Which is Wisconsin’s State Flower?

Right now is a great time to see spring flowers along the trails at Devil’s Lake State Park! Many of the trails are dotted with reds, yellows, pinks, yellows, purples, and oceans of white. Do you know which is Wisconsin’s State Flower? Well, it’s not always that easy!

Many people know that Wisconsin’s State flower is a violet. Specifically, a wood violet. But, can you ID it?

Is it this one?

OR is it this one?

The answer is the bottom photo. It’s the violet with the heart like leaves. The wood violet was selected at Wisconsin’s State Flower by school children arbor day in 1909. It’s also the state flower in Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. And one other little factoid, you can eat it! The leaves can be used in salads, candies, and jellies. I’m told they’re pretty tasty.

The top violet is called a “bird foot” violet and is also native to much of the country east of the Mississippi River and up into Canada. However, the bird foot violet is not all that common and is classified as threatened in many states. So if you see it, don’t step on the bird foot!

Oh and that white flower you’re seeing all over the park right now?

Garlic Mustard!

That’s invasive garlic mustard! If you look at the photo above you can see how invasive! Garlic mustard, like the wood violet, is also edible. It tastes like, well, garlic! I wouldn’t eat too much of it raw however because like lima beans, garlic mustard, especially young plants contain a small amount of cyanide. It’s best cooked. Food foragers love to use it in pestos!

As I noted garlic mustard is terribly invasive and can quickly fill the forest floor, the roadsides, and pretty much anywhere it gets a foothold. What’s more, if you simply pull it and toss it on the ground, it will still go to seed and spread! This is why volunteers at Devil’s Lake State Park and elsewhere work hard each year to bag it and remove it.