Smooth Yellow Violet
Viola eriocarpa
Its seeds feature a nutrient-rich appendage called an elaiosome, which coaxes ants into carrying the seeds back to their nests, effectively planting them.
- Scientific name
- Viola eriocarpa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Malpighiales › Violaceae › Viola
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous woodlands, rich slope forests, and alluvial floodplains.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Eastern North America, Midwestern United States, Southeastern Canada
- Size
- 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches) tall.
- Lifespan
- Perennial (individual rootstocks can survive for several years).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, displacement by invasive species like garlic mustard, and overbrowsing by white-tailed deer.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe this delicate wildflower from the trail. Avoid stepping on them or picking them, as they serve as vital early-season resources for native pollinators. If touched, no special action is needed as they are non-toxic to human skin.
Photo: Lynn Harper, CC0, via iNaturalist
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