Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia Willd. [Viola papilionacea], Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Wooly Blue Violet, Meadow violet, Hooded Blue Violet). The common violet of meadows and woods, it blooms in numerous places in the Woodland Garden. Found throughout Minnesota and difficult to distinguish in passing from the numerous similar violets found in the State, however, the lower petal is smooth on the inside while the two side petals have long and slender hairs. Flowers are 5-pared and average 1" wide. The leaves are heart shaped, not deeply lobed, edges with rounded teeth, and basal only as the plant grows from an underground stem. (whereas the Canada Violet has stem leaves). Flower color ranges from violet to white. For similarity, we also picture a white violet with purple tracing. In prior years botanists classified the common blue violet as V. papilionacea and the wooly blue violet as V. sororia. The two are now combined as one species as V. sororia Willd. by most botanical references.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Common Blue Violet	Viola sororia Willd. [OLDER - Viola papilionacea]	Violet	Woodland	Spring
Other names and notes	(Wooly Blue Violet, Meadow violet, Hooded Blue Violet). The common violet of meadows and woods, it blooms in numerous places in the Woodland Garden. Found throughout Minnesota and difficult to distinguish in passing from the numerous similar violets found in the State, however, the lower petal is smooth on the inside while the two side petals have long and slender hairs. Flowers are 5-pared and average 1" wide. The leaves are heart shaped, not deeply lobed, edges with rounded teeth, and basal only as the plant grows from an underground stem. (whereas the Canada Violet has stem leaves). Flower color ranges from violet to white. For similarity, we also picture a white violet with purple tracing. In prior years botanists classified the common blue violet as V. papilionacea and the wooly blue violet as V. sororia. The two are now combined as one species as V. sororia Willd. by most botanical references.