Bird's-foot Violet is widely considered the most beautiful of North American violets, bearing large, pansy-like flowers in rich lavender-purple, often bicolored with deep violet upper petals. The deeply dissected, bird-foot-shaped leaves are distinctive among violet species. Found in dry, sandy or rocky open habitats across the eastern United States, it blooms in spring and sometimes again in fall. Unlike most violets, Bird's-foot Violet does not produce cleistogamous (self-fertilizing) closed flowers.
Best time to see a Bird's-foot Violet
The best time to see a Bird's-foot Violet is April–May, when about 78% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 13,329 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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