Plant Portrait - Viola odorata Sweet Violet

This article originally appeared in the Jan 1998 edition of the Friends of PFAF newsletter.

The sweet violet is an evergreen perennial woodland plant growing about 10cm tall and forming a carpet of growth that makes a good weed-excluding ground cover. The edible leaves can be harvested all year round, and the edible flowers are produced in late winter and early spring.

This is a very easily grown plant, although by nature it grows mainly in the dappled shade of a woodland, it is very tolerant and will even succeed in very hot, sunny positions so long as the soil does not dry out. It succeeds in most soils but prefers a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. When grown in the open it prefers a moderately heavy rich soil[1]. We have even see it thriving in old stone walls so long as there are small pockets of soil for it to get its roots into. The plants are very cold-hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to about -20°c[187].

The leaves are quite small, perhaps 3 - 5cm in diameter, but are produced in abundance and are easy to harvest. They have a very mild, almost bland flavour and can be used in quantities in salads. The texture is slightly tough, however, so we usually mix them in well with other leaves. The leaves can also be cooked, and are a nice addition to soups or stews where they will help to thicken them in much the same way as okra can be used.

My favourite part is the flowers. These are usually produced in abundance in late winter and early spring. They have a strong scent and taste of parma violet and make a superb and decorative addition to salads

Sweet violets have various other uses in the garden, including various medicinal uses. For example, it has a strong folk reputation in the treatment of cancer and whooping cough. It also contains salicylic acid, which is used to make aspirin, and is therefore effective in the treatment of headaches, migraine and insomnia. An essential oil from the flowers and leaves is used in perfumery and the flowers themselves are used to flavour breath fresheners.

Propagation is easiest by division of an established plant. Simply break off a small section that has roots, pot it up for a few weeks until established and then plant out. Spring is perhaps the best time to do this, but we find that it works well just about any time.

Seed is best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed requires a period of cold stratification and the germination of stored seed can be erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.

Database

The database has more details on these plants: Viola odorata.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Paula Jones Fri Jan 13 2006

Thank you, I have collected a number of seeds from a plant given to me last summer as it had finished flowering. I shall now try to grow my own. Thank you.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

sue@scherzo75.fsnet.co.uk Sun Feb 12 2006

where can I buy these plants?

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Mon Mar 20 2006

http://www.canyoncreeknursery.com/violets.html

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Poornima Mon Mar 27 2006

We have gone through your site and find it inspiring for our project - www.theflowerexpert.com and have referred you in our interesting info section on Violets page, with the link text - Plant Potrait - Viola odrata : Sweet Violet http://theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/violets The Flower Expert (http://www.theflowerexpert.com) is the only online encyclopedia on flowers and a comprehensive source of information on various flower related topics. The Flower Expert is created by a team of five young people, with backgrounds ranging from Computer Science to Anthropology, all bound by the "Love of flowers" and inspired by the William Wordsworth quote "Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes!". We work in our spare time trying to make The Flower Expert - One Stop, Authoritative & Reliable Source of information on flowers on the Internet. We would like to know, if you could give suggestions on improving our site as we really appreciate the site you have made. We, also, invite you to share your thoughts (http://www.theflowerexpert.com/flower-blog/default/) on Sustainable and Organic Living on our site, so our readers could benefit. Also, We request you to give us a link from a relevant page from your site to the page on Violets.

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Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Jorgana Ransom Thu Mar 30 2006

i would like to know where to buy in bulk this herb to use as additions for edible use. The nutritional stores do not carry them

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Rich (webweaver) Fri Apr 7 2006

testing

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

jay Thu May 18 2006

I would like to know any nuances between the viola odorata and the viola sororia. im having trouble identifying some violets in my south eastern Ontario garden

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

eleanor bekermeier Tue Aug 1 2006

sometimes, quite often, these can be purchased on www.ebay.com

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Lynn Fri Aug 4 2006

The seeds are available from Richters.com (a wonderful source for herb plants and seeds), though I believe the sweet violet is hard to germinate from seed.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Marcos A. Cappa Sun Jan 21 2007

Mine are a heirloom from a 50+ years old garden. A professor from the university game me a small plant and now its growing really fast. I live in a tropical country (Puerto Rico - zone 10-11) and they grow and produce flowers very nice here.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Fri Jun 15 2007

I have been eating the greens from these for years. They have naturalized under my trees and I let them come up wherever they choose. The leaves are larger if they grow in the shade. They are in my lawn also, but I prefer the ones showing in my flower beds. In my southern garden, this is the most reliable green I have.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Becky Surrency Mon Mar 3 2008

Where to buy Sweet Violet seeds?

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Tue Mar 11 2008

I totally love this name for a plant. Maybe I should name my child that.

Viola odorata - Sweet Violet

Wed Mar 12 2008

Love the name

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