Flower profile

Stream violet

Viola glabella

Stream violet (Viola glabella) is a flowering plant in the Violaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Stream violet is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

6states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

10,197U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alaska, Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Viola glabella, the stream violet or pioneer violet, is usually found along streams or in moist woods in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America.
From Wikipedia's article Viola glabella, 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 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Oregon, Washington and Alaska. ^NatureServe
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. ^iNaturalist
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,380 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #32 among the 184 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,055 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #91 among the 187 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 486 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #88 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,408 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Oregon	Native	March–May	4,380
Washington	Native	April–June	2,055
Alaska	Native	few records (23)	486

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
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Alaska: No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 stream violet in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, Yamhill.

Washington counties with USDA records: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Yakima.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Anchorage, Chugach, Copper River, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Matanuska-Susitna, Sitka, Yakutat.