This is the classic garden pansy that was originally a wild flower from Europe.
Viola tricolor is an ornamental, a food plant and an ancient medicinal. Its flowers and leaves have a lovely mild wintergreen taste. In their paper, “Edible flowers of Viola tricolor L. as a new functional food”, Koike and colleagues (2015) write:
V. tricolor has a refreshing taste and velvety texture which allow its use in sweets, salads, soups, vinegars, drinks, and also in the extraction of blue and yellow food colourings (Creasy, 1999; Newman & O’Conner, 2009). Heartsease flowers, apart from being used as food, have also been used as medicinal agents for thousands of years. Their biological activities (Hellinger et al., 2014), mainly antioxidant properties, are attributed to the presence of flavonoid compounds (Vukics, Kery, Bonn, & Guttman, 2008; Vukics, Ringer, Kery, Bonn, & Guttman, 2008; Piana et al., 2013), with violanthin reported as the major compound (Vukics, Kery, et al., 2008).
In another paper, titled “Antimicrobial activity of Viola tricolor herb”, the authors found that infusions (herbal teas) and decoctions (longer steeping time of herbs) of Viola tricolor displayed significant inhibitory activity against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans and moderate activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Finally, a recent paper found that Viola tricolor shows antiviral activity via their cyclotides–antimicrobial peptides (small versions of proteins) that protect organisms from invading pathogens (Conzelmann et al 2022).
Check out our story, “Edible Ornamental Flowers and Antioxidants” in the magazine, Canada’s Local Gardener. You can read the digital version HERE.
Don’t be fooled by Viola tricolor’s delicate looking appearance, this flower is a strong medicinal.
How to Plant: Ease of Germination: Moderate. Seeds need darkness for germination. This is the most important thing to know about starting Viola tricolor from seed. Sow seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, cover lightly with soil. And then place newspaper, black plastic or aluminum foil over the container/seed tray. Viola seeds usually germinate in 1-2 weeks. You can also sow seeds directly outdoors. Viola does best in a semi-shady spot.
How to Use: Harvest the small flowers and leaves any time in the summer. Use fresh or dried flowers and leaves for tea. About 1 teaspoon per cup of tea. Use fresh flowers and leaves in salads
Location: Sun, Partial sun
Life cycle: Annual (it is a short-lived perennial, so we will list it as an annual)
Usable Parts: Flowers, Leaves (dried, fresh)
Uses: Tea, Salad, DeTincture
Height: 4 to 6 inches
