Violaceae
Violet Family
1 genera
24 species
6 subspecies and varieties
24 species
6 subspecies and varieties
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Viola adunca – early blue violet, wild dog violet
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry to moist meadows and open woods, from the lowlands to subalpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry to moist meadows and open woods, from the lowlands to subalpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola arvensis – European field pansy
Distribution: Both sides of the Cascades in Washington; introduced throughout the United States and Canada.
Habitat: Frequently escapes from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Distribution: Both sides of the Cascades in Washington; introduced throughout the United States and Canada.
Habitat: Frequently escapes from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Viola canadensis – Canadian violet, rugose violet
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, further east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Forest openings, riparian zones, and thickets from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, further east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Forest openings, riparian zones, and thickets from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. rugulosa – rugose violet
Viola flettii – Flett's violet, Olympic violet
Distribution: Endemic to the northern Olympic Mountains, Washington.
Habitat: Alpine rock crevices and talus slopes at high elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Endemic to the northern Olympic Mountains, Washington.
Habitat: Alpine rock crevices and talus slopes at high elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola glabella – pioneer violet, stream violet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Moist woods and stream banks, low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Moist woods and stream banks, low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola howellii – Howell's violet
Distribution: West of the Cascade crest in Washington; southern British Columbia south to northern California.
Habitat: Moist woods and prairies at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: West of the Cascade crest in Washington; southern British Columbia south to northern California.
Habitat: Moist woods and prairies at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola lanceolata – lance-leaved violet
Origin: Introduced from eastern and central North America
Flowers: May - June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Origin: Introduced from eastern and central North America
Flowers: May - June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola langsdorffii – Alaska violet, Aleutian violet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Peatlands, shores, snowmelt communities, and wet meadows, from lowlands to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Peatlands, shores, snowmelt communities, and wet meadows, from lowlands to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola macloskeyi – small white violet
Distribution: British Columbia to Alberta, south in the mountains to California.
Habitat: Boggy and wet ground from low to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: British Columbia to Alberta, south in the mountains to California.
Habitat: Boggy and wet ground from low to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola nephrophylla – LeConte violet, northern bog violet
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Newfoundland, south on the east side of the Cascades to California, east to Arizona.
Habitat: Moist places, especially in meadows and along streams.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Newfoundland, south on the east side of the Cascades to California, east to Arizona.
Habitat: Moist places, especially in meadows and along streams.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Viola nuttallii – Nuttall's violet
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Britsh Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Grassland, sagebrush and juniper flats, and moist to dry openings in coniferous forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Britsh Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Grassland, sagebrush and juniper flats, and moist to dry openings in coniferous forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. bakeri – Baker's violet
• var. praemorsa – canary violet, upland yellow violet
• var. vallicola – valley violet, yellow sagebrush violet
Viola odorata – sweet blue violet
Distribution: In scattered locations throughout Washington; introduced and escaping at various location in the United States.
Habitat: Sheltered, disturbed areas in somewhat moist soil.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March - May and August - September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: In scattered locations throughout Washington; introduced and escaping at various location in the United States.
Habitat: Sheltered, disturbed areas in somewhat moist soil.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March - May and August - September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola orbiculata – darkwoods violet, evergreen yellow violet, round-leaved violet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to Oregon, east to Montana and Wyoming.
Habitat: Open woods, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to Oregon, east to Montana and Wyoming.
Habitat: Open woods, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola palustris – marsh violet
Distribution: British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and near the Canadian border to Maine and Labrador
Habitat: Moist meadows and streambanks, low to mid-elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: May - July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and near the Canadian border to Maine and Labrador
Habitat: Moist meadows and streambanks, low to mid-elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: May - July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola pluviae – rain violet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana; Eurasia.
Habitat: Wet areas at low to moderate elevations, including in part to full shade.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana; Eurasia.
Habitat: Wet areas at low to moderate elevations, including in part to full shade.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola purpurea – purplish violet
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Open, rocky, fairly dry slopes, moderate to high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Open, rocky, fairly dry slopes, moderate to high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. venosa – goose-foot violet, purplish violet
Viola renifolia – kidney-leaf white violet
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the north-central to northeastern counties in Washington; Alaska to northern Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America
Habitat: Peatlands, riparian zones, swamps, seeps, and damp thickets.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the north-central to northeastern counties in Washington; Alaska to northern Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America
Habitat: Peatlands, riparian zones, swamps, seeps, and damp thickets.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola riviniana – dog violet, wood violet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Lawns, sidewalks, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northwest Africa
Flowers: March-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Lawns, sidewalks, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northwest Africa
Flowers: March-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola sempervirens – evergreen violet, redwood violet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Moist woods from low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Moist woods from low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola sheltonii – fan violet, shelton's violet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho; also in Colorado.
Habitat: Coniferous forest understory, often associated with moss-covered boulder fields with well-developed organic layer.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho; also in Colorado.
Habitat: Coniferous forest understory, often associated with moss-covered boulder fields with well-developed organic layer.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola sororia – northern blue violet, northern woodland violet
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Dry to moist forest openings, thickets, meadows, and stream banks at middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Dry to moist forest openings, thickets, meadows, and stream banks at middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Viola tricolor – Johnny jump-up
Distribution: Garden escape in scattered locations throughout Washington; similarly escaped throughout most of North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas near cultivated setting in towns and cities.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: April - September
Growth Duration: Annual
Distribution: Garden escape in scattered locations throughout Washington; similarly escaped throughout most of North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas near cultivated setting in towns and cities.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: April - September
Growth Duration: Annual
Viola trinervata – desert pansy, 3-nerved violet, sagebrush violet
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; north-central Washington to southeastern Oregon.
Habitat: Sagebrush flats and rocky hillsides, often on lithosol, where vernally moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; north-central Washington to southeastern Oregon.
Habitat: Sagebrush flats and rocky hillsides, often on lithosol, where vernally moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
