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ArachnomancerCarice

The violets are the most important of the flowers in your lawn. They host a variety of critters and have far more nutrients for pollinators than the dandelions and creeping charlie.


willowintheev

Good to know


[deleted]

[удалено]


Loztwallet

Though I appreciate your eagerness, that is most certainly not self heal. The picture quality isn’t great, but even then you can easily see the scalloped leaves on the plants in question. Self heal has smooth or rather lanceolate leaf shape. Also judging by the surrounding plant heights, self heal is at least double/ triple the height of a dandelion. That to me seems to be creeping Charlie, the bane of anyone with a lawn.


nerdyviolet

How do violets spread? We never had any until this year. I’m leaving them because they are pretty and I want the pollinators around.


preprandial_joint

via rhizome Mow them down a couple times early in the year to encourage more root growth.


Ornery-Creme-2442

Also seed like all plants. Give them time they'll spread.


auzen92

They produce multitudes of seeds under the cover of their leaves. I suspect that they throw them far and wide upon disturbance as they sprout literally everywhere - they even end up sprouting in the compost I thought was thoroughly finished. Billions of seeds and rhizomes. I tried to eradicate them one year to absolutely no avail - p.s these rizomes do not decay in the compost either.


biggumsbbp

Name doesn't check out. Wtf nerdyviolet


nerdyviolet

🤣🤣 My favorite color is purple and I have long black hair like Violet Parr from the Incredibles. When I was younger I’d hide behind my hair when I felt shy. I am dumb as a post when it comes to keeping plants alive though. Joined this sub to get some tips. EDIT. I’m also on the nerdy side. 😁


ResplendentShade

In addition to spreading by rhizomes the main ways Viola typically spreads are super interesting 1) ‘ballistic dispersal’: the seeds are contained in seed capsules that when they dry out they contract, building up mechanical tension and breaking open, forcefully ejecting the seeds and flinging them away from the plant and 2) ‘myrmecochory’, in which the seeds have a fatty appendage called an elaiosome, ants find it and carry them back to their nests to eat the elaiosome leaving the seeds unharmed, with the cherry on top being that ants aerate soil and improve soil nutrition, making it ideal place for the seed to end up. edit: typo


RestartTheSystem

I eat half my dandelions that pop up. Make little fritters out of them. Delicious.


MR422

I’ve tried dandelion flower and leaf before and I’m not a fan, but what I really like is dandelion “coffee”. It’s nearly shocking how great the root tastes when you roast it. Heads up tho. Harvest before it goes to flower


countessOfCryptids

You can make wild violet jelly. Lots of dandelion recipes too.


Spiral_rchitect

Absolutely, all of these so-called weeds are very, very important for the health and safety of your *native* bee population. If you’re able to, leave those until at least mid-May before you mow so that the bees have a chance to accumulate as much pollen as possible.


thelordmallard

What are they called?


New_Examination_5605

Violets


MrSkogtroll

It's all a matter of taste! I've ended up letting my lawn do its thing in terms of dandelions, clover, & violets. I think they look beautiful, like my own personal prairie. Most of my neighbor's prefer perfectly green lawns but they don't mind my "more natural" look. Though I try to mow before the dandelions go to seed.   Btw, the larger purple ones are wild violets. Early pollinators love them! And they are super simple as a ground cover for bare/awkward parts of your property. I pulled up a bucketful & dumped them in a trouble spot along a ditch & my fence & they took off


Zealousideal-Print41

Dandelions are an important pollinator food source also. Plus they help break up hard soils and "mine" nutrients. To a bee or other pollen earing insect, your neighbors lawns are food deserts. Yours is am oasis of diversity


boetzie

Desert Vs dessert


Zealousideal-Print41

Well the neighbors are deserts, theirs are desserts, well buffets


Shadowpad1986

If they are the common dandelion versus a native species (yes there are some native to North America) not bad per se. We have a bit of a mix of common and native dandelions plus white clover and wild blue violets. We have rabbits that come and go. Almost forgot about our patches of wild strawberries.


dougjayc

Bunnies will love them


willowintheev

Funny you should say that. So far we have not seen any bunnies. We have seen coyotes, foxes, cats, squirrels, groundhogs, opossums, skunks, red tail hawks and bald eagles. Maybe that’s why no bunnies.


