Viola palustris
Alpine marsh violet, Alpine Marsh Violet
(c) Carminda Santos, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Viola palustris (Alpine marsh violet) is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by . Key features: coastal marshes only, very low elevation, lilac flowers.
Alpine marsh violet is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in northern coastal California in marshes, swamps, and streambanks at elevations below 75 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces lilac, pale blue, or nearly white flowers with purple-veined lower petals, featuring distinctive bearded lateral petals with cylindric hairs. Growing to 19 centimeters tall from thin rhizomes that spread by summer stolons, it forms a delicate ground-hugging herb. Its simple basal leaves are reniform to ovate, 0.5 to 6.4 centimeters wide, with a heart-shaped base and finely crenate edges, emerging on slender petioles up to 17 centimeters long. The plant produces small elliptic fruits 6 to 10 millimeters long, containing brown seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species. Key features: coastal marshes only, very low elevation, lilac flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Marshes, swamps, streambanks, often beneath shrubs
Elevation: < 75 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Sonoma, Shasta, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Alaska, Alberta, northeastern North America, South Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, also in Europe
Bloom period
Viola palustris blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
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 palustris native to California?
Yes. Viola palustris is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola palustris bloom?
Viola palustris blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Viola palustris grow?
Viola palustris occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Sonoma, Shasta, Siskiyou, at elevations of < 75 m.
What plant family does Viola palustris belong to?
Viola palustris is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
Is Viola palustris rare or endangered?
Viola palustris carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S1S2.
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.