Viola howellii is a species of violet endemic to California. It is a perennial herb growing from a thick, branching caudex and producing a clump of leaves and erect stems up to 25 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into oval or lance-shaped leaflets, the blades up to 6 centimeters long. The solitary flowers are borne on stems that are longer than the leaves, each flower about 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide with five purple-blue petals. The fruit is a capsule containing many small seeds.