Viola cucullata - Marsh Blue Violet

The Marsh Blue Violet (Viola cucullata) is a common, smooth, stemless perennial herb that grows from 6 to 8 inches tall. The leaves are all basal and heart shaped. They are between 2 to 4 inches long on long stalks. The flowers are blue-violet to white with 5 petals, and they usually have a dark-veined "eye zone" at the center. The lateral 2 petals are densely bearded. The flowers are on tall stalks that usually extend a good distance above the leaves. The flowers are present from April to June in rich, wet areas in most of the eastern US from Tennessee and Georgia northward.