Yellow Prairie Violet, Viola nuttallii

flowering season: April - June

photos: Matthews Winters Park, CO

The genus name Viola means violet in Latin, but her only purple coloring is the nectar guides on her sunshine yellow petals. She is also one of the few violet species with long lanceolate leaves, instead of the distinctive heart-shaped leaves of other violets. She grows in small clumps, about 4 inches tall, found from the prairie to the montane. Like other violets, her leaves and flowers are edible (but not the rhizomes, fruit or seeds). She serves as a host for caterpillars of the Coronis Fritillary butterfly. As milkweed is to monarchs, fritillaries will lay eggs near patches of violets and the caterpillars feed exclusively on the plant.