The State Flower for the State of New Jersey is the Common Violet (Viola sororia).

Fact 1: The New Jersey state flower was not officially designated until 1971 by the urging of the New Jersey Garden Clubs. Two prior attempts failed; the first attempt in 1913, and the second attempt in 1963; leaving the Common Violet in a state of ‘œlimbo’ for over 50 years.

Fact 2: The Common Violet is a native species in the State of Missouri.

Fact 3: In Ancient Greece, love potions used the Common Violet because it the flower was a sign of fertility and romance. The Ancient Romans believed the Common Violet signified innocence and modesty.

Fact 4: European immigrants in North America used the Common Violet for medicinal purposes as a cough syrup and later discovery reveals the Common Violet contains salicylic acid, which is a common ingredient in regular aspirin. No wonder Ancient Greeks used to wear this flower as a garland around their necks to ward off headaches and dizzy spells!

Fact 5: The Common Violet’s leaves and flowers contain 3 times the amount of Vitamin C than an Orange. They also contain a substance called ‘œrutin,’ which strengthens blood capillaries and has the potential to purify the blood.

Fact 6: The Common Violet is also the State Flower of Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Illinois.

Fact 7: Ancient Greeks used the Common Violet to induce sleep, calm anger, and strengthen the heart.

Fact 8: The term ‘˜Violet’ originates from Greek Mythology, relative to the Greek ‘˜Vion’, also a variety of ‘˜Io’. Legend has it that Zeus fell in love with ‘˜Io’, who was a beautiful Greek Priestess. Zeus’ wife Hera became very jealous over the relationship, so to protect ‘˜Io’, Zeus turned her into a white heifer; (a heifer is a young yearling cow that has never given birth); and Zeus provided the sweet smelling Common Violet for her to eat.

Fact 9: Interaction of the Common Violet with other species is ‘œmutualistic symbioses,’ meaning that both species experience equal benefits from the interaction. This is evident in bee pollination of the Common Violet. To explain further, bees normally pollenate by touching the ‘˜anther’ to pick up the pollen that is on it, but when a bee pollenates with the Common Violet, the shaking motion from the bee wiggling to stick its head into the flower to get the nectar causes droplets of pollen to fall onto the bee’s back. The bee benefits by getting food and the Common Violet benefits from reproduction of its species through pollination.

Fact 10: Another mutual interaction of the Common Violet is ‘œmyrmecochory,’ which in literal terms means ‘œant farming.’ This process takes place when the Common Violet attracts ants with ripe seeds through small protuberances called ‘œelaiosomes’ that contain attractive sweet oils.
When the ant harvests the seed, taking it to the nest to feed on, the seed itself has a shell that is too hard for the ants to break open. Ant disposing of the seed properly, will place the seeds in an unused tunnel within their underground fortress, which protects the seed from forging forest animals, wildfires, and other forces of nature that destroy the seed, which, in turn potentially destroys the Common Violet’s ability to reproduce.

The nutrients provided in the soil of the ant’s tunnels are another important benefit for the Common Violet.