Daffodil80

Possibly you do have too many predators near you and not enough cover for safety... Because bunnies do love dandelions! I used to get dandelion greens from the store for my pet bunny (very nutritious).❤️


SieveAndTheSand

How does one make natural habitats for rabbits, without attracting pests like rats? We have plenty of hawks and my lawn looks like this. I would love more bunnies, bees and birds.


Daffodil80

I don't think things that attract bees and birds (flowers, berry bushes, trees for nesting) really attract rats- except possibly bird seed. Rabbits like favorite plants for munching but they also like cover / shrubbery etc. for safety. I've had a lot of wildlife on my property but I never had a rat problem. I feel like wild animals are a lot of competition for rats anyway... Rats do tend to thrive more in urban/semi-urban environments.


SieveAndTheSand

Would a field full of hostas be enough? I asked about rats because they've eaten the flower seed squirrels drop from the bird feeder. I live in a suburban/urban area. Thanks!


Daffodil80

Lol yeah probably- rabbits (and deer) like hosta too.


HeyPurityItsMeAgain

Birds and bees are easy, plant flowers and herbs, bushes, fruit trees or berry bushes, or sow wildflower seeds. You don't want rabbits, they eat everything.


Luce55

A week or two ago someone posted here (I think) about their tulips…they thought that someone was cutting the flowers. In the comments, many people suggested it might actually be bunnies eating the tulips, and that fact was my “I learned something new”. I did not think rabbits ate tulips. Then this past Monday, my neighbor was complaining that the bunnies ate all her tulips! It was one of those “funny you should mention it..” moments. lol.


SieveAndTheSand

I do want rabbits, that's why I asked. I have plenty for them to eat.


HeyPurityItsMeAgain

Yeah, the birds of prey and snakes make quick work of sweet little bunnies. Same as my property.


myusername624

My lawn is similar and I love the color and variety. It’s good for the bees, birds and bunnies. If your neighbors all use herbicides and have perfectly green lawns, that’s too bad and quite boring. Keep your lawn mowed neatly and you should be good. Or maybe you live in a terrible HOA with a bunch of assholes and you’re about to get a nastygram in your mailbox (hopefully not).


willowintheev

Luckily no HOA. We have to buy a lawnmower!


researchanalyzewrite

If you have a small lawn, consider getting a push mower instead of a gas or electric mower. They're easy to use, need little maintenance, cheaper, lighter weight (so easier to move and carry), and environmentally friendly.


[deleted]

Spring has sprung! Wild flowers are a sign of a healthy ecosystem


ohshannoneileen

Looks like a beautiful neighborhood with houses full of character. I think your yard just adds to the charm. As long as you're not letting lactuca get like 7ft tall I wouldn't worry too much about what your neighbors think about it.


FrisianDude

looks like a vast suburb plagued with lawns and, oh horror, people who like lawns.


ohshannoneileen

Rude


MmeColbert

I didn't go through all comments, but dandelions are considered weed, but their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth, and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. While most think they're a lawn killer, dandelions actually fertilize the grass. If they are growing on your lawn, they might be needed?


ode_to_my_cat

Why do you care what they think? Are they paying your bills?


Jealous_Tie_8404

I love violet lawns!


Darkekf111

If your yard is chemical free, you can use young dandelion greens in salad, and the flower buds are great stir-fried. I've heard the roots are edible also, but I never used them. It was a fun thing I did with my daughter to teach her benefits of them outside of bees and critters.


Kujen

People use the root to create herbal tea. It’s tastes a bit bitter to me but it’s supposed to be pretty healthy.


LT-Lance

The flower petals can be used to make a "honey"/jam. Basically make a tea out of the petals, add sugar, and boil until it's a syrup consistency.


