All about Violets
Violets also named Viola or Violaceae, are small perennial plants that grow throughout the US and the world. If you can believe, there are between 400-500 different varieties of Violets. They are found in Ancient Greek mythology both as food for Zeus's lover io who he turned into a cow so Hera wouldn't find out about her, and also were the flowers that Persephone was walking in when Hades stole her to the underworld.
In Christianity, the Violet is the symbol of the Virgin Mary. Because of her modest, shy nature like the flower who often hides beneath the heart shaped leaves only peeking out at times.... you remember the old saying...She is like a shy Violet. They are also the birth flower for February too!
Napoleon Bonaparte's wife Josephine is rumored to have worn the scent of the Violet. And when Napoleon died a locket was found on him that contained violets and a locket of Josephine's hair. So you see Violets have a long history even making it into Shakespeare's plays, Hamlet for instance, as one of the flowers Olphelia was going to present to the King and Queen but only remarked that she wanted to give them Violets but that they had all withered and died with her father.
Ok so that is a quick history but what about some uses...First lets look at culinary uses. Violets for years have been used as Candied Violets as decorations on cakes, picking the blossoms and using them in salads or in lemonade or even picking their heart shaped leaves and putting them in a salad of mixed greens to eat. Yes they are very edible! To me they have a slight sweet and minty flavor - Yum!
Violets have many uses in both Native American and Chinese medicines. The leaves contain a great amount of Vitamins A and C, so using them in a salad is definitely good for you! The flowers can be picked and made into a tea that you dip a cloth into and apply as a compress to bruises, sprains or even bone breaks to aide in the healing. You can drink the tea to aide in relaxation, headache relief and it has now been studied that the Violet contains properties to help heal tumors and cancers! Women chewed the leaves and roots of the Violet to help ease childbirth. Do you have a sore throat? Well Violet syrup is a natural remedy for sore throats and coughs! An infusion (tea) is also good for coughs. Cherokee Indian tribes soaked their corn seeds prior to planting in a violet root tea as a natural pesticide to keep their seeds from being eaten
by insects.
Amazing isn't it? One little shy purple flower has so much it can do. And don't worry about over picking the flowers in the spring, Mother Nature has taken care of this because she is so wise! The plant produces flowers in the spring that do not make seeds so if you pick them it only stimulates the plant to make more flowers. It isn't until later in the summer that the plant will actually make the seed producing flowers, which are hidden away under the leaves, so pick away and enjoy!
In Christianity, the Violet is the symbol of the Virgin Mary. Because of her modest, shy nature like the flower who often hides beneath the heart shaped leaves only peeking out at times.... you remember the old saying...She is like a shy Violet. They are also the birth flower for February too!
Napoleon Bonaparte's wife Josephine is rumored to have worn the scent of the Violet. And when Napoleon died a locket was found on him that contained violets and a locket of Josephine's hair. So you see Violets have a long history even making it into Shakespeare's plays, Hamlet for instance, as one of the flowers Olphelia was going to present to the King and Queen but only remarked that she wanted to give them Violets but that they had all withered and died with her father.
Ok so that is a quick history but what about some uses...First lets look at culinary uses. Violets for years have been used as Candied Violets as decorations on cakes, picking the blossoms and using them in salads or in lemonade or even picking their heart shaped leaves and putting them in a salad of mixed greens to eat. Yes they are very edible! To me they have a slight sweet and minty flavor - Yum!
Violets have many uses in both Native American and Chinese medicines. The leaves contain a great amount of Vitamins A and C, so using them in a salad is definitely good for you! The flowers can be picked and made into a tea that you dip a cloth into and apply as a compress to bruises, sprains or even bone breaks to aide in the healing. You can drink the tea to aide in relaxation, headache relief and it has now been studied that the Violet contains properties to help heal tumors and cancers! Women chewed the leaves and roots of the Violet to help ease childbirth. Do you have a sore throat? Well Violet syrup is a natural remedy for sore throats and coughs! An infusion (tea) is also good for coughs. Cherokee Indian tribes soaked their corn seeds prior to planting in a violet root tea as a natural pesticide to keep their seeds from being eaten
by insects.
Amazing isn't it? One little shy purple flower has so much it can do. And don't worry about over picking the flowers in the spring, Mother Nature has taken care of this because she is so wise! The plant produces flowers in the spring that do not make seeds so if you pick them it only stimulates the plant to make more flowers. It isn't until later in the summer that the plant will actually make the seed producing flowers, which are hidden away under the leaves, so pick away and enjoy!