COMMON VIOLET (Viola odorata) ~ LuminEarth.com’s Guide to Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants

Share this useful info from LuminEarth.com!

• 

Violet (Viola odorata) Other Names: Ordinary Violet, Common Blue Violet, Sweet Violet, Garden Violet, Banaf Shah, Banafsaj, Banafshah, English Violet, Garden Violet, Kokulu Menekse, Maarts Viooltje, Nioi-Sumire, Purple Violet, Sweet Blue Violet, Sweet Violet, Violet, Violeta, Violette, Violette Des Jardins
   

Appearance: The Common Violet has heart shaped leaves often with scalloped or slightly serrated edges are dark green, smooth or sometimes downy underneath, and grow in a rosette at the base of the plant. Roots are creeping and send out runners. Depending on soil and light Violet flowers may be from deep purple or blue to pinkish or even yellow whitish. All have 5 petals, which may have a yellow (fur) or beard on the inside of two of the petals, blooming from March to June.

**NOTE: THIS PLANT HAS POISONOUS LOOK ALIKES AND TOXIC PARTS**

Some plants can be mistaken for the Common Violet are Monk’s Hood, African Violet (houseplant), Larkspur, and Round Leaf Yellow Violet. The rhizomes (root) can cause nausea and vomiting if eaten.

Harvesting: Gather Violet  flowers in full bloom, leaves anytime, and rootstock in fall. Dry Violet root for later use.

Edible: The leaves and flowers of the Common Violet can be used in a salad, flowers made into jelly, leaves can be layered in and used in lasagna.

A word to the wise: beware of violets’ poisonous rhizomes which are not edible and should be avoided — think massively-bad-curled-up-in-bed stomachache.
(from http://fortgreene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/urban-forager-eating-violets/)

-Cindy MoonRose, Eatable Weed Walks and Plant Classes

Medicinal:  Common Violet flowers and leaves can be made into a syrup which is mostly used  for sore throat, coughing, and respiratory congestion.  Large doses of Common Violet root contain an  emetic alkaloid called violine which will cause vomiting.   A decoction made from dried voilet root is used as a laxative. Tea can be made from the entire Common Violet plant and  is used to treat digestive disorders.  Violet has been used for centuries as a medicinal remedy for headache, body pains and as a sedative.  Recent research has detected the presence of a glycoside of salicylic acid (natural aspirin) in the Common Violet, which validates this type of medicinal use.

Syrup Recipe:  Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 1 cup packed, of fresh crushed Common Violet flowers and leaves cover and let stand for 12 hours. Strain and squeeze through cloth, add 2 lb. of sugar and boil for 1 hour or until syrupy. Store in glass jar. Give 1 tbs. -1 tsp. for children 2 or 3 times a day.   (Recipe from  www.altanture.com.)

Tea Recipe: Steep ¼ cup dried or fresh Common Violet herb in 1 cup of water for 10 min. stain, flavor to taste. Take in ½ cup doses twice a day.  (Recipe from www.altnature.com.)  Note:  Dried herb produces stronger tea.

Click Here for the Recipe for Violet Leaf Sweet Bread

Sources:

• Alternative Nature Online Herbal, (n.d.), extracted October 23, 2009 from http://www.altnature.com/gallery/violet.htm
• Brill, S. (1994.) Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places. New York: HarperCollins.
• Moonrose, Cindy. Nashville, TN. Eatable Weed Walk (live) October 21, 2009.

The Books We Use:

• A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guide)
• Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them by William Hutson
• Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places by “Wildman” Steve Brill
• Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies: Natural Health, Beauty & Home Care Secrets by Jude C. Williams, M.H.
• Ortho’s  All About Herbs by Maggie Oster
• Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
• Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists by Richard Lucas
• Sunset Herbs:  An Illustrated Guide by The Editors of Sunset Magazine
• The Forager’s Harvest:  A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer
• The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.
• The Natural Physicians’s Healing Therapies: Proven Remedies Medical Doctors Don’t Know by Mark Stengler, ND
• The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine by Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D.
• The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D.
• Wildflowers of the Land Between the Lakes Region, Kentucky and Tennessee

Related Links

• Health Improvement:  Use Sound Therapy to Improve Your Health
• Herbal Remedy Cures eBook
• Marharishi Ayurveda: Herbal Remedies and Supplements Produced Through Vedic Tradition and Knowledge
• Standardized Herbs: Nature’s Sunshine Utilizes over 600 Tests to Guarantee the Quality of Herbs, Supplements, Essential Oils and Other Natural Health Care Products!
• Self Sufficient Life Website
• Super Antioxidant Juice MonaVie for a daily dose of Acai – the highest rated antioxidant currently known on the planet!
• Ultimate Guide to Vitamins and Minerals Book Info

Share this useful info from LuminEarth.com!

• 

Disclaimer: The statements in this article are for educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by or sanctioned by the FDA. Only your doctor can properly diagnose and treat any disease or disorder. The remedies discussed herein are not meant to treat or cure any type of disease. The user understands that the above information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or a pharmacist.