BOTANICAL NAME: Viola odorata
FAMILY: Violaceae
HERBAL USES: The
flowers have been used fresh, candied or made into lozenges/syrups for sore
throats and coughs. Fresh and candied
flowers are a lovely addition to salads or for decorating cakes. Some people eat the flowers as natural
antidepressants. Historically, people
ate violet flowers to freshen the breath.
This flower has been used and revered since ancient times. It is associated with love and comfort. The
leaves are used in poultices and washes for skin irritations.
ESSENTIAL OIL: An essential oil of the leaves is available
commercially, but it is rare and expensive.
The essential oil is used in high-end perfumes. An essential oil of the flowers is not
available. To enjoy the uplifting scent
of violet, it is necessary to sniff a violet!
FASCINATING FACT: The
scent of violet is so fleeting because a chemical component of the plant,
ionone, shuts down the sense of smell temporarily after just a whiff or
two. If one wants to re-experience the
aroma, it is necessary to move away from the violet and then come back to it.
One of the first signs of spring is the characteristic
heart-shaped violet leaves pushing through the earth and unfurling. The small purple blossoms are among spring’s
earliest blooms.
Violet is not generally categorized among the more strongly
medicinal plants. Its action is subtle
and gentle. It is associated with love
and the heart.
Even though it is not a long lasting bloom, violet has been
favorite nosegay or buttonhole flower for centuries. Both men and women frequently wear
violets. In times gone by, violet farms
thrived on the outskirts of large cities to meet the demand for this charming,
but delicate, bloom.
Violet conveys cheer and soothing, whether eaten candied for
a sore throat or topping a special birthday cake. The taste of a freshly picked violet blossom
is a sweet floral treat unlike anything else.
While we often think of herbs for their benefit to the body,
violet is most associated with a benefit to the soul.
