Weed of the week: Wild Violet

Wild Violet – also referred to as Common Blue Violet, Meadow Violet, Hooded Blue Violet, and Field Violet – is a perennial broadleaf weed. Viola papilionacea is often found in fields, meadows, low woods, shaded areas of lawns, ditches, waste areas, roadsides and railroads. Wild Violet thrives throughout North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. Identifying Wild Violet Violets can be identified by their heart shaped leaves which are pointed at their tip and have rounded teeth on their margins. Violets spread by short rhizomes and by seed. Short rhizomes about the size of your “pinky” finger are common to all Indiana wild violet species. Flower color varies by species. Common blue and wooly blue violets (both have a purple, blue, violet color. Confederate violet has white petals with an inner violet color. Yellow violet has a yellow color. Wild Violet Control Wild Violet can be a difficult weed to remove from a lawn or garden. The weed is often sold as groundcover for a garden or nursery but quickly spreads to lawns and turfgrass. Physical removal is ineffective for control as even a few remaining roots can lead to reestablishment. Our applications include products to help control this weed, but it may take several sprayings to fully eliminate it.