Herb: Horned Violet


Latin name: Viola cornuta


Family: Violaceae (Violet Family)



Edible parts of Horned Violet:

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra. Flowers - raw. A tea can be made from the leaves.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Perennial

Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
July to
August

Scent:
Scented
Perennial

Habitat of the herb:

Mountain pastures.

Other uses of Horned Violet:

A useful ground cover plant for a cool open situation. It needs weeding for the first year or two but then forms an effective weed-excluding cover. Plants are best spaced about 60cm apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in the autumn or just after flowering. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though we have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Cultivation of Horned Violet:

Mountain pastures.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Viola cornuta:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.