Long-spurred Violets

Hawk Mountain Biologist-Naturalist Bracken Brown has reported sighting blooms from the long-spurred violet (Viola rostrata) along the forest floor at his home near Hawk Mountain.

This Pennsylvania native violet grows in moist shaded areas such as rich, limey woods. It is often associated with the presence of eastern hemlocks (Tsuga Canadensis). The long extension of the lower petal, resembling a spur, is an easily identifiable characteristic. This flowering herbaceous plant can only be found in eastern North America. Its native range begins as far south as Georgia and spans into northern Quebec.