Better Know a Host Plant is a series of posts all about common to rare butterfly host plants. Each week during the butterfly season we will feature a host plant that we have experience with, or just find interesting!
Common Name: Wild violets
Latin Name: Viola sororia
Bloom time: Spring
Spread: 0.5 to 0.75 ft
Native: Yes
Host Plant: Great Spangled Fritillary (left photo), Variegated Fritillary (right photo)
Nectar Plant: Assorted pollinators
Color: Purple and white flowers
Our Experience: Wild violets are found in grassy areas where no herbicides are used. Our lawn is coated with them–as it should be! They are perfect for lazy gardeners who provide a steady regimen of benign neglect. Some might say they are aggressive or invasive—it all depends on what you want growing in your yard. I love seeing the little flashes and bits of purple in the grass, and the fact they are host plants makes them a welcomed addition to our habitat.
Pros: Easily grown host plant. Tolerates being ignored and withstands whatever the weather or soil conditions are.
Cons: Generously reproduces itself all over, but we think that’s a good thing!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Left to right: Variegated Fritillary eggs on wild violet leaf; early instar Variegated Fritillary caterpillar; Variegated Fritillary chrysalis.
