Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea
Mountain violet, Mountain Violet
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Violaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea (Mountain violet) is a native California herb in the Violaceae family, recognized by Deeply lobed leaves distinguish from other subspecies.
Mountain violet is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western, southwestern California, and Modoc Plateau in openings or beneath shrubs in yellow-pine forest and higher elevation areas at elevations of 213 to 2,896 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces purple flowers 10 to 12 millimeters long with distinctive lower petals. Growing with spreading to erect stems 3 to 25 centimeters tall that elongate through the growing season, it has a generally glabrous or slightly hairy appearance. Its basal leaves are rounded, 1.6 to 4.5 centimeters wide, with irregular crenate edges and a purple tint on the underside, while cauline leaves are more lanceolate to triangular. The fruit is 5 to 6 millimeters long, developing after the plant's late-season growth.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Deeply lobed leaves distinguish from other subspecies
Habitat and range
Habitat: In openings or beneath shrubs, generally in yellow-pine forest or higher
Elevation: 213-2896 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Tulare, Kern, Placer, Glenn, Monterey, Plumas, San Bernardino, Mendocino, Sierra, Ventura, Nevada, Tehama, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Madera, Mono, Butte, Fresno, Modoc, Orange, Riverside, Lake, Inyo, Humboldt, Shasta, Siskiyou, San Benito, Trinity, Santa Barbara, Calaveras, Yuba, Contra Costa, Napa, Del Norte, Alpine, Alameda, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Amador, Lassen, Colusa
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea blooms Mar-Jul.
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. purpurea native to California?
Yes. Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea bloom?
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea grow?
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Tulare, Kern, Placer, Glenn, Monterey, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 213-2896 m.
What plant family does Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea belong to?
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea is in the Violaceae family, genus Viola.
What habitat does Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea grow in?
Viola purpurea subsp. purpurea grows in In openings or beneath shrubs, generally in yellow-pine forest or higher.
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.