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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Viola sempervirens (Evergreen violet)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Viola sempervirens

Viola sempervirens Greene

Evergreen Violet

Violaceae (Violet Family)

Synonym(s): Viola sarmentosa

USDA Symbol: VISE3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

A low, trailing, almost evergreen violet, rooting along the extending stems. Leaves are small, almost round, and deep, dull green. Bright yellow flowers rise 1-2 in. above the leaves. Stems creep across ground, producing mats of thick, leathery, broadly heart-shaped leaves, and bilaterally symmetrical clear yellow flowers that face outward, hanging on short stalks barely as tall as the leaves.

One of the most common wildflowers within the dim redwood forest, lining many of the trails in the parks of the region. The mats of leaves persist throughout the winter, giving one common name and making this a choice plant for the woodland garden.

 

From the Image Gallery

1 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Stems prostrate, up to about 1 foot long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Bloom Notes: Often purple veined.

Distribution

USA: AK , CA , ID , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: W. slope of the Cascade to the Pacific coast from B.C. to Monterey Co., CA
Native Habitat: Moist woods

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Moist, rich soils.
Conditions Comments: Flowering peaks in spring is continues almost year-round near the coast. May self-seed.

Propagation

Description: Increase with pieces of rooted stem or from seed.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Research Literature

Reslit 2849 - A Fascicle of Violets (1899) Edward L. Greene

This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature

Additional resources

USDA: Find Viola sempervirens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Viola sempervirens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Viola sempervirens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-04
Research By: TWC Staff

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