The poet that called the wood violet “shrinking violets” did not know how appropriate that name was for this little ground hugger. Yes, it is considered a modest flower in that it is small and close to the ground, but when its seed pods shrink, and they do, they go ballistic! The seed pods shrink to release their seeds, but in doing so, the seeds are propelled to a distance away from the parent plant, a reproductive strategy. No worries about when the children will leave home; they are literally thrown out! The interesting thing about these seed pods is that they are from underground flowers. Yes, I said underground. The photos above are of the seed pods of the underground flowers. They emerge from the ground on stems about two inches long and shoot seeds out to establish a new colony away from the parent! Violets have developed several…
