The name is derived from the Greek word oxalis ("acid") because the plants have an acidic taste. The plant has inversely heart-shaped leaflets in clover-like arrangements of three. The leaves often fold along the center crease and are reddish or purplish underneath. The five flaring petals vary in color from rose to violet. It grows to a height of 4 to 8 inches. It can be found in open woods and on banks. It blooms from April to July.

The Violet Wood Sorrel is common in the Clinch Mountain area.

Sources:
"A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Northeastern and North-central North America" by Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny
Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photo taken behind my house