# Smooth Yellow Violet (*Viola eriocarpa*) The Smooth Yellow Violet is a bright, cheerful flower that loves to bloom in the spring. Its lovely yellow petals can brighten up any garden or meadow! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Smooth Yellow Violet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Viola_pubescens_scabriuscula_FWS-1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ryan Hagerty, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viola_pubescens_scabriuscula_FWS-1.jpg) ## Appearance The Smooth Yellow Violet has bright yellow, spurred flowers, often streaked with purple, held above smooth, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped leaves. Its slender stems and vibrant color distinguish it from other woodland plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Malpighiales - **Family:** Violaceae - **Genus:** Viola ## Interesting facts - Its seeds have a yummy treat for ants, who carry them far away! - Native Americans used violet leaves to make a soothing tea. - This plant produces two flowers: one for show, one for hidden, secret seeds! - You can eat its pretty yellow flowers and tender leaves in salads! ## Special abilities - **Hidden Flowers:** Smooth Yellow Violet grows tiny, closed flowers that self-pollinate, ensuring seeds even without insect help. - **Ant Assistants:** Smooth Yellow Violet has seeds with a fatty cap that ants collect and carry, helping to spread the plant. - **Early Bloom:** Smooth Yellow Violet blooms early to grab sunlight and pollinators before forest trees grow their leaves. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** [Great Spangled Fritillary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-spangled-fritillary) (*Speyeria cybele*) — caterpillars feed on leaves - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on foliage - **Depends on:** European Fire Ant (*Myrmica rubra*) — disperses seeds with elaiosomes ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Smooth Yellow Violet? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Smooth Yellow Violet? 10-30 cm ### How wide does Smooth Yellow Violet spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on Smooth Yellow Violet? 1-2 cm ### When does Smooth Yellow Violet bloom? Spring ### Is Smooth Yellow Violet edible? Yes ### Is Smooth Yellow Violet toxic? None ### What is Smooth Yellow Violet's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bartholomew's Cobble](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bartholomews-cobble) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Pennyrile State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pennyrile-state-forest) — Kentucky, US · Forest - [Rock House Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rock-house-reservation) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bat-cave-and-cascade-caverns-state-nature-preserves) — Kentucky, US · Nature Reserve - [Battle of Camp Allegheny](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-of-camp-allegheny) — West Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Canaan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canaan) — Connecticut, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Smooth Yellow Violet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/smooth-yellow-violet) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Smooth Yellow Violet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/smooth-yellow-violet)