bird's-foot violet

American  

noun

1. a violet, Viola pedata, of the eastern and midwestern U.S., having single flowers with a yellow center, two purple upper petals, and three lavender lower petals: the state flower of Wisconsin.

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Etymology

Origin of bird's-foot violet

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

Heading back toward Broadway, we came upon a giant mural on the side of an apartment building featuring male and female hooded warblers perched on a bird’s-foot violet plant.

From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2022

On a dry, gravelly, half-wooded hill-slope the bird's-foot violet grows in great abundance, and is sparse in neighboring districts.

From Wake-Robin by Burroughs, John

Frequently the bird's-foot violet blooms a second time, in autumn, a delightful eccentricity of this family.

From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje