Birdfoot Violet

(Viola pedata)

Birdfoot Violet (Viola pedata L.)

Identification: Leaves basal, flowers on separate stalks. Flowers variable in color, usually light blue, but may be white, or upper two petals may be velvety purple-black. Stamens yellow or orange and contrasting with the white throat of the flower. Leaves deeply cut into a hand-like arrangement.

Distribution: Throughout eastern North America.

Habitat: Birdfoot Violet is found in sandy fields, hill slopes, and rocky areas.

Flowering period: April toJune.

Similar Species: Birdfoot Violet is similar to Coast Violet. The stamens of Birdfoot Violet are yellow-orange and contrast with the white throat of the flower. The stamens of Coast Violet are not yellow-orange and do not contrast with the white throat. The leaf divisions are not as linear or regular in Coast Violet and the middle division is often broad and irregular. The leaf divisions of Prairie Violet are narrower and more numerous and the tips of the divisions are usually bifid.