Roses are red. Violets are blue. But sometimes they can be yellow, too. Or even white. Roughly 20 species of violets grow in Illinois, and many have heart-shaped leaves with five petals on blooms ...

Why should you consider using blue violet as a lawn alternative? For one, common blue violet (Viola sororia) is native to eastern and central North America, so it will naturally thrive in Zones 3 ...

Even if you’ve never seen violets growing wild, you probably have a mental image of them. Low-growing plants with heart-shaped leaves and pretty dark blue flowers, right? Well, that’s true for a ...