Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is one of my childhood favorite plants. I spent many barefoot, summer days in my hammock under a mimosa tree watching the hummingbirds flit here and there and reading novels – while eating violet leaves and flowers below me whenever I’d get hungry.

I remember begging my dad to leave the violets growing in the forest rather than spray them or pull them.

 

Then, as a teenager, I attempted to make violet jam, my first time ever making jam. It didn’t set, likely because I didn’t get it hot enough since I was worried about burning myself. We used it as violet syrup instead on pancakes.

 

The jam tastes greatly different than the raw violet flowers – which a powerful, sweet flavor that goes great on cakes, ice cream, or cookies, but not so much with peanut butter. The purple color is, frankly, from a culinary standpoint one of my favorite aspects. That gorgeous purple color is not often found among other types of jam.

 

Origin:

Native to North America, commonly found in lawns, woodlands, meadows, and along roadsides.Belongs to the Violaceae family

Identification:

Flowers: Deep blue-violet (sometimes white), five-petaled, with a darker center and fine dark veins. Lower petal has a white center with dark lines (nectar guides).

Leaves: Heart-shaped, with slightly serrated edges and a hairless or slightly hairy texture. Grows in a basal rosette (cluster at the base).

Size: Typically 3–8 inches (7.5–20 cm) tall.

Growth Pattern: Low-growing, spreads by seeds and underground rhizomes.

Habitat:

• Found in moist, shady areas but tolerates sun.
• Grows in lawns, gardens, woodlands, and meadows.
• Prefers rich, slightly acidic soil but is adaptable.

Edibility:

• Leaves and flowers are edible.
• Mild, slightly sweet flavor, similar to lettuce.Leaves: Used fresh in salads, soups, pestos, or sautéed.
• Flowers: Used in salads, syrups, jelly, tea, or candied for decoration.

Traditional Uses:

• Medicinal: Used historically as a cough remedy, anti-inflammatory, and mild laxative.
• Skin Soothing: Infused into salves or poultices for minor skin irritations.
• Vitamin-Rich: High in vitamin C and A, making it a nutritious wild green.

Caution:

• Do not confuse with African Violets (Saintpaulia), which are ornamental and not edible.
• Avoid eating in large quantities, as excessive consumption may cause mild digestive upset.Grows in lawns treated with pesticides, so harvest from clean areas.

Season:

Early spring to summer, often the first wildflower to bloom.

Storage:

• Fresh: Store leaves and flowers in the fridge for 2–3 days in a damp paper towel.
• Dried: Flowers can be dried for tea.
• Frozen: Leaves can be frozen for later use in soups or pestos.

Notes:

• A common pollinator-friendly plant, attracting bees and butterflies.
• Can be invasive in gardens due to rapid spreading.
• Flowers are self-fertile and also produce closed, self-pollinating flowers (cleistogamous flowers).
• Native to North America, commonly found in lawns, woodlands, meadows, and along roadsides. Belongs to the Violaceae family

 

Why Jam?

You may be wondering why I’m calling this jam and not jelly. So, in short, you can make either jam OR jelly. The jelly is the flowers steeped in water then the flowers are removed and the infused water turned into a jelly. The jam is the entire flower ground up and turned into jam.

My grandmother would make thumbprint cookies every single year for Christmas. Often, she’d make this exact recipe, but with a Hershey’s kiss instead. My mom and I would always make the jam ones, though.

It’s a great spring treat, though – and you won’t find the violet flowers in the winter! These cookies make me think of little fairies flying around my garden looking for sweet treats like in a children’s story.

You can freeze the jam or boil the jars in a large pot if you prefer, which you could then store on a shelf. I find we just don’t use a lot of it because it’s very different from other jams, so I have the room in my freezer to keep it around all year long!

 

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