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I have fond memories of picking violets in the wild, when I was growing up, so it makes me warm and fuzzy, whenever my daughter and her friends get excited about finding violets on their way to and from school. Some people consider violets a weed - no what? Really? Yes, it's true, but certainly not at our home. Not only are wild violets pretty to look at, but they are also edible. You can use the leaves and flowers of the blue/purple species in salads or as decorations on cakes, but don't use the roots as these can cause nausea and vomiting.
Violets have traditionally been used as a medicinal herb in Europe, where it was used to treat pulmonary infections such as bronchitis and dry cough. There are many additional medicinal uses for violets, but we are plant lovers not doctors, so we encourage you to do additional research on the medicinal uses of violets.
A couple of years ago, we transplanted a few wild violet plants to our own garden, as we have a lot of shade on the northern side of the house, and they've been thriving. So, when we discovered that a lot of our neighborhood's patches of wild violets were being destroyed by waiting cars at the school and by the increasing development, we went on a violet rescue mission.
Violets are blooming in North East Florida at the moment, and they will continue to do so for the next couple of months. (January - April).
If you are looking to find violets in the wild look in the edge of a forest, on road sides in shaded areas and near wetland. Most of the year these petite plants will just exist as a bunches of green heart-shaped leaves, so that's one thing to look for, when they are not blooming.
Wild violets prefer part shade, and they like it moist, although they will grow in more sandy soil. This makes violets an excellent shade plant or flower for your woodland garden.
We've been bringing violets to The Land to plant in areas, which we know we won't be touching, and we've also been giving violets away to neighbors, so the neighborhood will keep producing these pretty little flowers. Just remember, whenever you take something from the wild, even with the best intentions, always make sure to leave some behind, so the plants can keep reproducing in their natural element.
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