nichepoetryandprose

The Purple Violet is the floral symbol of my life.  It is the official flower of the province where I live.  It is one of the many species in my lawn, and the theme for my guest room.  Every card my Mom and Dad ever sent to me has an image of violets.

Purple Violets are loved by many people.  In New Brunswick, they were adopted as the Provincial Flower in 1936, at the request of the provincial Women’s Institute.  The violet is also the State flower of Illinois, adopted in 1907 by schoolchildren in the State.

The Purple Violet ((Viola cucullata Ait.) is also known as the Hooded Blue Violet, the Marsh Blue Violet, the Long-stemmed Marsh Violet, and, in French, violette cucullée or violette dressée.  The Latin species name means ‘hooded’ from the inrolled young leaves.

The Purple Violet is a low-growing perennial preferring wetlands, or low wet areas in mixed or coniferous woods.

The leaves are simple, with a long stalk.  They are often heart-shaped, with rounded teeth.

The Purple Violet blooms in May.  The flower is held on a long peduncle (stalk) above a basal rosette of leaves. The flower is dark blue, purple or occasionally white, with five petals darkly veined towards the center.  The lower petal is short and spurred, and the two lateral petals are bearded.  Bearded petals have clusters of tiny thick hairs, rounded at the tip.

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, used as a thickener in soup, or to make a tea.  The flowers can be added to a salad or used for edible decoration.  My salad is made with Purple Violet leaves, Dandelion greens, chives from our garden and my own sprouts.  I added three flowers for their delicate taste and decoration.  Always be sure of your identification before you eat anything from the wild!

Although I do not advocate the wanton dismemberment of flowers, the violet holds a charming secret for children of all ages.  If you gently pull down the ‘upper’ two petals from the flower, you can see a little lady with a white head and orange gown, sitting against the backdrop of her purple throne.

Purple Violet holds a royal lady… in this flower, you can barely glimpse the lady against her throne. She is upside down. You can see her white head and the top of the skirt of her orange gown.

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Marshland Rule

                Viola cucullata Ait.

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within the perilous

limits of the rimless marsh,

disguised in woodland green,

spurred by deep viola speak

and crowds of envious hearts,

the hooded ranger guards

the tiny queen, long stemmed

tenderness, slenderness hid

by the folds of her orange gown,

seated against her purple throne,

flanked by wise men

bearded,

eager to advise

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