Violas on the Hillside

Last week I stayed in Reno with Dan so I could play some ultimate frisbee on both Monday and Tuesday nights. It was pretty fantastic, it felt great to run around chasing that ever elusive disc. On Tuesday afternoon I took the dogs for a small hike at the Huffaker Hill trails, just south of Rattle Snake Mountain. As I hiked, I noticed that there were a ton of Lomatiums all along the trail. There were yellow ones and white ones and they were all over, it was amazing.

As I continued to hike, I happened to look down and saw a little violet (Viola beckwithii). I was sooooo surprised to see it, a beautiful purple flower smiling up at me. Once I climbed a bit higher in to the hills, I noticed more and more violets. There were hundreds of them, it made me sooooo happy to see all these gorgeous little wildflowers. Yay, spring is on its way!!! Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but I did take a couple pictures with my phone. The quality of the pictures is pretty poor though, sorry for that.

Lomatium spp.

Viola beckwithii

The Viola beckwithii is native to California and the surrounding states and is only found in western North America. It, like the Lomatiums we've seen, is an early bloomer.

In addition to being beautiful little flowers, Violets are also edible and medicinal. The leaves and flowers have antiseptic and expectorant properties. The leaves also have been used as a diuretic. The flowers are the most common part of the plant to eat because they tend to have a sweet taste and they make a beautiful addition to any salad. The flowers can also be candied and used as a garnish on cakes and pastries. The roots and seeds, however, have been known to cause vomiting.