Florida Violets

Common blue violet

Sand violet (Viola affinis). Photo: Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, Bugwood.org

Florida violets are native, perennial wildflowers found in open woods and clearings throughout Florida. They have lovely purple, yellow, or white flowers and grow low to the ground. There are countless species of native violets—many have more than one common name. You can find these tiny plants throughout the Eastern United States.

The common blue violet (Viola sororia) is a cool-season annual that grows throughout the eastern U.S. on forest floors and sometimes home landscapes, where they are usually seen as a weed. Their flowers can be purple to white, and they often bloom in late winter in Florida. They self-seed freely and can spread rapidly in the right conditions.

Walter's violet (Viola walteri) is found in the woods of North and North Central Florida. Bog white violet (Viola lanceolata) is very small and can found throughout the state along the waterline of bogs, marshes, and ponds.

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