Cools as it softens and moves.
Common names: Sweet Violet, Common Violet, English Violet, Garden Violet, Zi Hua di Ding
Taxonomic name: Viola odorata,
Family: Violaceae
Related herbs: Johnny Jump Up (aka Heartsease, V. tricolor), other Viola species.
Area of origin: Eurasia
Parts used: Leaf, flower, root, seed.
Has been used medicinally for: catarrh, bronchitis, inflamed skin conditions (eczema), cysts, mastitis, swollen glands, tumours and hardenings. Kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation. Rheumatism, chronic joint conditions.
Healing Actions: alterative, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-tussive, expectorant, mucolytic, antiseptic, anti-cancer, anti-tumoral, laxative, emollient, lymphatic, antilithic
TCM: TCM – Lung phlegm damp, Lung phlegm dryness, Lung phlegm-heat
Taste: Sweet, slightly salty
Energetics: cooling, softening, moistening
Tissue states: hot/dry, congested, hardened
Organ/System affinities: Lungs, lymph, kidneys, bladder, heart, liver
Healing constituents: Saponins (myrosin, violin). Flavonoids (rutin, violarutin). Volatile oil (inc. ionone and phenethyl alcohol). Phenolic glycosides (salicylic acid, gaultherin, methyl ester), Odoratine, Mucilage. Tannins. Calcium, magnesium
Contraindications and warnings: High saponin levels (esp. in roots) may cause nausea and vomiting in high doses.. Saponins in Violet roots are contraindicated during pregnancy, especially for nausea and vomiting related conditions because of its emetic properties.
Existing Kidney or liver disease.. Salicylate content may affect those with an allergy. Should not be given to children under 12 because of salicylates. Potential interaction with depressants and sedatives.
Drug/herb interactions: Anticoagulants. Diuretics. NSAIDs
Description
Violets are special to me. My grandmother on my maternal side’s name was Violet Sadly, she’s gone now, leaving the world a little bit shorter of gentleness and care.
For such a soothing, gentle remedy, Violets are remarkably hardy, creeping perennials to 15cm tall. They have basal rosette of heart shaped, green leaves. Small and sweet-smelling, single, purple/blue flowers to 2cm across on fine stalks. They have 5 petals, one of which is always downward pointing and bracteoles behind the petals. Stalks have downwardly pointing hairs.
Violets spread by stolon and can be propagated by cutting or seed, though plants grown from cutting seem to thrive better.
Violet loves moist, shady areas and those rich in organic matter such as the edge of forests or under established trees. It will grow well in sunny areas such as against walls as long as the period of sunlight is short. In our area it can flower all year. That said, I’ve seen Violets growing in what I would think are inhospitable, rocky places that receive full Sun.
Medicinal uses
Keywords – Heat, congestion and hardness
Violets (Viola odorata) are handy little plants to have around. They are herbs that excel at soothing our membranes. Violet leaves and flowers have a sweet, slightly salty taste.
Traditionally, Violets have been used in cough remedies for chronic, dry coughs where the membranes are dry and inflamed. Sinusitis with catarrh is a good indicator. Other chronic bronchial symptoms benefit from Violet’s gentle touch too. Ear infections have been helped as well.
The same cooling, soothing, principles make Violet handy for use in cases of dryness and redness such as eczema, onto which the crushed plant parts can be directly applied. Relief too can be found in cases of cysts and other lumps and hardenings. Even the pain and redness of mastitis fall under its spell.
Another aspect of Violet is that it has an affinity for the lymphatics. It can move the lymphatic fluids around, relieving congestion. Combining this aspect with the facility to soothe inflammation links Violets nicely to cases of sore throat with enlarged glands where it can be doubly useful. It is possible that this lymphatic affinity is one of the reasons for why Violet has been found to be helpful in cases of cancer, especially breast and lung cancer, pharyngeal, gastric, intestinal cancers too. It seems especially good at resolving secondary tumours.
Being a soothing herb, Violet can also help our mind, and area in which it has been used to relieve Insomnia and nightmares.
Saponins and mucilage combine to help ease our poo on its journey out of our body, as in cases of secondary constipation and general biliousness.
On the way out, too, urinary tract infections, especially those connected with gravel, sand or stones can be relieved.
Joints too often get hard and dry with time and suffer from painful deposits. Violet can bring relief to chronic arthritic conditions too.
Preparing and using
Synergies: With Dock as a laxative combination. Chamomile for inflamed skin conditions (especially those that flare up under stress).
Sage or Thyme for sore throats, especially as a gargle and Hyssop or Hoarhound as an expectorant blend for phlegm deep in the respiratory tract.
Violet combines well with its cousin Heartsease where the soothing properties of each are magnified by the other
A tincture of Violet has been found to be helpful in sleep disturbances and psychological issues, especially insomnia and nightmares. Tinctures aren’t the most effective way to utilise Violets because the healing constituents that we generally use are water soluble. I haven’t discovered which are maximised by extraction in alcohol but I’ll not it here when I do.
Violet is traditionally taken as a syrup, which makes it particularly suited to children’s ailments, especially sore throats as mentioned above.
A tea/infusion – drunk for, swollen glands, constipation and used as a wash for skin conditions
A poultice can be made using the marc left after infusions. This can be applied eternally.
Ointment for external wounds and softening cysts and indurations or for dry skin.
Other herb pages on Ligaya Garden
We cover a lot of ground on many herb related topics here on our website. There are whole pages devoted to different topics as well as frequent posts. Some of the links are –
