common blue violet (wild violet) Vioila sororia Willd.
Family: Violaceae (violet)
Life cycle: Perennial, reproducing by seed and short rhizomes
Native status: Native
Habitat: lawns, wooded areas
General description: Leaves emerge from a basal crown, up to 4.5 in long and 3.5 in wide with petioles. Leaf shape variable, ranging from heart to egg shaped; rounded teeth on margins, hairless. Flowers are blue to purple with 5 showy petals. Rhizomes are short, think and branched.
Key ID traits: Heart-shaped leaves developing from crown, typically found in dense colonies due to spreading by short rhizomes.
Similar species: Several similar violet species are found in Iowa, but common blue violet is best adapted to lawns. Field pansy is a winter annual with a similar appearance occasionally found in no-till fields.
Meaghan Anderson Field Agronomist in Central Iowa
Meaghan Anderson is a field agronomist in central Iowa and an extension field specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Educational programming is available for farmers, agribusinesses, pesticide applicators, certified crop advisors, and other individuals interested in...