So, can you eat violets? Indeed, you can! Violets, both the leaves and flowers, contain high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. The edible violet plant can be used to make syrups, brew teas, and in baked desserts.

Table of Contents

Which violets are edible?

Violets with yellow flowers, such as the round-leaf yellow violet, which grows in swamps (V. rotundifolia), are edible as well. Another tasty species is the swamp blue violet (Viola cucullata), easy to distinguish because its flower rises high above the basal leaves.

Can you eat native violets?

Native violets are delightful and don’t have a strong taste, so can be used with sweet or savoury foods. Enjoy their delicate beauty as a finishing touch on small cakes and friands, or if you have plenty, add them to a spring salad. You can add the small green leaves to your salad, too, as they’re also edible.

How can you tell if wild violets are edible?

Violets have heart-shaped leaves, which are available throughout the growing season. The leaf edges are scalloped or saw-toothed. Some leaves are “shorter, fatter and rounder” hearts, and some are long and lean like this one above. If you look at the leaves of the yellow violet, the scalloping is very shallow.

Are any violets poisonous?

Violet is not a poisonous plant and its possible toxicity is mainly due to improper use or in higher doses than recommended. It is considered a safe plant in general. Its possible adverse effects may be due mainly to the high content of saponins of the root.

Do violets have any poisonous look alikes?

Wild Violet Look-alikes There is only one wild violet look-alike that you need to be aware of and that is lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) which is toxic. While lesser celandine has yellow flowers that don’t resemble wild violets at all, it has very similar heart-shaped leaves.

Are blue violets poisonous?

The roots of most violet species can cause nausea and vomiting, and should not be eaten. The leaves and flowers can be harvested with scissors in a “haircut” style multiple times throughout the spring until the leaves become too fibrous.

Are common blue violets edible?

Although they all are edible, some are more palatable than others. The common blue violet is the most harvested. Flowers have 5 petals and a symmetrical, butterfly shape with varying hues of blue.

How do you prepare wild violets?

To prepare, heat water in a sauce pot, and once it begins to simmer, turn off the heat and add the violets. Stir well a let the violets soak for 24 hours before continuing the process. Strain and add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and this will turn the color from blue to purple!

Is nodding saltbush edible?

Young leaves – cooked. A salty and slightly bitter flavour. Fruit – raw or cooked.

Article first time published on

Can you eat purple violets?

So, can you eat violets? Indeed, you can! Violets, both the leaves and flowers, contain high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. The edible violet plant can be used to make syrups, brew teas, and in baked desserts.

Are there any edible flowers?

When used as an ingredient or simply a garnish, edible flowers can be a boon for innovative cooks. … Edible flowers include citrus blossom, clover, daisies, dandelions, hibiscus, honeysuckle, lavender, lilac, mums, nasturtium, pansies, roses, sunflowers and violets, among others.

Are Bleeding Hearts edible?

All parts of the bleeding heart plant are toxic, both when eaten and when touched. A touch causes skin irritation. Eating the plant induces vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and breathing difficulty.

Are violets edible raw?

Violets leaves can be used raw in salads or cooked like spinach. Their flowers can be eaten raw, or candied, the dried leaves can be used to make tea. … Violet roots, however, are not user friendly. They can clean you out.

Are all violas edible?

It’s definitely worth mentioning right away that not all violas are edible and just as with any plant you must be totally sure of its species and variety before you pop it in your pie hole. … Viola ‘Heartsease’ earned its name as historically it was used as a medicinal herb and even a love potion.

Are purple orchids edible?

Karma orchids are gorgeous purple & white edible flowers that are a great choice for cake decorating and garnishes. Though their primary appeal is their beauty, they do impart a fresh, crispy, almost endive-like flavor.

Are all pansies edible?

Everyone knows pansies, but lesser known is that they are edible. Yellow, white and purple blooms all have a slightly grassy flavor. Purple pansies are as delicious as they are beautiful. USES: Pansies are most commonly used to add color and interest to green salads and fruit salads.

Can you make tea from wild violets?

Wild violet tea To make violet tea simply place a tablespoon or two of fresh,clean violet flowers in your tea cup. Cover with boiling water and allow to steep for about 10 minutes. The flowers give off a lovely blueish color that deepens to purple the more violets you use. Strain out the flowers and drink.

What do violets taste like?

By themselves, these crystallized flowers, brittle and slightly perfumed, taste like bath salts. The flavor blends particularly well with chocolate. According to both a 19th-century confectioner’s manual and the best-selling French herbalist Maurice Messegue, candied violets are recommended for chest disorders.

Are yellow violets edible?

These pretty violets – and all members of Viola – are edible, but the Peterson Edible Plants Guide tells us that the yellow species may be mildly cathartic, which means that they may act as a laxative. The young leaves and flowers can be added to salads.

Are wild violets good for you?

The leaves are just as full of nutrients as the flowers, so don’t neglect to include them on your list of foods to forage in the spring. Wild violets make a surprisingly healthy food source. Rich in vitamins A and C (more vitamin C by weight than oranges, in fact), they also contain other vitamins and minerals.

Is Dianella longifolia edible?

Dianella longifolia (Pale Flax Lily) Dark blue to purple berries are edible when ripe. Berries sweet and juicy (slightly gritty). Great addition to fruit salad.

Can you eat dianella?

Dianella is a popular genus for modern domestic gardens. Chances are, you’ll have seen this plant, or ones just like it, growing throughout temperate and sub-tropical suburbia. … These may be enjoyed fresh or cooked in sweet or savoury dishes, while the plant root can be pounded and roasted for eating.

Is tree violet edible?

TREE VIOLET (Melicytus dentatus) SEEDS ‘Bush Tucker Plant’ – Edible Oz.

Can you eat hollyhocks?

Hollyhock is completely edible – leaves, roots, flowers, seeds – not just an amazing looking flower, common in many cottage gardens. … Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) is a direct relation of Marshmallow and can be used interchangeably for that herb.

Which flower is not edible?

Anemone is also commonly known as thimbleweed, windflower and pasqueflower. Anemone is a perennial herb that comes in many colors, including yellowish-green, white, purple and red. The flowers originate in Asia, Europe and North America. All parts of the anemone, when fresh, are poisonous and therefore non-edible.

Are peony petals edible?

Peony petals are edible In China, the petals are parboiled and sweetened for use as a tea-time delicacy, in summer salads, or as garnish for punches and lemonades.

Are daylilies edible?

Daylily flowers last only one day, hence their name. … Daylilies are a popular staple in Asian cuisine and they are used both fresh and dried. Every part of the daylily plant is edible: you can pluck the young shoots, boil the tubers like potatoes, or spruce up your salads with its bright orange petals.

Can you eat daylilies raw?

Eat the flowers raw. Daylily flowers have a sweet flavour and can actually be enjoyed raw. When you pick a daylily flower, make sure to include the bulb near the base of the flower.

Which is the most poisonous flower in the world?