Violet

Sweet violet, with its edible flowers and leaves, is full of nutrition and medicine! Viola odorata is considered a cooling and moistening remedy in Western herbalism, and is high in mucilage and vitamins A and C. Its leaves have historical use as a lymph mover, respiratory remedy and cancer treatment. Violets are said to have a medicinal affinity for swellings and lumps, which its bumpy roots remind us of. The Asian version of the violet, Zi Hua Di Ding (Viola philippica), is also known to clear heat and relieve swellings in Chinese medicine.