Aren't you sweet?

Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Violaceae

Species: Viola orodata

The English violet, or sweet violet (Viola odorata) has recently appeared outside my accommodation right next to the daffodils which seem to completely cover the UEA campus lately. They are characterised by 5 purple flowers (or blue or white) with pinnately shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette. They grow to a height of 4 to 6 inches, often at the edges of forests or in clearings. Or outside Britten House. They are aromatic, although this smell is mysterious as it seems to disappear after a single sniff. This is because the flowers contain iodine which desensitizes the sense of nose and therefore the sense of smell! However, because the scent is so well-liked it is widely used in perfumes and oils. I don’t know why you’d want a perfume that you literally can’t smell after the second you put it on? I know I wouldn’t pay for it.

There are hundreds of different species of violets (around 400-500), which happen to be the birth flower of February (although sweet violets are technically “violas”, not true violets). They symbolize loyalty, fertility and love, and have been around since Ancient Greece – around 500 B.C. Greeks used violets in their wines, foods and medicines, even in love potions! The scent also suggested sex, and so the violet was an emblematic flower of Aphrodite. In Greek mythology, Iamus, son of Apollo, was abandoned at birth. She left him lying in the Arkadian wilds on a bed of violets where he was fed honey by serpents. He was discovered by pass shepherds who named Iamus after the violet bed.

They were loved so much it became the symbol of Athens. Pliny recommended that a garland of violets be worn above the head to ward off headaches and dizzy spells. They were also used by the Romans for herbal remedies, wine and for festivals.

They can also be used in cooking as they do have some nutritional value – the petals are often coated with sugar and be used to decorate cakes or in chocolate. However, they contain vitamin C (more than most vegetables actually!) which is an antioxidant which can improve the immune system. They should not be taken in in large doses though, and are a laxative in medicine. It can also be used in treating respiratory ailments, insomnia, and skin disorders, but there is little evidence to support their effectiveness of any of these treatments.