Flower profile
American field pansy
Viola rafinesquei
American field pansy is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Viola rafinesquii, commonly known as the American field pansy or wild pansy, is an annual plant in the violet family found throughout much of North America. There has been some debate as to whether the plant is native to North America or if it was introduced from the Old World as a variety of Viola kitaibeliana, but it is now generally thought to be native to the North America.
- It belongs to the Violaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 33 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. NatureServe
- In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
- In Missouri, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 839 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #49 among the 109 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 818 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #78 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 809 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #34 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
American field pansy gift ideas
Handmade american field pansy gifts from independent makers.
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American field pansy art print
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American field pansy greeting card
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American field pansy mug
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American field pansy earrings
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American field pansy embroidery pattern
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American field pansy sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), NY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension notes: “Leaves and flowers are edible.” NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records American field pansy in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.
Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicot, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, Yell.
Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Grundy, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Scott, Shannon, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wright.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland, Comanche, Creek, Delaware, Dewey, Grady, Grant, Greer, Hughes, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Nowata, Osage, Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, Washington, Woods.
More Arkansas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VIBI.
- iNaturalist, Viola rafinesquei: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Viola rafinesquei (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Viola rafinesquei (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Ken Clark via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.