Viola pedata
North American native clumping violet with bird-foot leaves and lilac-purple flowers that bloom in spring, thriving in dry, well-drained sandy or rocky soils and providing nectar and hosting fritillary butterfly larvae.
Common Names
Bird's Foot Violet, Birdfoot Violet, Bird's-Foot Violet, Bird-Foot Violet, Crowfoot Violet, Pansy Violet
Summary
Birdfoot violet is a small, clumping perennial native to eastern North America, typically 4 to 8 inches tall with basal leaves finely palmately lobed like a bird’s foot, it bears showy blue to purple flowers about 1 to 1.5 inches across, often bi-colored with orange centers, blooming in spring (March to June) and sometimes again in fall, the plant grows best in full sun with well-drained sandy or rocky soils, is drought-tolerant, and can form colonies from thick rhizomes, while not spreading by stolons, it attracts bees and butterflies and serves as a host plant for fritillary butterflies, in cultivation, full sun to part shade and well-drained sandy or rocky soil are preferred, with protection from excess moisture to prevent crown rot and spacing about 4 to 6 inches apart, hardiness is USDA zones 4 to 8, and the plant is well suited to rock gardens, sunny borders, slopes, and native plantings, propagation is by seed, with fresh seed best, and seeds require cold stratification, while self-seeding may occur, wildlife value includes providing nectar for pollinators and serving as a larval host for fritillary butterflies
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-6 inches
Spread
3-6 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained sandy or gravelly soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil, preferably sandy or gravelly with dry to medium moisture; avoid waterlogged or soggy soil.
Soil pH
6.0-6.5, slightly acidic to near neutral
Bloom Color
Dark violet to blue to white, with bi-color forms also available
Bloom Time
Spring to early Summer, with occasional blooms in Fall.
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 933 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Family
- Violaceae
- Genus
- Viola
Inferior Taxa
Viola pedata var. ranunculifolia
Synonyms
Oionychion pedatum Viola multifida Viola reidiae Viola redunca Viola digitata Viola ampliata Viola pedata var. pedata Viola pedata f. pedata Viola pedata f. alba Viola pedata f. bicolor Oionychion pedatum var. ampliatum Oionychion pedatum var. inornatum Viola pedata var. flabellata Viola pedata var. velutina Viola pedata f. rosea Viola inornata Viola pedata var. inornata