African Violet

(Saintpaulia ionantha) Family: Gesneriaceae
Also called: No names known
Origin: Tanzania and Kenya
How well I remember from my youth these plants – enjoyed by generations for their compact size, velvety leaves, and colorful blooms – happily thriving in the southern bay window of my love-filled grandparent’s home in Larned, Kansas, where my mom’s mom, Rose Unruh, dutifully gave them gentle and attentive care.

These potentially year-long blooming plants have a storied history intertwined with German colonization in East Africa. They were “modern-day” discovered by Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire – an official of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s empire – in the Usambara Mountains near the
border of Tanzania and Kenya in 1892. Hence, the acknowledgment of this fact in its Latin name.

However, their history dates much further back than that – all the way to ancient Greece, where they were used in medicine (Aha!), mythology, and as symbols of Athens. Often worn in garlands, they were associated with Persephone – Greek goddess of grain and agriculture, as well as the queen and wife of Hades, the god of the Underworld. Symbolically, they have a long history of as representing faith, humility, and modesty.

But even before addressing their medicinal applications, let us note that both its flowers and leaves are edible. (The roots should not be consumed as they are toxic.)

Both the early Greeks and Romans used Violet petals in wine and to sweeten dishes. It is surmised that then, like now, their leaves were eaten, attractively served, fresh in salads, or cooked like any other green vegetables. The flowers were also used to make conserves (a complex, flavorful version of jam) and syrups, while the candied violets were used to flavor creams, curds, and tarts.

King Edward I of England, who reigned from 1272 to 1307, enjoyed Violet Sugar, made by layering their flowers in sugar. And, during the Edwardian era of 1901 to 1914 – the last period in British history to be named after the monarch who reigned over it – Violets were combined with chocolate, a combination that remains popular for many yet today.

The early medicinal uses of Violets utilized their properties to soothe and treat skin conditions, respiratory ailments and as a mild digestive aid. Additional traditional uses included their employment as a blood cleanser and to stimulate the lymphatic system – which is important for the immune system; their use to treat inflammation internally and externally; application to pain relief, inasmuch as they contain salicylic acid, a compound found in aspirin; and even in the treatment of cancer!

They were then, many years ago – and still are – used as a poultice, compress, infused oil, and salve for abrasions, dry or chafed skin, eczema, hemorrhoids, insect bites, and varicose veins. It is also used to ease inflammation and swelling.

Beyond the fact that, apparently, properly prepared and dispensed aspects of the African Violet can promote a healthy lymphatic function, modern research is additionally investigating its potential anti-microbial properties.

From an April 13, 2016, article written by Juliet Blankespoor, in the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine newsletter, I found a wonderful encapsulation of similar data from multiple other sources. Ms. Blankespoor succinctly stated, “(It) is cooling and moistening and is used internally as a blood cleanser (and) respiratory remedy . . . (it has) . . . been used for centuries as a pulmonary remedy for dry hacking cough. It is often recommended for bronchitis and whooping cough, and can also be used as a tonic for chronically swollen lymph nodes. . . Additionally, it has a long tradition of use in the treatment of cancer.
She continued, “Violet leaves contain a good bit of mucilage, or soluble fiber, and thus are helpful in lowering cholesterol levels . . . (and are). . . also helpful in restoring healthy populations of intestinal flora, as beneficial bacteria feed off of this type of fiber. The leaves are high in Vitamins A and C, and rutin, which is a glycoside of the flavonoid quercetin (which reduces allergic responses or boosts immunity).

Then, explaining further, she recounts how, “Rutin has been shown in animal and in vitro studies to be anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood thinning. Many (other) foods that are high in rutin, such as buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), are eaten traditionally as a remedy for hemorrhoids and varicose veins.”

A tidy synopsis there Juliet, thank you! Grammy would have been impressed and may well have presented you with a potted Violet!

Author

  • Tommy Clarkson

    Tommy and Beate Clarkson live atop a ridge overlooking the terraced, tropical magnificence of their - renowned by Tripadvisor - Ola Brisa Gardens in Manzanillo. The author of the two award-winning, three-book series, "The Civilized Jungle" and "The Medicinal Jungle," he’s now writing The Edible Jungle cookbooks.

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