Viola palmata
Wood violet
 
Wood violet is a spring-blooming woodland perennial with charming purple flowers and deeply lobed leaves. It thrives in part shade and moist, well-drained soils, often appearing early before many other plants emerge.
 
Beyond its beauty, wood violet is an essential host plant for fritillary butterfly caterpillars, making it a key species for butterfly conservation. Its early flowers support pollinators emerging in spring, and it works beautifully as a woodland groundcover.
 
photo by Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova