Roses are the predominant flower associated with February 14th, Valentine’s Day, but surprisingly February’s birth flower is not the rose. February’s birth flower is one that is much more modest and ordinary. It is the violet.
Ansel Oomman, Bugwood.org
Human communication, whether spoken, sung, written, or by the flash of a meaningful glance, carries an intended message passed from sender to receiver. Today, even with technological advances in communications, one of the most meaningful and basic ways to relay a message is all but forgotten. This way is through flowers. The language of flowers--also known as floriography--has been around since ancient times. We now have the means to relay messages instantly, and the "old-fashioned" messaging told with flowers, and their associations to a person's month of birth, is not as popular or well known as in the past. However, we can read about floriography, and discover the sentiments that remain attached to flowers today. Each birth month flower has a unique meaning or characteristic, that can be conveyed with flowers, where words just cannot compare.
Roses are the predominant flower associated with February 14th, Valentine's Day, but surprisingly February's birth flower is not the rose. February's birth flower is one that is much more modest and ordinary. It is the violet.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac and other sources of folklore, violets have a history rich with symbolism. St. Valentine is said to have crushed violet flowers to use as ink to write notes to his friends during his banishment. In Christian traditions, the violet is associated with purity and humility, giving it one of its common names, Our Lady's Modesty. In ancient Greece, violets represented love, romance, and fertility and were an ingredient in love potions. Violets were used to make the love potion in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. These sweet-scented blooms are said to represent truth, loyalty, spiritual wisdom, watchfulness, and faithfulness. One especially notable story is of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder praising violets medicinal value.
Purple violets are of a cooling nature: for inflammations, they are applied to the stomach in the burning heats, and for pains, in the head, they are applied to the forehead… Worn in garlands upon the head, or even smelt at, they dispel the fumes of wine and headache; and, taken in water, they are a cure for quinsy.
In modern vernacular, the violet is one of the earliest known treatments for hangovers!
Although not a common hangover remedy today, violets are impressive flowers in other ways.
Taken from "Common Violet" on the St. Olaf College site on 1/27/2021.
Violets all belong to the genus Viola of the Violaceae family. The word violet is derived from the Latin word viola, which means violet. In the United States there are more than 100 species of common spring violets. Violets are flowers with five petals: two pairs of lateral petals and one often with veins of another color. The leaves of violets are usually oval or heart-shaped, which may be lobed. Due to their almost universally recognized shape, these wildflowers are easy to identify. Because they hybridize freely, however, violets are often difficult to classify.
Violets are ideally designed to attract insect pollinators, which aid in fertilization and reproduction. The brightly colored petals, ultraviolet veining, and occasional scent of the flowers attract many flying insects, usually bees. Winged insects like bees can easily land on the lower, spurred petal which acts as a landing strip. The colored veins of the flowers direct the insect to the floral center, which is where the nectar is located. Some species of violets have hairs near the nectar opening which gives the insects something to grab on to as it climbs inside. The nectar location requires the insect to burrow deep inside the flower, which jars loose the pollen of the flower overhead. The sticky nectar acts as glue for the pollen, which ensures that it is not lost as the insect travels to another flower thereby pollinating the violets.
Like other spring wildflowers, violets have certain adaptations to guarantee reproductive success even in difficult conditions. Many violet species are responsive to light and weather. At night, in cloudy or rainy weather, the flowers will close and turn toward the ground. This protects the pollen from being washed away. This adaptation also prevents the nectar from becoming diluted in the rain.
Violets are known for other uses as well. Most are edible and have medicinal properties which have practical value today. They contain salicylic acid, a chief ingredient in aspirin. Certain forms of violets therefore may be used as pain relievers. Some are even used in cancer treatment. Being edible, they are used in salads, as soup thickeners, tea, and when prepared properly, as candy.
Sometimes referred to as Johnny jump-ups or meadow violets, their heights range from a few inches to 16 inches and flower from March through June. These perennial plants prefer wet, cool, and shady rich deciduous woodlands. However, many gardeners consider them to be weeds since they may aggressively infiltrate lawns and landscapes.
Personal perspective comes into play with the violet. Depending on your experience with violets, you may have a completely opposite opinion of these plants.
You may consider the flower to be a major detriment to your garden. According to Professor of Turfgrass Science, Peter Landschoot, Ph.D. and Penn State Extension Horticulture Educator, Tim Abbey,
Wild violet is one of the most difficult weeds to control in lawns. Removal by hand is not effective unless rhizomes are excavated from the soil. Improving turf density through fertilization, regular mowing, and use of turfgrasses well-adapted to site conditions will help to slow the spread of this weed, but may not provide effective suppression once wild violet is established.
For more information about managing violets in a lawn setting see their article, Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Wild Violet.
It seems rather ironic then, that a flower loved for many reasons, as well as being representative for the birth month hosting Valentine's day, can also be looked upon as something very unloved and to be avoided.
Give a violet lover a bouquet to say you will always be a friend to them. If the intended recipient considers the violet to be a weed, maybe you should find another way to express your feelings!
~by Joan Banyas, Luzerne County Master Gardener Trainee
