Bird's Foot Violet
Viola pedata
Pansy-like violet blooms over leaves cut like a bird's foot, prolific in April and May. Made for lean, dry, sunny spots where little else thrives.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most beautiful of the native violets, and the best host plant for fritillary butterflies. but it earns you something for getting the conditions right.
Bird's Foot Violet is the most striking native violet in eastern North America, and the most demanding about its conditions, which is exactly why it's worth seeking out. The deeply dissected leaves, cut into narrow lobes like a bird's three-toed foot, are unlike any other violet, and the late-spring flowers are a clear, flat pansy-violet in the two-tone bicolor form (upper petals deep purple, lower three pale lavender with orange stamens). The single-color lilac form is also lovely. Both bloom prolifically in April and May when given what they need: lean, dry, acidic soil in full sun. This is a plant for spots where nothing else thrives: dry sandy banks, thin rocky outcrops, the sunny edge of a woodland opening. It doesn't compete well in rich garden soil, where more aggressive plants will crowd it out. Get the conditions right and it will reward you with reliable spring color and serve as a host plant for several native fritillary butterflies, whose caterpillars feed exclusively on violet leaves.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown bird's foot violet propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 4–6 in · 6–10 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late spring
- Bloom color
- Lavender, Blue
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Violaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from southern Ontario south to Florida and west to the Great Plains; dry, acidic soils
Care notes for bird's foot violet.
Full sun, dry to average well-drained soil, lean and acidic. Does not tolerate clay, heavy mulch, or competition from aggressive neighbors. Avoid fertilizing. rich soil is this plant's enemy. Divide crowded clumps in early fall. Once established, it is extremely drought tolerant and requires no supplemental watering. Self-sows lightly in appropriate conditions.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside bird's foot violet.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.