[5] It is native plant in much of the United States, from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts, and through Eastern Canada.

[1] The plant's conservation status is globally secure;[6] however, it is listed as endangered in Massachusetts[7] and Rhode Island,[8] threatened in New York,[9] and a species of special concern in Connecticut.

[11] Oxalis violacea was used as a medicinal plant by Native Americans, including the Cherokee and Pawnee peoples.

Moderate use of plant is advisable, as it should not be eaten in large quantities due to a high concentration of oxalic acid, ("salt of lemons") which can be poisonous.

[13] It was a traditional food source of the Native American Apache, Cherokee, Omaha, Pawnee, and Ponca peoples.