Viola sororia
A native North American perennial with heart-shaped leaves and blue-violet spring flowers that forms dense groundcover by rhizomes and self-seeding, hosts fritillary butterflies and supports pollinators, and tolerates a wide range of light and moist soils in woodlands and damp habitats.
Common Names
Common Blue Violet, Woolly Blue Violet, Hooded Violet, Wood Violet, Meadow Violet, Confederate Violet, Common Violet, Purple Violet, Wild Violet, Dooryard Violet, Violet, Missouri Violet, Hooded Blue Violet, Common Meadow Violet
Summary
Viola sororia, commonly called the common blue violet, is a native herbaceous perennial of eastern and central North America. It grows as a low, rhizomatous ground cover up to about 3–10 inches tall and wide, with basal heart-shaped leaves and blue to purple flowers on slender stalks, often with white throats; some forms may be white. Flowers appear in spring and may be accompanied by cleistogamous flowers that self-seed, enabling rapid colony formation in woodlands, lawns, stream banks, and disturbed areas. The plant supports pollinators and serves as a host for fritillary butterflies.
In cultivation, Viola sororia tolerates sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, including clay, and thrives as ground cover in lawns, woodlands, borders, or open spaces. It self-seeds readily and can become weedy in fertile, moist locations, flourishing where conditions are favorable. Hardiness extends to USDA zones 3–10. Leaves and flowers are edible, and flowers can garnish salads or candies. It provides wildlife value by attracting pollinators and serving as a host for fritillary butterflies, making it suitable for naturalized areas, borders, or ground-cover plantings.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-10 inches
Spread
6-10 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6.0-8.0
Bloom Color
Blue to purple
Bloom Time
Spring through Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Gold/Yellow, Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Rapid growth; spreads rapidly via rhizomes and seeds.
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Willd.
- Publication
- Hort. Berol. 1: 72 (1806)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Family
- Violaceae
- Genus
- Viola
Inferior Taxa
Synonyms
Viola nodosa Viola nesiotica Viola septentrionalis Viola grandis Viola domestica Viola familiaris Viola laetecaerulea Viola macounii Viola wilmattae Viola allardii Viola alachuana Viola communis Viola thompsoniae Viola latiuscula Viola papilionacea Viola septentrionalis f. septentrionalis Viola sororia f. sororia Viola papilionacea f. papilionacea Viola septentrionalis var. septentrionalis Viola chalcosperma Viola papilionacea var. papilionacea Viola rosacea Viola priceana Viola cucullata var. sororia Viola sororia var. sororia Viola cucullata var. alba Viola papilionacea var. alba Viola papilionacea f. albiflora Viola sororia var. incognita Viola domestica var. communis Viola papilionacea var. domestica Viola planifolia Viola fletcheri Viola cuspidata Viola floridana Viola palmata var. sororia Viola sororia var. affinis Viola septentrionalis f. alba