Our common violet is mostly a weed but I have always had a soft spot for it. When I was a kid I would draw violets in the margins on my school work. I like the heart shaped leaves and the open mouth of the flower, and purple and green are my favorite colors. Later on I learned that violets are edible so I munch on them while I'm out in the garden and feed them to unsuspecting friends.
Recently I gathered a few cups of violet blooms to make simple syrup. Just gather a few cups of flowers and mix with boiling water and let sit a few days. Then strain off the violets and what is left is a beautiful purple liquid. Mix the liquid with sugar and add a few drops of lemon juice to get purple simple syrup. Now I can make purple margaritas! I took the violet byproduct and smooshed it into a cookie cutter and then pressed it between towels for a few days and ended up with a nice purple green decoration.
The main reason to love violet is because of the Fritillaries. Fritillaries are a large orange and black checkered butterfly. Fritillary caterpillars will only eat violet leaves but the adult butterfly will nectar at several different blooms. When the eggs hatch the baby caterpillars immediately hibernate until spring when the violets begin to awaken. It is important that the caterpillars not hatch too early or they will starve. Will global warming mess up the timing of the Fritillary and Violet timing? The caterpillars munch away on their violet until they are large enough to pupate. Fritillary butterflies are beautiful to watch and often are so absorbed in their flower that I can even get a good photo.
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