Viola langsdorffii
Alaska violet, langsdorff's violet, Langsdorff'S Violet
(c) Connie Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1
Viola langsdorffii (Alaska violet) is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by . Key features: coastal bog habitat, very low elevation, restricted range.
Alaska violet is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in northern coastal areas including Lake Earl in Del Norte County, growing in coastal sand dune bogs and stabilized sandy areas at elevations below 10 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces light to deep violet flowers with a distinctive white base on the lower petals and delicate cylindric hairs on the lateral petals. Growing 2 to 30 centimeters tall with ascending to erect stems emerging from a shallow, thin, fleshy rhizome, it typically has 2 to 3 stems per plant. Its leaves are simple and glabrous, with basal leaves 0.9 to 5.8 centimeters long, ovate to kidney-shaped, featuring crenate to crenate-serrate edges and a heart-shaped or truncate base. The flower's lowest petal measures 12 to 24 millimeters long, with a conspicuous 2 to 5 millimeter spur that is as wide as it is long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species. Key features: coastal bog habitat, very low elevation, restricted range
Habitat and range
Habitat: In bogs of coastal sand dunes and sandy, stabilized areas dominated by per species of
Elevation: < 10 m
California counties: Del Norte
Outside California: to Alaska, Yukon Territory, Asia
Bloom period
Viola langsdorffii blooms Apr-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Asarum: Viola flowers sit above ground on stalks; Asarum flowers hide at ground level under heart-shaped leaves.; vs Cardamine: Viola has irregular flowers with a spur; Cardamine has 4-petaled symmetrical flowers.; vs Lycianthes: Viola flowers have a backward spur; Lycianthes has star-shaped flowers with no spur.; vs Pelargonium: Viola has a petal-derived spur; Pelargonium has a sepal-derived spur fused to the flower stalk.; vs Eschscholzia: Viola has 5 petals with one forming a spur; Eschscholzia has 4 separate fan-shaped petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Viola langsdorffii native to California?
Yes. Viola langsdorffii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola langsdorffii bloom?
Viola langsdorffii blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Viola langsdorffii grow?
Viola langsdorffii occurs in Del Norte, at elevations of < 10 m.
What plant family does Viola langsdorffii belong to?
Viola langsdorffii is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
Is Viola langsdorffii rare or endangered?
Viola langsdorffii carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.1, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.