Wild Violet
Viola sororia
Wild violet is a deceptively pretty weed that causes massive headaches for homeowners. It is a cool-season perennial broadleaf weed that prefers shaded, moist areas of the lawn, though it can adapt to full sun. It typically blooms in early spring, producing small purple, blue, or white flowers.
Despite its delicate appearance, wild violet is one of the toughest weeds to control in Middle Tennessee. It spreads rapidly through both seeds and a thick, aggressive network of underground rhizomes. The leaves have a waxy coating that acts as a natural shield, causing many liquid herbicides to simply bead up and roll off rather than being absorbed into the plant.
How to Identify Wild Violet
- 1Leaves are distinctively heart-shaped with scalloped edges.
- 2Produces small, 5-petaled purple, blue, or white flowers in early spring.
- 3Grows low to the ground in dense, creeping mats.
- 4Leaves have a slightly glossy, waxy appearance.
Treatment & Control
Wild violet is highly resistant to common broadleaf weed killers. Effective control requires specialized herbicides containing active ingredients like Triclopyr or Quinclorac. Because of the waxy leaf coating, professional applications often include a surfactant to help the herbicide stick to and penetrate the leaf. Multiple applications are almost always required, with the most effective treatment window occurring in the fall when the plant is actively pulling nutrients (and herbicides) down into its root system.
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