Violet for stones, cancer and bronchitis
The Violet or Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, is also known as the Garden Violet (a name which is also sometimes used for Heartsease), English Violet and the Common Violet. It’s closely related to Heartsease.
When I was a child, a basket or posy* of violets was a traditional Mother’s Day gift, but nowadays they’ve been overtaken by more commercial gift ideas.
*This is a term which, according to the dictionary means a small bunch of flowers. I’ve only ever heard it applied to violets, and the posies I remember were trimmed with a stiff paper collar and ribbons, so that they appeared much more than a simple bunch of flowers.
The violet is a very small evergreen perennial, almost unnoticeable when not in flower in its natural woodland habitat. It reaches a height of 4-6 inches (10-15cm) and is happy in any well drained soil, in full sun or semi-shade. A native of Europe and Asia, it is naturalized in the USA and Australia. Although the flowers are usually a deep shade of violet (or blue), white and rose-colored forms also exist.
Violet is not suitable for use by anyone who cannot take aspirin and other salicylates.
Violet is a remedy with a long history, which is particularly valued for its ability to dissolve stones and to treat cancers of the breast, lung and digestive tract. It is also used to treat bronchitis and congestion of the lung, and as a pain killer (it contains salicylic acid), useful for headache. Make a standard infusion using 2 teaspoonfuls of chopped leaves and flowers to 240ml (1 US cup, 8 fl oz) boiling water and allow to stand for 15 minutes to 4 hours before straining for use. The maximum dose for internal use is one cup a day, which should be split into 3 separate doses of one third of a cup.
The standard infusion can also be used as a gargle or mouthwash to relieve soreness of mouth and throat.
A poultice made from fresh leaves mashed up in a little hot water and wrapped in a piece of muslin or other closely woven material can be used to treat boils and other excrescences of the skin.
All herbs grown for use as herbal remedies need to be grown organically, so that their properties are not altered or entirely removed by the presence of foreign chemicals. To find out more about growing organic visit the Gardenzone.
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