[Violets: The Genus Viola in Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Cut-leaf Violet

Viola sheltonii

The photo at left shows a cut-leaf violet in bloom in open coniferous woods atop Grizzly Peak, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.......May 27, 2021. The photo at left shows a cut-leaf violets as seen at Catherine Creek, Columbia Gorge Scenic Area........April 14, 2007. In the Columbia River Gorge, it is an early bloomer, often blooming in early to mid April.

Characteristics:

Another attractive violet, both for its cleft leaves and bright flowers, the cut-leaf violet is a perennial with smooth herbage and flowering stems arising from 5-15 cm tall. The leaf blades are sometimes a blue-green, often with purple on their lower surfaces. The leaf blades are deeply cleft into 3 main lobes, each of which is further cleft into linear segments. The leaf blade is generally 2-5 cm long.

The flowers are held above the leaves, with the forward faces of the 5 petals bright yellow, with the lower 3 petals showing purple penciling, and the backs of the upper two petals appearing brownish (See photo below.).

Habitat:

Cut-leaf violet may be found in the partial shade of oaks or ponderosa pines.

Range:

Cut-leaf violet may be found on the east side of the Cascades from near Cle Elum, WA south to the Columbia River Gorge, and south sporadically to Baja California.

Cut-leaf violets observed on slopes above the east side of Canyon Creek, Klickitat Wildlife Area.....March 30, 2024.

Cut-leaf violet as seen in oak woodlands along the River Route Rd in the upper Klickitat River Canyon to the east of Glenwood, WA........May 3, 2008.

Paul Slichter