Wildflowers Found in Oregon

Early Blue Violet (Western Dog Violet, Hooked Violet)

Viola adunca Common, midspring, perennial, stemless to 4 in. Branched stem from hairy rhizomes. Round to oval leaves to 2 in. long. Pale to deep violet flowers with a white patch, purple veins at the base of lower 3 petals. Veins are visible to bees in the ultraviolet as nectar guides, The 2 side petals have white beards at the base and hooked spurs at the tips. Seeds are explosively thrown some distance when pods burst open. Grows in damp streambanks, meadows near trees, at all elevations. Native.