Lesser celandine vs blue violet
April 20, 2025
Here's a couple of leaves from low-growing plants in my yard that look similar. The one on the left is slightly smaller, smoother, silkier, and has more shallow veins than the one on the right. The plant the left leaf belongs to has a small daisy-like yellow flower. I believe it's lesser celandine (Ficaria verna). The flower for the one on the right is purple. It's some kind of violet, and until I saw the many different kinds listed at the Native Plant Trust while writing this and looking for a link, I thought it was common blue violet (Viola sororia, which they call woolly blue violet). That might be right, but I need to take a closer look, especially at the flower, to be sure. Lesser celandine is invasive, while the violet is native.