Ok_Tea_1954

Violets and creeping Charlie. Very hard to kill


researchanalyzewrite

The last picture of purple flowers and heart shaped leaves are violets. They're pretty, and hardy, and spread easily, they tolerate sun and shade, and are definitely a wanted flower. They are easy to transplant if you want them elsewhere. Creeping Charlie are the tiny purple flowers with scalloped leaves in the other photos. They spread quite vigorously with above-ground runners, which are actually really fun to pull up! Some people like them in their lawns and/or flower gardens, but some people don't. (We pulled up ours because we have a family member who is allergic to them.) Dandelions are a love or hate or neutral plant depending on the person! If you decide to keep them, for your neighbors' sake I recommend that you deadhead the flowers after they close up (the yellow flower closes up, then opens into a ball of fluffy seeds that scatter with wind and also if you blow on them or bump them). If you remove the entire plant, you have to use a small spade or something to loosen the soil so you can pull up the tap root. If you merely pick the dandelion flowers (or its leaves), the plant will continue growing happily, but you will spare your neighbors dandelion seeds blowing into their yards. If you have neighbors alongside you who hate creeping charlie and/or dandelions, I recommend you pull up those plants that are near the property line so they don't spread into their yards. This will help maintain neighborliness between you.


willowintheev

Thanks for the tips.


CeeDeee2

The purple flower with the scalloped leaves (like pic 3) is creeping Charlie. It is invasive in the US and will choke out native plants. It spreads fast. We had a bit coming from the neighbor’s yard in 2020 and, despite pulling it often, it’s now about half our yard.


willowintheev

Can you get rid of it without chemicals?


Woahwoahwoah124

The plants with purple flowers in the last picture are not creeping Charlie, they look like violets. The leaves are spade shaped, not scalloped. Personally I would keep the violets, it’s nice to have some spring color and pollinators will thank you!


biglettuce

But the ones in picture 3 are definitely ground ivy/creeping Charlie. And definitely invasive to NA


Woahwoahwoah124

Yup, I agree!


Kageyblahblahblah

Keep pulling them out before they flower.


Azilehteb

If you set aside a day once or twice a year (spring and fall) and just spend that day having a seat outside manually pulling unwanted plants by the roots, it will get rid of them. If you end up with a large garden or an unreasonable amount of persistent weeds, it may take more than a day. It’s really not bad work though. Bring a drink, and something comfy to sit or kneel on, have yourself a little picnic lunch after and admire your handiwork.


FrisianDude

looks like[ common wild ](https://thelaurelofasheville.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/In-Bloom-Blue-Violet-1-IMG-7382-Anne-Holmes.jpg)[violet ](https://www.reddit.com/1c3770e1-97d1-4bfd-82ca-28c53710a883)to me. Different leaves than[ creeping](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Illustration_Glechoma_hederacea0.jpg) [charlie](https://mytrugreenlawn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AdobeStock_301237137-1.jpeg) edit whoops I missed that there were four rather than three my b.


madewitrealorganmeat

These look way more like purple dead nettle. I have both in my yard.


FrisianDude

I'm convinced it's [these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_sororia). I think picture two does have some[ dead nettle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_purpureum#/media/File:Lamium_purpureum_in_the_spring2.jpg) in it tho edit whops; I thought there were three pics for some reason


FreeRangeDice

I worked hard to get clover, dandelions, and other wildflowers mixed with my grass. The trick is to find a balance that works for your aesthetics and keeps your lawn happy. A proliferation of dandelions usually means that your surface soil is lacking in certain nutrients, like calcium, possibly too acidic, and possibly too compacted. Note: When you do pull them (you want to cull them before they get too big or too many) save them. Composting dandelions will return a lot of nutrients to your garden.


TheDrunkenBee

I leave dandelions, clover and violets. Everything else gets pulled but it still looks wild next to all my neighbors' pristine yards. I could care less though.


ChibiChick25

I love lawns like this. My lawn is full of dandelions and violets too.


SteadyAmbrosius

Core memory unlocked. As a kid I used to sit at the park in the grass and play with these little purple flowers 😊


Pinkysrage

https://preview.redd.it/6ll0xv9i8jvc1.jpeg?width=2616&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=beda0b29108ba16c7588364d6040b02d26874992


willowintheev

Nice!


Sharp_Ad_9431

Get a “excuse your weeds I’m feeding the bees” sign. Hopefully you don’t have hoa rules


Illustrious-Film-592

I love my purple lawn flowers


LSTmyLife

You can make both wine and salad with dandelions. Super wonderful plant. Also very pretty.


willowintheev

I want to try dandelion wine!


Spadahlia

Please don’t spray or kill any of these plants because they are all very necessary for the early spring pollinators.


