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Integrated Crop Management
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Wild violet (Common blue violet)

Common blue violet (wild violet) - Viola sororia Wild.
 

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, thick, and branched.

Key ID traits: Heart-shaped leaves developing from the crown, typically found in dense colonies due to spreading by short rhizomes.

Similar species: Several similar violet species are found in Iowa, but the common blue violet is best adapted to lawns. Field pansy is a winter annual with a similar appearance, occasionally found in no-till fields.

clump of wild violet
Wild violet is usually found in clumps. Leaves are heart-shaped with dentate margins. Flowers are usually blue or purple, but white biotypes can be found.
Authored by:
Bob Hartzler
Bob Hartzler
  • Retired Weed Scientist and Professor of Agronomy
Dr. Bob Hartzler is a former professor of agronomy and a former extension weed specialist with a Ph.D. in Crop Physiology from Iowa State University. He conducted research on weed biology and how it impacts the efficacy of weed management programs in corn and soybean. Dr. Hartzler also taught undergraduate classes in weed science and weed identification.
Meaghan Anderson
Meaghan Anderson
  • Field Agronomist in Central Iowa
Meaghan Anderson is a field agronomist serving nine counties in central Iowa and an extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Areas of expertise include weed management, weed biology, cover crops, corn and soybean management, and integrated pest management.

Meaghan holds a bachelor's degree in agronomy and a master's degree in crop production and physiology (focus: weed science) from Iowa State University.
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