Flower profile

Bird's foot violet

Viola pedata

Bird's foot violet (Viola pedata) is a flowering plant in the Violaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Bird's foot violet is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

33states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

13,458U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Wisconsin

Quick look

Viola pedata, the birdsfoot violet, bird's-foot violet, or mountain pansy, is a violet native to sandy areas in central and eastern North America.
From Wikipedia's article Viola pedata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Violaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial 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 Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama. ^NatureServe
In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,647 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #96 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,429 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #104 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,210 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #53 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,804 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Wisconsin	Native	May–June	1,647
Massachusetts	Native	May	1,429
Missouri	Native	April–May	1,210
Arkansas	Native	March–April	1,094
Alabama	Native	March–April	622

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
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
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}
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.
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S1), NE (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?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

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 bird's foot violet in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Clark, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wright.