Herb of The Week - Violet - Growing

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Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/violet.php

 

 

Plant Portrait - Viola odorata Sweet Violet

 

 

This article originally appeared in the Jan 1998 edition of the Friends

of PFAF <http://www.pfaf.org/friends.php> 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.

 

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