American Field Pansy

Viola bicolor

Also listed as Viola rafinesquei

Found in pastures, roadsides, lawns, other disturbed habitats, less commonly in dry rocky woodlands and barrens. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: Up to about 1 foot
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Viola rafinesquei — flower/foliage photograph — (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Annual or perennial
Bloom: Spring

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 9 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

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Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

29CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Viola

Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary
Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
Argynnis aphroditeAphrodite Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary
Argynnis atlantisMountain Silver-Spot, Regal Fritillary, Atlantis Fritillary
Argynnis cybeleGreat Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary
Argynnis dianaVariegated Fritillary
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth

Show all 29

Boloria bellonaSilver-Bordered Fritillary, Meadow Fritillary
Boloria myrinaAtlantis Fritillary, Silver-Bordered Fritillary
Elaphria grataGrateful Midget
Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
Eubaphe mendicaThe Beggar
Eupsilia vinulentaStraight-Toothed Sallow
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
Herpetogramma aquilonalis

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Viola

Andrena violae

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

8BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Viola

Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Violaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–10b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Blue or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Flower color · “Blue or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Up to about 1 foot” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox differs)
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Viola bicolor; Viola rafinesquii; Wild Field Pansy

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	G5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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