Bird's Foot Violet

Bird's Foot Violet (Viola pedata) gets its common name from its deeply divided, palmate leaves whose narrow segments resemble the splayed toes of a bird's foot. This leaf shape is distinctive among North American violets, most of which have simple, heart-shaped foliage.

Bird's Foot Violet produces large flowers ranging from pale lilac to deep violet-blue, and some populations feature a striking bicolor form in which the upper two petals are a much darker purple than the lower three. The blooms are among the largest of any North American violet species.

Bird's Foot Violet requires dry, well-drained, acidic soil and full sun, and it will not tolerate the moist, rich woodland conditions preferred by most other violets. In the wild it is found on sandy or rocky barrens, dry glades, and open acid slopes where competition from taller plants is limited.

Bird's Foot Violet is not federally listed as endangered but is considered threatened or rare in several northeastern states where habitat loss from development and fire suppression has eliminated its dry open habitats. It depends on disturbances such as fire or poor soils that keep taller competing vegetation at bay.