Valley Violet
Viola vallicola
Valley violet is a small yellow-flowered violet of western grasslands and sagebrush valleys, blooming early before summer drought. A fritillary host. Violet leaves and flower buds are widely eaten raw or cooked, but the caution recorded for yellow-flowered violets applies here — their flowers can cause diarrhea in quantity.
- Family
- Violaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0–0.5 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- April, May
- Bloom colors
- yellow
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~29 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- container
- Native states
- AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
Related native plants
More Viola species
- Bird's-foot Violet (Viola pedata)
- Canadian White Violet (Viola canadensis)
- Stream Violet (Viola glabella)
- Cream Violet (Viola striata)
- Western Dog Violet (Viola adunca)
- Long-spurred Violet (Viola rostrata)