White Violet / Lance-leaved Violet

Closeup shot of a flowering white violet in a cranberry bedAlso sometimes called Bog White Violet)

Family: Violaceae (The Violet Family)

Genus: Viola | Species: lanceolata

Description: This small, dainty white flowered violet is easy to recognize. Its leaves are elongate, lance-shaped, and just 2 to 3 inches long. Its roots (or rhizomes) are fine and creeping, and give way to leaves and flowers that are borne basally on separate stalks. In cranberries, this violet is quite common in wet areas or sparsely vegetated areas. If vine coverage is thick, this violet has great difficulty competing and will most often not survive from year to year. [perennial]

Habitat: Woods, meadows, damp areas;

In Bloom: May – early June

Two flowering white violet plants beside a U.S. dime for scale purposes.