If it’s a blue violet with a branching stem, it’s this species. Stems 3/4–12-inches (2–30 cm) long sprout from a dense clumps of leaves. Note the lower petal has a white throat with blue veins. Also called a Western Dog Violet and Sand Violet.

FLOWERS: April-August. Leafless flower stems to 4-inches long (10 cm) rise above the leaves. Pale blue to deep violet flowers 1/4–5/8-inch (5–15 mm) long have 5 petals; lateral 2 are white-bearded; lowest petal has purple lines and an elongated rear spur straight, curved, or hooked at tip. The upper 4 petals often curl backwards.

LEAVES: Basal and alternate on the stem. Basal leaf stems (petioles) 1/4–2 3/4-inches (5–70 mm) long; blades oval to triangular, 1/4–1 3/4-inches (5–47 mm) long to 1 3/4-inches (45 mm) wide; margins with broad, rounded teeth; stem leaves smaller.

HABITAT: Sandy, clay, gravelly soils in dry to moist meadows, riparian woodlands, stream banks; ponderosa pine-Douglas fir,  spruce-fir forests, sub-alpine vegetation.

ELEVATION: 7,100–11,700 feet.

RANGE: Widespread in western mountains to Alaska, Great Lakes and New England; Canada.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Of the 7 native violets in NM, two widespread and common ones are blue. This is the only blue-flowering species with branching flower stems. Northern Bog Violet, V. nephrophylla, widespread in NM mountains, is stemless with flower stems directly from the rhizomes.

NM COUNTIES: West and north NM in mid- to high-elevation habitats: Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Grant, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos.