower) of the violet flower is divided into five layered or overlapping sepals and five layered or overlapping petals. The sepals are small leaves that may be just as brightly colored as the violet flower, or in some varieties may be green as the foliage. You can recognize the wild violet by its heart shaped leaves.
The male part of the violet flower consists of five stamens with anthers (hold the pollen) that are on very short stems. These male organs alternate with the petals and are usually separate from each other, but are sometimes finely connected with filaments.
All in all the Wild Violet has found a way to constantly stay ahead of any threat thrown at it, and that is a very interesting feat.
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Author Bio Box: Hans Dekker
 Hans is an avid gardener and writes about
flower gardening issues one of his hobbies iscomputer flower garden design
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