Native Plants

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.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Houstonia pusilla

Houstonia pusilla Schoepf

Tiny Bluets, Small Bluets, Star Violet

Rubiaceae (Madder Family)

Synonym(s): Hedyotis caerulea var. minima, Hedyotis caerulea var. minor, Hedyotis crassifolia, Hedyotis minima, Houstonia minima, Houstonia patens

USDA Symbol: HOPU3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

The Star Violet has purple-blue flowers 1/4-1/3 inch across growing singly on the tips of fine branches. Each blossom consists of a narrow tube crowned by 4 lobes which spread sharply at right angles. The plant grows 4-6+ inches tall with several branches. Though very small, star violets sometimes color a field blue. The opposite leaves are not more than 1/2 inch long, with the flower stem growing out of the leaf axil.

From the Image Gallery

16 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 10 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU		UPL		FAC	UPL		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

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

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-15
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back