Wild Violets

Living in Wisconsin, I would be remiss if I didn't take time to talk about this wonderful plant. It just happens to be the State Flower of Wisconsin.

The name of this plant is taken from the flower but there are wild violets with pink flowers and some with white flowers. Mrs. Grieves, author of A MODERN HERBAL mentions that the word Violet when broken down is a deviation of via or wayside. These plants tend to grow in areas that allow the eight inch plant to thrive without much competition.

The Violet flowers attracted my attention. I always knew that they were edible and that they have a sweet taste in their base but until I read what Dr. James Duke said about them, I didn't think they had a lot of medicinal uses. A couple of the things that Dr Duke talked about was that they could be used for varicose and spider veins. This is so exciting because a lot of people that I know are dealing with this very problem.

According to Dr. Duke, "Violet flowers contain generous amounts of a compound called rutin, which helps maintain the strength and integrity of capillary walls." The amount would be a half cup of fresh violet flowers, I guess that is why I like eating them and get my 5 to 10 flowers a day. Dr. Duke mentioned that one could eat as many as 100 flowers a day without any adverse effects.

Mrs. Grieves mentioned that, "Piny prescribed a liniment of Violet root and vinegar for gout and disorder of the spleen. She states that a garland or chaplet of Violets worn about the head will dispel the fumes of wine and prevent headaches and dizziness." That sounds like a prescription for a good old fashion hangover.

Violet flowers have been used in cooking for a very long time, both in the dish and as a garnish. I have used Violet flowers and find that most people pass them up instead of eating them. Maybe they just don't know what is good for them?

They have been used as a coloring agent and in the making of perfumes. They can also be candied as a dessert. A "Syrup of Violets" was made and was considered to be a nice dessert when added to lemon syrup or ice cream to be served in the summer months.

To get the best flowers from the plants means that they need to be thinned from time to time. When overcrowded, they tend to just grow a lot of leaves. They will also go to leaves when the soil is very rich.

A salad can be made by adding Violet leaves to any of the other garden greens. This salad might relieve a degree of pain as Violet leaves contain Salicylic Acid although not to the degree that can be found in Willow Bark or even Honeysuckle leaves. In fact, when I checked my resources, I found about 25 to 30 constituents contained in this little plant. Just think of the organic choices that one is giving the body when Violet leaves are included on the menu. When it is organic the body can use it or not as it wishes. When the body is given inorganic matter, it doesn't have those choices.

I read that one could cook the roots of this plant for food, so I decided to try that. The article suggested boiling them like potatoes. This was a very interesting experience as the roots have a slight bitter taste to them due to the alkaloid content. In the future I would cook them like acorns and do several rinses or changes of the water as they are being cooked. I have since read that medically they are used to incite vomiting. "They have occasionally been used as adulterants to more costly drugs, notably to ipecacuanha."

A tincture of the whole plant has been used for spasmodic coughing and Mrs. Grieves mentions that it can be used for rheumatism of the wrists.

We have deer that come into our yard mainly for the apples or the acorns but they also trim the tops off the Violet plants that are under the apple trees. Do they know something that we don't?

The leaves have been used to cure cancer. I believe the story goes that a nurseryman ate Violet leaves when he found out that he had cancer. He ate a lot of them and his cancer was cured.

Recently one of my friends asked me if we are responsible for all the cancer around us. I didn't have an answer at the time but when you look at all the things that nature provides us with to handle this very problem, my answer is, "Perhaps." Why the "perhaps"? I think it is because we keep eating the same foods over and over and over without taking advantage of what is really available to us. Violet leaves are wonderful for glands as a tea and even an ointment. When our glands are working the way they should, errant cells don't have a chance.

As you can see Violets aren't just for show. They might be shy plants but they do pack a punch.