Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by other purpurea subspecies by unlobed leaves.
Yellow violet is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, and northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains in red fir and pine forests to timberline, including sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil at elevations of 1,200 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with purple-tinted petals 8 to 11 millimeters long. Growing with compact stems 1.5 to 9 centimeters tall that are mostly buried and not much elongated by season's end, it forms a dense, low-growing cluster. Its basal leaves are ovate to nearly round, 0.8 to 3.1 centimeters long, with entire or slightly crenate edges, green on top and often fleshy with a tapered or cordate base. The fruit is 5 to 7 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Distinguished from other purpurea subspecies by unlobed leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Red fir, pine forests to timberline, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil, including serpentine
Elevation: 1200-2600 m
California counties: Tuolumne, Lassen, Calaveras, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino, Inyo, Plumas, Humboldt, Lake, Nevada, El Dorado, Sierra, Placer, Mono, Butte, Tehama, Alpine, Colusa, Modoc, Trinity, Glenn, Madera
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia blooms May-Aug.
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 purpurea subsp. integrifolia native to California?
Yes. Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia bloom?
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia grow?
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia occurs in Tuolumne, Lassen, Calaveras, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino, Inyo, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 1200-2600 m.
What plant family does Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia belong to?
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
What habitat does Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia grow in?
Viola purpurea subsp. integrifolia grows in Red fir, pine forests to timberline, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil, including serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.