Downy Yellow Violet

The Downy Yellow Violet grows in shady, forested areas. It is 6-18 in tall and wide with heart-shaped leaves (3 in wide) with jagged edges and clearly visible veins. The leaves and stalks are often hairy.

The Downy Yellow Violet is a spring flower (.75 in wide) with 5 bright yellow petals. There are several brown or purple lines on the lower petals.

The fruit, an egg-shaped capsule (.33 in long), turns brown and splits into 3 sections when ripe, shooting the seeds several feet from the plant.

Did you know? Downy Yellow Violet attracts a wide variety of bees. The seeds are eaten by various birds, while the leaves and stems are eaten by small mammals and the Wood Turtle.

See Also: Crowfoot Violet, Early Blue Violet, Northern Bog Violet, Western Canada Violet

Forests are large areas of trees growing close together.

Grasslands are large open areas covered with grasses. They have very few trees or shrubs. This habitat includes prairies and tundra.