Viola mandshurica is a perennial species of violet known by the common names dōng běi jǐn cài (zh:东北堇菜, meaning "northeastern violet," in China), jebikkot (ko:제비꽃, in Korea), and sumire (ja:菫, ja:スミレ in Japan, where V. mandshurica is considered the type species and other violet species have additional descriptors such as himesumire or nojisumire). Its specific name is derived from Manchuria, an area of its native habitat which has at different times in history included parts of modern China, Korea, Mongolia and the Russian Far East.