This southern species is close to caroliniana, mostly found in thin calcareous woods from Tex. and Mo. to Fla. and c. Tenn., including counties adjacent to Ky. (Ch). It differs from caroliniana in its annual habit, smaller racemes and smaller pale blue to lavendar (versus white to lavendar-tinged) flowers (Isely 1990; J). V. minutifolia was first documented in the state by Brock (2020) during 2016, with only ca 10 plants growing in woods just above open bluffs of the Cumberland River in TRIG (APSC); Hypericum frondosum and Ulmus serotina occurred neasby on the bluffs.