Cedar Creek Natural History Area

Plants of Cedar Creek

    Twelve species of Viola (Violets) are reported for the Area.  V. tricolor (Field Pansy) is a cultivar found at the old Peterson homesite NE of Fish Lake. Flowers have white, violet, and yellow petals. The remainder can be divided into white, yellow, or blue violets.

    White-flowered species include:  V. macloskeyi (=pallens: N. White Violet) a common species of wet woods. V. lanceolata (Lance-leaved Violet) is a 'special concern' species for the state and is found in a few savanna depressions in the burn area south of Fish Lake.  V. incognita (Large-leaved WT violet) is an uncommon species of lowland woods.

    Yellow flowered species include: V. renifolia (Kidney-leaved Violet).  It is found on Crone’s Knoll.

    Blue is the prevailing color of most violets on the Area.  V. pedatifida (Prairie Violet) is the common upland field violet. V. pedata (Birdfoot Violet) has a conspicuous orange beak and is quite rare here--noted only along the West Trail into Fish Lake. V. saggitata (Arrow-leaved Violet) is common in old field depressions.  V. nephrophylla is found in the marsh near Tamarack Island.  Most of the remaining Blue Violets occur in woodland. V. conspersa (Dog Violet) has several flowers on each stalk and is a common violet of wet woods. V. sororia and V. pubescens are two blue species of upland woods.