Flower profile
Nuttall's violet
Viola nuttallii
Nuttall's violet is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Colorado it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Colorado
Quick look
Viola nuttallii is a perennial herbaceous plant in the violet family (Violaceae), and is one of the few violet species with lanceolate leaves. It is native to the western Canada and the north-central and western United States, appearing in upper steppe lands, forests, and alpine ridges.
- It belongs to the Violaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,157 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #74 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
Nuttall's violet gift ideas
Handmade nuttall's violet gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Nuttall's violet art print
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Nuttall's violet greeting card
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Nuttall's violet mug
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Nuttall's violet earrings
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Nuttall's violet embroidery pattern
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Nuttall's violet sticker
When does it bloom?
In Colorado, most flowering sightings come in March–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records nuttall's violet in 10 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gunnison, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Otero, Sedgwick, Summit, Weld, Yuma.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VINU2.
- iNaturalist, Viola nuttallii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Viola nuttallii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Viola nuttallii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Robert Hoard via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.