Minnesota Wildflowers


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Viola lanceolata (Lance-leaved Violet)

Plant Info
Also known as: Bog White Violet, Strap-leaved Violet
Genus:Viola
Family:Violaceae (Violet)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Status:
  • State Threatened
Habitat:sun; bogs, swamps, wet meadows, along shores in sandy soil
Bloom season:May - June
Plant height:2 to 6 inches
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map

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Detailed Information

Flower: 5-petals irregular

[photo of flower] Slightly irregular flowers are about ½ inch across with 5 white petals that are pale yellow at the base. The 2 side petals are smooth (not “bearded”); the lower petal has numerous reddish purple lines. A plant may have multiple flowers, each at the end of a naked stem.

Leaves and stems: basal simple

[photo of leaves] Leaves are basal only, mostly narrowly elliptic to lance shaped, 1 to 6 inches long and to 1 inch wide, with a blunt or rounded tip and tapering at the base. The edges have very shallow, rounded teeth. Leaf and flower stems are hairless and often reddish.

Fruit:

[photo of fruit] Fruit is a green elliptical capsule about ¼ inch long containing many small round seeds that ripen to dark brown.

Notes:

According to the DNR, Lance-leaved Violet was listed as a State Special Concern species in 1984 and elevated to Threatened in 1996, due to habitat loss. Most of its natural habitat is within the Anoka Sandplain, and has been largely destroyed by development. This species is easy to ID by the leaves.

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  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds
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  • Shop for native seeds and plants at PrairieMoon.com!
  • Out Back Nursery and Landscaping - Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite

Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos by K. Chayka and Peter M. Dziuk taken in Anoka County

Comments

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