Once upon a spring, there was a flower so small & so shy that almost nobody noticed it.
She grew low, hid under bigger leaves, quietly existing in plain sight. Which is why so many people don't realize she is probably growing somewhere close by.
Viola Sororia (she even sounds like a humble duchess).
The common blue violet.
She shows up mostly in temperate climates…lawns, woodland edges, gardens, & shaded corners every spring. She is easy to miss, until you know where to look, then suddenly you begin to meet her often.
The flowers & the leaves are both edible & medicinal. They taste like if spring decided to turn into a flavor. Mild. Lightly sweet. Faintly floral.
Scatter the blossoms over the greens for a spring salad. Freeze the flowers into ice cubes for sparkly purple pixie beverages. Turn them into candy or syrup. Decorate your treats & sprinkle onto any food to make it more magical.
Stir the leaves into soups or salads. Saute them. Steam them. Tuck them into a sandwich. Blend them into a pesto. Use them how you would use spinach.
Herbalists have loved violets for ages… using them as a gentle blood cleanser, soothing respiratory remedy, poultices for dry, & irritated skin.
The leaves bring in a solid dose of vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, & minerals.
The purple of the petals comes from anthocyanins, the same antioxidant family that makes berries so good for you.
She's cute & hardworking.
Violets have other lookalikes & some of those imposters are not so friendly.
Never eat flowers you can't identify with 1000% certainty & only harvest from ground that hasn't been sprayed with chemicals. Most foragers agree that the blue & white flowered violets are the trustworthy ones. The yellows are where opinions start to diverge, so when in doubt, just leave them be.
Because she blooms so low, half hidden under her own leaves, she became a symbol of modesty in human storytelling for over two thousand years. Proof that something can be beautiful without demanding an audience.
Slow down. Look down. Pay attention.
Nature is filled with beauty & abundance.
& there is something special about eating flowers.
Transforming a meal into an experience, creating a deeper connection to the seasons.
