Viola pedatifida Prairie Violets

Ohio Native Plant Natural Range

Visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website to view the natural range of Viola pedatifida .
Listed as Endangered - By the Ohio Department of Natural Conservation Resource
Prairie Violets Six small purple flowers with five petal growing in a nursery pot. The leaves of the plant look like green turkey feet.
Prairie Violets thriving in a nursery pot. Will be much happier once planted in a sunny garden
The vermiculite and perlite in the soil is a dead give away that this young Prairie Violets plant has recently been transplanted.
Newly tranplanted Prairie Violets seem especially happy in their new home


Cultivation Information


Height - 6 inchesFlower Color - PurpleBlooms - April - June then September
Sun - Sun part sun
Hardy Zone - 3 to 9
Family - Violaceae
Great Spangled Fritillary resting on a plant with yellow flowers which looks to be goldenrod.
Great Spangled Fritillary - Cuyahoga Valley National Park - by © Nancy Piltch - Praire violets are the host plant for Great Spangled Fritillary caterpillars
Prairie Violets leaves, look like they were created with a pair of small scissor and the artist had so much fun that she forgot to stop trimming.
Prairie Violets adding a spash of color

Wildlife Significance Viola pedatifida

Host Plant - Dr Hilty mentions on his Illinois Wildflower site that little is known about what insects visit this flower, the assumption is, Prairie Violets attract insects similar to other violet species. Violets are the host plant for the Great Spangled and Aphrodite Fritillary caterpillars

Host Plant - Great Spangled, Variegated fritillary, Silver-bordered fritillary, Meadow fritillary, Zerene fritillary, Atlantis fritillary and Aphrodite Fritillary caterpillars Nectar Source - For several Frittillary species Oligolectic Bees – bees that specialize in gathering nectar and pollen from a very specific plant, violets serve as that plant for the Andrea violae (Mining Bee)
Deer - Are not fond of violets For more detailed information visit the Illinois Wildflower website
Propagation Notes Viola pedatifida

Cold Storage - 60 days - Small Zip lock plastic bag with a few table spoons of moistened vermiculite
Seeds Planted - 2-8-2012
Sprouted - 2-14-2012
Night Temperature - 61 - 63°FDay Temperature - 64 - 65°F -Under florescent lightsDon't over water
Seed Provenance Viola pedatifida
2012 Nodding Onion Gardens, 2011 Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN