Spring Flowers

While out on our walk yesterday the girls and I encountered these lovely little flowers poking thru the detritus on the floor of the understory  along the creek. 

Meet Viola sororia, also known as the common blue violet.  I've always called these wood violets.  Others refer to this plant as the purple violet, or the meadow violet, the hooded violet and the lesbian flower.  They are quite variable in color - with these a pale shade of blue.  You cannot miss them as they stand-out against the brown litter of the forest floor.  They are striking.  And everywhere.

This plant prefers wet feet or moist woodlands and is found across Wisconsin.  There are more than six dozen variations of the plant found in north America and botanists have expediently lumped them together under one name - V. sororia.  It reproduces by means of underground runner although it is capable of producing seeds as well. 

Just like the pansies you might find growing in the kitchen garden the leaves happen to be edible so if you give them a rinse in cold water you can mix them in your salad.