By James Thomas 
I always say that one of the finest ways to create a productive property is to take advantage of all the medicine that grows freely in one’s yard and landscaping. However, this means dancing away from the culturally acceptable “perfect” lawn. A quick Google search will show that in today’s day and age, violets are viewed as weeds and many spend lots of time and money attempting to free their yards of them. Did you know that violets—like most “weeds”—are not actually weeds, but especially beneficial medicinal plants?
Types of Violet Flowers
- Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia): The Common Blue Violet, also understood as the Wisconsin state flower, is a perennial plant that is native to eastern North America. This little plant grows in full sun to partial shade and is well adapted to a variety of dirt conditions. The leaves are heart-shaped, and the violet flowers flower in late summer.
- Sweet Violet (Viola odorata): Originating from Europe, the Sweet Violet is a yearly that thrives in partial shade. It is a popular houseplant due to its sweet-smelling violet flowers that occur in the late summer. The leaves are dark green and heart-shaped, delivering a beautiful contrast to the violet petals.
- Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens): The Yellow Violet is a unique component of the Violaceae family due to its yellow petals. It prefers full sun to partial shadow and has a blooming period in the late summer. The leaves are heart-shaped and have a small swelling at the base.
- Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana): Pansies, a hybrid of several viola species, are understood for their wide array of vibrant colors, including violet. They are perennials that like full sun and well-drained soil. The flowers have large, overlapping petals and are usually used in ornamental gardening.
- Horned Violet (Viola cornuta): The Horned Violet, native to the Pyrenees and different mountain ranges in Europe, is a perennial with unique violet flowers. The name comes from the long, horn-like shape of its petals.
Harvesting Wild Violets
Not to be mistaken with the houseplant African Violets (which are toxic), wild violets grow outside and can be identified by their purple/blue flowers and heart-shaped leaves. Wild violets do have a poisonous lookalike called lesser celandine. While lesser celandine has yellow blooms and glossier leaves, the leaf shape is similar to those of violets. Because of this, it’s best to harvest violets in before spring so you can correctly identify the plant by its purple flowers. Always make sure you are feeding what you believe to be. It’s always a good idea to fully prepare by studying the anatomy before gathering any wild plants.
Always be sure to forage from areas that have not been spread in many years— 7 at the very least as they say that 7 years is the minimum detox time of glyphosate and other herbicides.
Violet root is toxic in quantity, but both the leaves and the flowers are safe and can be harvested for use. We harvest both leaves and flowers, but still make sure to leave some for the bees and other pollinators that rely on the early spring blooms!
An important disclaimer about wild plants and foraging
I am not a medical skilled and nothing written on this blog is medical advice. None of my comments have been evaluated by the FDA (I am legally required to give you this release).
It is important to do your due persistence before foraging, harvesting, and consuming any type of new medicinal plant.
If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about any possible drug interactions.
If you are allergic to anything, make sure whatever you are feeding is not in the same family.
Always research potential side effects, dosage advice, and how to properly prepare and consume each medicinal plant. Always make sure you are feeding what you believe to be. Fully design and study the anatomy before harvesting wild plants. Do not forage plants from places that have been sprayed within the past 7 years. I am not legally or morally accountable for the health of any of my readers. Please do your own analysis.
Violet Color Powder
Note: This article discusses palatable and medicinal wild plants. Always do your own thorough research before touching, foraging or eating any plant that’s new to you. Identification mistakes can happen and so can allergies, exchanges, and idiosyncratic reactions. Information presented in this report and elsewhere on this website is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not planned to diagnose or treat any health conditions. View our full legal disclaimer.
Therefore,
Read this article from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine to learn more about violet help and precautious: Violet’s Edible and Medicinal Uses.
Step 1: Pick violet petals. I recommend going out with a quarter-pint jelly jar, as this is about as considerable as I can gather in an hour. Select only the numerous vibrantly colored flowers. To pick, use one hand to gently hold the base of the flower, and pull the petals off with your other side. The green calyx and stem are not good for this recipe, and it’s easier to simply avoid picking them rather than to go through later and rip them off.
Step 2: fill the jar with cool moisture to clean the petals and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Strain the water off through a fine mesh sieve, securing the petals. Repeat if required.
Step 3: Place your clean and drained petals on a screen on a food dehydrator rack. I do prefer to use a food dehydrator when drying buds because I find that drying them very quickly preserves the most color, but I think air drying on screens would also work. Dry them on the more down heat setting possible until they are totally dry and crumbly. Check on them once per hour until accomplished.
Powderization
Once your violets are fully dry, you can grind them using any method you usually use to grind spices. A dry blender, a mortar and pestle, or a true coffee grinder are all likely to work. Try to grind them as finely as feasible.
Storage
Store away from direct daylight in an air-tight container. Therefore,
Optionally, include a food-safe silica packet inside the pot.
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Common Types of Violets | – Common Blue Violet: Native to North America, grows in diverse soil needs with heart-shaped leaves. Blooms in late summer. – Sweet Violet: Annual with fragrant flowers, born in Europe, grows in partial shade. – Yellow Violet: Yellow-petaled perennial, flowers in late summer. – Pansies: Hybrid variety, features large, bright petals and grows in full sun. – Horned Violet: Called for its horn-like petal shape, grows in European mountainous regions. |
| Wild Violet Harvesting | Wild violets have edible leaves and flowers but a toxic lookalike, lesser celandine. Best harvested early in spring to evade confusion. Harvest from areas free of pesticides for 7+ years. |
| Edibility and Safety | Violet leaves and flowers are edible; roots are harmful in large amounts. Collect only from clean, non-sprayed areas, and always identify plants carefully before consuming. |
| Preparation of Violet Powder | – Step 1: Pick vibrant violet petals, avoiding stems and calyx. – Step 2: Rinse and pressure petals with cool water. – Step 3: Dry petals in a dehydrator or by air on low heat until fully dry. – Step 4: Grind petals into a fine powder using a blender, mortar and pestle, or coffee grinder. |
| Storage of Violet Powder | Store in an airtight container away from sunlight. Optionally, add a silica pack to prevent moisture. |
FAQs
1. How dangerous are violet flowers?
As long as the farmers don’t make violets toxic by over-fertilizing and utilizing insecticides, they will continue to be non-toxic to individuals.
2. Violet flowers grow how quickly?
Very quickly. After the seeds are sown, violets take 12 to 14 weeks to blossom.
3. Do violets grow well indoors?
Yes. The best perennials for adding splashes of color to your home are violets in pots.