Stemless perennial native to East Asia, found in Japan, China, and Korea, where it grows in sunny meadows, grassy banks, edges, and roadsides, in plains as well as low mountains. The name yedoensis refers to Yedo, the former name of Tokyo.
It forms a basal rosette with no apparent stem, reaching 10 to 20 cm in height when in bloom. Its leaves are lanceolate to narrowly oval, distinctly elongated, with well-marked veins, of a slightly matte medium green. This slender foliage, unusually narrow for the genus, gives it an airy and light appearance that distinguishes it at first glance from most other violets.
The flowers are borne on long, slender, upright peduncles, pink-purple to fairly deep violet, with the lateral petals slightly reflexed and the lower petals veined with darker lines. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from March to May; in cultivation under temperate climates, it blooms around the same dates.
Undemanding, it grows in ordinary well-drained soil, in full light or light partial shade. It self-seeds readily and adapts easily to open rock gardens and borders. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, notably for anti-inflammatory purposes, although this use falls outside the strict horticultural scope.