SimplePlant

Violaceae

Johnny jumpup

Viola tricolor L.

Family
Violaceae
Genus
Viola

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsSafe
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Safe

Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Johnny jumpup (Viola tricolor)
FlowerPhoto: Kostas Zontanos, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Is Johnny jumpup safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Johnny jumpup safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Johnny jumpup safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Johnny jumpup safe for kids?

Our sources call Johnny jumpup non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Similar names and close relatives

A shared name doesn't mean a shared answer: check the exact plant.

  • Sweet violet Viola odoratasame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure

Common names

By language (59)
Arabic
فيولا الألوان الثلاثة, بنفسج ثلاثي, زهرة الثالثوث البري, هرجاء
Armenian
Եռագույն մանուշակ
arz
فيولا الالوان التلاته
Azerbaijani
Üçrəng bənövşə
ba
Ала миләүшә
Basque
Pentsamendu hirukolore
Belarusian
Браткі
Bosnian
Maćuhica
Bulgarian
Трицветна теменуга
Cantonese
三色堇
Catalan
Pensament silvestre, Pensée sauvage
Chinese
三色堇, 三色堇菜, 蝴蝶花, 阿拉叶-尼勒-其其格, 阿拉叶一尼勒一其其格, 人脸花, 阿拉叶－尼勒－其其格, 鬼脸花
Croatian
Maćuhica
csb
Pôchnący proliszk
Czech
Violka trojbarevná, Maceška skalní, Maceška trojbarevná, Violka Curtisova, Violka různobarevná, Violka skalní Curtisova, Violka skalní pravá, Violka trojbarevná skalní
Danish
Almindelig Stedmoderblomst, Klit-Stedmoderblomst
Dutch
Driekleurig viooltje
English
Johnny jumpup, Johnny-jump-up, Three-colored violet, Wild pansy, Pansy, Pansy violet, Heartsease
Estonian
Aaskannike
Finnish
Keto-orvokki
French
Pensée sauvage, Violette tricolore
Galician
Herba da trindade
Georgian
Იაჟუჟუნა
German
Wildes Stiefmütterchen, Echtes Veilchen, Muttergottesschuh, Pensée sauvage, Sand-Stiefmütterchen, Stiefmütterchen, Wild-Stiefmütterchen
gv
Blaa villish
Hebrew
סיגל ססגוני
Hungarian
Háromszínű árvácska, Vadárvácska
Icelandic
Þrenningarfjóla
Irish
Goirmín searraigh
Italian
Pansé selvatico
Japanese
サンシキスミレ
Kazakh
Şegirgül, Шегіргүл, شەگىرگۇل, Ағайынды гүл, Бақ фиалкасы, Үштүсті гүл
Korean
삼색제비꽃, 팬지
kw
Losowen an drynsys
Lithuanian
Trispalvė našlaitė, Pensée sauvage
Macedonian
Тробојна темјанушка
Norwegian Bokmål
Stemorsblom, Stemorsblomst
Norwegian Nynorsk
Stemorsblom, Natt og dag, Natt-og-dag, Stemorsblome, Stemorsblomst
olo
Kodifialku
os
Æртхуызæг
Persian
بنفشه آرامش
Polish
Fiołek trójbarwny
Portuguese
Amor-perfeito, Violeta
Romanian
Panseluță, Panseluţă, Trei-frați-pătați
rsk
Арвачка
Russian
Фиалка трёхцветная, Анютины глазки, Трёхцветная фиалка, Фиалка трехцветная
se
Gieddeviola
Serbian
Dan-noć, Дан-ноћ, Violae tricoloris herba, Дан и ноћ
Serbian (Latin)
Maćuhica, Ljubičica, Milovanka, Sirotica, Trobojna ljubičica, Šarena ljubičica
Slovak
Fialka trojfarebná
Slovenian
Divja vijolica, Divja mačeha, Macesca, Macizeca, Mačahca, Mačeha, Mačesca, Mačešca
Swedish
Styvmorsviol, Bergblomma, Blålock, Herba Jacae, Herba Jacæ, Herba trinitatis, Pensée sauvage, Skatblomma
Tajik
Гули одамрӯ
Tatar
Ала миләүшә
Turkish
Hercai menekşe
udm
Кыйсин, Куакасин, Кыйсинсяська
Ukrainian
Фіалка триколірна, Братики
Uzbek
Uch xil rangli binafsha
Welsh
Trilliw, Llysieuyn y drindod

Synonyms

  • Ion tricolor Medik.
  • Jacea tricolor (L.) Opiz
  • Mnemion elegans Spach
  • Mnemion nemausense (Jord.) Fourr.
  • Mnemion sagotii (Jord.) Fourr.
  • Mnemion tricolor (L.) Spach
  • Mnemion variatum Fourr.
  • Viola banatica Kit. ex Roem. & Schult.
  • Viola bella Gren. ex Gren. & Godr.
  • Viola deminuta Schur
  • Viola derelicta Jord.
  • Viola foucaudii Sav.
  • Viola garganica Strobl
  • Viola grandiflora L.
  • Viola lejeunei Jord.
  • Viola lepida Jord.
  • Viola leptoceras Schur
  • Viola lilascens Heldr. ex Boiss.
  • Viola lloydii Jord. ex Boreau
  • Viola luteola Jord.
  • Viola meduanensis Boreau
  • Viola mentita Jord.
  • Viola mutabilis Rochel
  • Viola nemausensis Jord.
  • Viola olonnensis Genev.
  • Viola orcadensis Drabble
  • Viola paillouxi Jord.
  • Viola pallescens Jord.
  • Viola peregrina Jord. ex Boreau
  • Viola perrobusta Borbás
  • Viola provostii Boreau
  • Viola pseudolutea Schur
  • Viola ruralis Jord. ex Boreau
  • Viola sagotii Jord.
  • Viola soongorica Fisch. ex Ledeb.
  • Viola subtilis Jord.
  • Viola tenella Muhl.
  • Viola timbali Jord.
  • Viola tricolor f. tenella Farw.
  • Viola tricolor var. hortensis DC.

and 3 more.

Flowers

In flower
April to August (from 13,923 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Annual
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Viola

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.