Bird's-foot violet has flowers about 1 inch across. The species has two color phases: either all 5 petals pale lilac or lavender, or the upper 2 petals deep velvety purple and the 3 lower petals pale lilac to lavender. Additionally, you might encounter rare color patterns such as all-white, or white with combinations of the above. The center of the united stamens is always deep orange. Blooms April–June. The leaves are deeply dissected “like a bird’s foot.” Leaves developing later in the season have somewhat wider, straplike segments.
This is one of 17 species of violets (genus Viola in Missouri. To learn more about Missouri's violets as a group, visit their group page.
Similar species:
- Prairie or larkspur violet, sometimes called prairie bird's-foot violet, Viola pedatifida, is sometimes confused with bird's-foot violet (V. pedata). First, the names themselves are quite similar! They also occur in many of the same habitats, sometimes near each other. But V. pedatifida has flowers that are very similar to other "blue" violets, such as common violet (V. sororia), with tufts of white hairs in the throat, but in Missouri, only V. pedata has the distinctly flat-faced, pansy-like flowers with bright orange, projecting stamens at the center. The leaves of both species are deeply divided (lobed), resembling "bird's feet," but the leaves of V. pedata have the middle lobe undivided (or with 1 or 2 irregular, short teeth), while the central lobe on V. pedatifida's leaves is almost always divided into 3 parts.
Two other violets, both nonnative species, are pansy-like and can occur in Missouri habitats; neither has the bright orange, projecting stamens at the center of the flower:
- Miniature pansy, or viola (Viola tricolor), is an annual plant that's uncommon and sporadic when not cultivated; occasionally found reseeding from garden plants, usually in lawns and open, disturbed areas. These are commonly sold in garden centers.
- Wild pansy, or European field pansy (Viola arvensis), is another flat-faced, annual, Eurasian native that escapes from cultivation. It's uncommon in the eastern half of the state, occurring on edges of forests, in old fields, and along railroads. It closely resembles Johnny-jump-up, or field pansy (Viola bicolor).
Height: to 6 inches.
Scattered to common nearly statewide, but uncommon to absent in the western portion of northern Missouri and the southern portion of the Bootheel lowlands.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs on glades, upland prairies, savannas, openings and edges of mesic (moist/rich) to dry upland forests, tops of bluffs, banks of streams, and margins of sinkhole ponds; also pastures, old fields, fencerows, and roadsides.
Most typical on rocky, well-drained, usually acid soils of open woods, road embankments, glades, bluffs, and ridges. Appreciates disturbed areas with perfect drainage but cannot survive the later intrusion of competing plants, such as eastern red cedar.
Status
Native Missouri wildflower.
Human Connections
This lovely native wildflower is considered the queen of eastern North American violets. Its beauty is all the more striking when you consider that some of its largest displays occur on rocky glades and dry, poor-soil, cherty road banks in the Ozarks.
Though it can be difficult to supply the dry, sunny sites bird's-foot violet requires, this species can be used in home gardening. This species does not survive well if transplanted from natural habitats. Always purchase your native wildflowers from a responsible dealer!
Ecosystem Connections
This species is an excellent nectar plant for butterflies, and some butterflies, particularly the fritillaries, use the foliage of violets as their caterpillars' food plant.
The cobweb skipper is a single-brooded grass skipper that flies only from mid-April into May. The adults love to take nectar at bird’s-foot violet, which starts blooming on Ozark glades in April. Cobweb skipper caterpillars eat big bluestem grass, which is also common in Ozark glades.
