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Common Violet
Viola sororia

a.k.a. Common Blue Violet

Common Violet has blue-violet flowers and spreads easily in urban environments. Great choice for a groundcover or lawn alternative!

USDA symbol: VISO

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 to 8 inches
Light ExposurePart Sun, Shade
Soil MoistureDry, Medium
Bloom ColorWhite, Purple
Common Violet (Common Violet<div><em class="small">Viola sororia</em></div>)
Photo credit: Metro Blooms (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceNone
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsApril to May
Larval Host ofButterflies
Specific Pollinators HostedNumerous butterfly species
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeRain Garden, Restoration
Coefficient of Conservatism3
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Benton, Brown, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Hubbard, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lincoln, Marshall, McLeod, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands