Flower profile

Woolly blue violet

Viola sororia

Woolly blue violet (Viola sororia) is a flowering plant in the Violaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

★ Official state flower of New Jersey (1971)★ Official state flower of Rhode Island (1968)★ Official state flower of Wisconsin (1949)Native in the lower 48

Woolly blue 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–May.

37states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

305U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin

🏅

New Jersey's official state flower since 1971. Visit the New Jersey page → ^{N.J.S.A. 52:9A-2}

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Rhode Island's official state flower since 1968. Visit the Rhode Island page → ^{R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-4-9}

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Wisconsin's official state flower since 1949. Visit the Wisconsin page → ^{Wis. Stat. § 1.10(3)(e)} The law calls it Viola papilionacea, an older name for the common blue violet, Viola sororia.

Quick look

Viola sororia, known commonly as the common blue violet, is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names, including common meadow violet, purple violet, woolly blue violet, hooded violet, and wood violet.
From Wikipedia's article Viola sororia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Violaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 37 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Wisconsin, New Jersey and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 0.3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 17 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #117 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #146 among the 186 flowers on our New Jersey list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2 research-grade sightings of it in Rhode Island, ranking #127 among the 164 flowers on our Rhode Island list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (54 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Wisconsin	Native	few records (4)	17
New Jersey	Native	no flowering records	2
Rhode Island	Native	no flowering records	2

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}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S5, secure in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
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 peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Young leaves can be used in salads or cooked as greens. Flowers are often added to salads or desserts.” ^{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 woolly blue violet in 37 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren.

Rhode Island counties with USDA records: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Woolly blue violet a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 7.8 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 7.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 75
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 36 inches
Minimum root depth: 6 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: cuttings, seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for VISO. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Viola floridana, Viola latiuscula, Viola papilionacea, Viola priceana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1495 counties across 35 states; the most are in Missouri (110), Illinois (102), Kentucky (95).

Other Viola on Bloomipedia (14): Violets, Smooth yellow violet, Bird's foot violet, Canada violet, American field pansy, Stream violet, Cream violet, Hookedspur violet, Halberd-leaved violet, Long-spurred violet.

More Wisconsin flowers

Bird's foot violet

Viola pedata

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: May–June

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: June–July

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: July–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VISO.
iNaturalist, Viola sororia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Viola sororia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
N.J.S.A. 52:9A-2: New Jersey state flower.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-4-9: Rhode Island state flower.
Wis. Stat. § 1.10(3)(e): Wisconsin state flower.
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Viola sororia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Kaden Slone via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.