When foraging violets you’ll want to look close to the ground, as wild violets are a very low-growing herb. The tallest they typically get is about 6 inches.
They are an extremely hardy perennial and tend to spread in lawns and gardens with wild abandon, making them a wonderful herb to forage.
This herb can be identified by its four parts: leaf, flower, stem, and thyzomes.
Leaves: Wild violet have smooth, green, heart-shaped leaves, with pointed tips and rounded teeth. The leaves arise from the crown on a long petiole, which is generally about twice as long as the leaf blade. Turn the leaves over; you’ll see that the veins are quite noticeable.
Flowers: Wild violet boasts delicate violet flower like small pansies. The flower colors can actually range from white to bluish-purple in color and can even be yellow, as is the case with the aptly named yellow violet. Flowers are produced from April to June and have five petals.
Stalks: Flowers are produced on leafless stalks that are no longer than the leaves themselves.
Rhizomes: Plants spread by short, thick, branching rhizomes in the soil. Plants emerge from the rhizomes from April until September. Because of the long emergence window, wild violet is difficult to control and is considered invasive.