Summary:
This is episode number 27 . Today, I am throwing it back to where this podcast began: Plant features! When I started this podcast in 2018, I wanted a podcast that taught me about plants!!! I wanted to learn about plants I could grow, plants I could eat, and just all the things to love about various plants! So far in our plant journey, we have covered Comfrey, Chamomile, Dandelion, Burdock, Carrot & Basil, and today is another plant feature! My late grandmother’s namesake, the Wisconsin state flower, and the signature flower of Napoleon Bonaparte; Violet. So, stick around while I take a deep dive into everything you ever wanted to know about Violets.
In This Episode You will Learn:
- Some violet fun facts
- Season/description of the violets
- Violets benefits to pollinators
- Violets benefits as a ground cover
- Physical, medicinal and energetic benefits of violets.
- Practical ways to find and utilize violets.
Basil Benefits to Nature:
- Beautiful for landscapes
- Groundbreaking (some of the first flowers to break through the frozen winter tundra)
- Ground cover
- Insect Pollinator
Violet Benefits to Mankind:
- High Nutritional value: These plants are high in vitamins A & C. A 1/2 cup violet flowers/leaves has the same fit C as 3 oranges.
- Heart Health: Rich in Anthocyanins and rutin.
- Respiratory Issues: (Dry Coughs, Sore Throats, & Sinus issues) Vitamin C info and making Nasal rinses:
- Fevers: Violet has been shown to reduce fevers. Fever reduction study 2020
- Lymph movement: (Read: help prevent and fight cancer & especially augment breast health):
- Pain: (Reducing Inflammation): Violet is an inflammation combatant, and can help relieve arthritis, headaches, and various other aches and pains.
- Sleep Aid: Violet Oil has been found to help aid those with insomnia. Sleep study, how violets enhance sleep/help combat insomnia.
- Dry Eyes: As, I mentioned before with the respiratory issues, their moisture adding benefits have been found helpful in dry eyes. Tear study for dry eyes from 2019.
- Skin Beautifier & Helps with Itchy/Dry Skin Pruritis study about dry/itchy skin
- Natural laxative and diuretic: Their saponin components, or toxic components make them a great laxative and diuretic.
- Emotional Support: (Feelings of Joy). Antidepressant study and violet’s properties to help with neuropsychiatric work.
Practical Uses/Recipes/How to Use:
- Food (raw): Eat them in salad. Put them in a smoothie. Roselee of herbalremediesandadvice.org has a lot of this great information on violets and many other herbs/plants, and I appreciated the advice she gave when it comes to eating violets. Because of their saponin reputation or their ability to cause some stomach upset, she suggests to test their flavor, if they are hard to enjoy, it may be a good sign that you should used them with caution, or in a more moderate amount medicinally. If they are sweet and palatable, maybe you can eat more of those…but either way, make sure you use in small amounts until you know for sure how your body responds to them.
- Infused oil, or infused honey. Honey would be a great way to help with coughs and sore throats.
- Poultice: As a poultice, placing ground violet leaves and flowers in a poultice atop areas of swollen lymph nodes can help get the lymph moving, glands in breast tissue, armpits, groins, or any other area feeling stuck.
- Salve/balm: Make a salve to rub on your skin to help soften and reduce inflammation and pain.
- Syrup: Making a Violet syrup. Like a cough syrup is a great way to help with soothing a sore throat or preventing coughs.
- Tea: Pour hot water over the flowers and then strain out the flowers and add honey to the water for a beautiful and sweet violet colored tea!
- Tincture. Here is a quick recipe for making a violet tincture!
- Vinegar. Violet vinegar is as easy as covering violets with apple cider vinegar and letting it sit in a cool/dark place for a few days. When you use it, make sure to dilute with equal part water. It can be super moisturizing for scalp or on wasp stings, or other skin issues.
- Decorating baked goods: Cute recipe for making sugared violets for cakes
- Freeze the flowers: Freezing the flowers helps to keep their nutritional value even when the flowers are no longer in season.
**Please again, always be sure you can positively identify a plant before harvesting.***
Resources Mentioned/Used:
Violet Information and uses with Rosalee
Great violet info and some practical tips for using violets.
http://mamarosemary.com/blog/2019/4/28/benefits-sweet-violet-materia-medica
Vitamin C info and making Nasal rinses:
Tear study for dry eyes from 2019.
Pruritis study about dry/itchy skin
Sleep study, how violets enhance sleep/help combat insomnia.
Antidepressant study and violet’s properties to help with neuropsychiatric work.
How to freeze the flowers and how nutrients are maintained
Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by ME and my super supportive family!
Intro/Outro Music: “A Wee Tipple” by Scott Holmes
Permaculture Princess—A More Abundant Life 