Viola epipsila — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Flowers, Leaves

Young leaves and flower buds are edible raw or cooked; when added to soup they thicken it like okra. Flowers are also eaten raw. Leaves make a good tea.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Alaska, Europe, North America, USA,

Countries: Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, United States, St Vincent

How to Identify

A low-growing perennial reaching just 10cm in height. Hardy to UK zone 5. Insect-pollinated hermaphroditic flowers. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage; prefers mildly acidic to neutral pH and consistently moist conditions. Tolerates semi-shaded to full sun settings.

How to Grow

Prefers a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5. All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities.

Propagation: Sow seed in autumn or early spring in a cold frame. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough and plant out in summer. Divide in autumn or just after flowering; pot smaller divisions in a greenhouse or cold frame until established, then plant out in summer or following spring. Larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

The dried root has traditional use as an incense.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

A low-growing perennial reaching just 10cm in height. Hardy to UK zone 5. Insect-pollinated hermaphroditic flowers. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage; prefers mildly acidic to neutral pH and consistently moist conditions. Tolerates semi-shaded to full sun settings.

Notes

There are about 500 Viola species.

Names & Synonyms

Viola palustris L.

References (3)

Bowser, M., 2017, Handout on Edible Plants of the Kenai Peninsula. USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge p 19
Index sem. hort. Dorpat. 1820:5. 1820
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/