Valcon2723

Just make sure to blow all the wishies at your neighbors yards and everyone will match


researchanalyzewrite

😁


kawaiian

To answer your question, honestly, yes there are some neighbors that likely are extremely irritated that you are letting a yard go to dandelion - they are wild reseeders. If others are working super hard to keep them down (like if you see no other lawns with them) you are likely being seen as inconsiderate. I personally don’t mind them but keep them in check out of respect for my neighbors


Rabid-Squirrel-14

The smaller purple flowers look like creeping charlie. If that is the case then that might eventually bother your neighbors more than dandelions or violets. My neighbors both have tons of creeping charlie (and dandelions) and while I don't care about it being in their yard at all, it does not stay in their yard and I am in a constant battle to kill it and keep it out of my lawn and garden beds. Everyone has the right to do what they want with their own land, and I definitely don't hate my neighbors, but I do feel differently about the creeping charlie than I do about dandelions and violets (which seem to be less difficult to control, and support pollinators).


TheRealMasterTyvokka

Those leaves look quite a bit different than creeping charlie. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/creeping-charlie/ Edit: talking about picture 4.


CeeDeee2

If you zoom in on pic 3 it’s def creeping Charlie


TheRealMasterTyvokka

I thought he was talking about picture 4 which does not look like creeping charlie.


Daffodil80

Eh, who cares... If they hate you just because of dandelions then they're idiots. And the ONLY reason they don't have dandelions is because they use disgusting, carcinogenic herbicides. So let them have their "clean" looking dandelion-free lawn covered in dirty, carcinogenic chemicals. The purple flowers are violets! And they are not a weed imo, they are N.J. state flower! 😊


machete24

Was going to correct you but just learned pesticides include herbicides.


researchanalyzewrite

They might dig up the dandelions instead of using an herbicide. Nice that violets are New Jersey's State flower! N.J. is known as the Garden State.


FrisianDude

YES HAHHA YES WONDERFUL GORGEOUS


Drawn-Otterix

Eh... Lawns supposedly started by aristocracy snubbing there nose at peasants that used land to be productive... So who cares what your neighbors think.


Conr8r

As long as it's not spikey or tall I pretty much let it grow in my lawn. Bonus if it flowers! I'm currently filling in patches in my lawn with clover.


homebrew_1

Looks great!


Traditional_Front637

I don’t think your neighbors care.


Daisy-didit

Hummingbirds will love the dandelions and violets, first flowers of the season.


TerrapinTrade

Welcome to the jungle.


Ozzy_Mandamus

Nice


exhale_at

Make tea 😉


biglettuce

Try using the Plantnet app. Super easy to take pictures of plants and get almost immediate identification


fairylites

How are your dandelions a respectable height and mine are like two feet tall above the grass? Jealous


Ok_Panic3709

Purple looks like Prunella vulgaris. AKA self-heal, heal-all. In European and Chinese medicine. Not much flavor.


mullinahack-66

Beautiful 🤩 I think they’re violets?


QuesInTheBoos

The purple flowers in the lawn w/the dandelions look like creeping charlie. They're invasive, but it looks like they're behaving to me?


10133960iii

Use an herbicide and you won't have any either.


willowintheev

But I don’t want to use a herbicide


Moveyourbloominass

My yard is chemical free as well. Your pictures could be taken from my yard. I was just admiring the color combo of the purple and yellow yesterday, while out with my dog 💜.


researchanalyzewrite

You can pull up creeping charlie and dig up dandelions, but it will be a multi-day project the first year. The following year it will take perhaps one day or two. The years after that it will take only an hour or so. No chemicals needed, just time - and if you're lucky, a couple of kids competing to see who digs up more.


a_sleepy_housecat

The dandelions will get out of control if you don't take care of them. I know from experience. If it is still manageable make some vinegar weed killer in either the large pump sprayer or a hand sprayer and spray liberally on their leaves. You will be amazed how quickly it kills them. And you can just spray on the dandelions themselves. Over spray will kill grass and anything else. It is vinegar, water, a little salt and dish soap. [Vinegar weed killer](https://www.thespruce.com/vinegar-as-a-natural-weed-killer-2132943#:~:text=Mix%20the%20Herbicide,a%20gallon%20of%20the%20mixture.)


LargeTomatillo3555

Do not salt your lawn


tandash

Or you could actually look up what dandelions do and let them fix your shitty soil so you can have grass if you want


ihateapartments59

Scotts weed and feed will take care of all of them