Plants ordered today will begin shipping in May of 2024
Violet, Sweet (Viola odorata) potted plant, organic
$8.50 – $57.00
Family: Violet (Violaceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 9
(Sweet Violet) Spreading evergreen perennial groundcover, fully frost hardy and preferring moist soils in the shade or part sun. This is a German cultivar with light blue flowers peaking in early spring that emit the delicate, singular and delightful scent of violets, which in full bloom wafts fleetingly across the garden. Traditional use (TWM): oral antiseptic, antitussive, resolvent. These are seed-grown individuals from our organic nursery. They are very nice. Space plants 6 inches apart.
Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown
Jennifer Joray –
Richo takes great care in starting seeds, nurturing his plants with better than organic methods, and packing them lovingly and safely in approved shipping materials. LOVE LOVE LOVE all his plants!! We just received extremely healhty violas, and I am going to plant them now on Thanksgiving Day here in Maine! It is an unusually warm start to the fall, although we have had mornings in the teens, so I think they will do well here at the end of the season, and hopefully be able to tincture and blend with them after drying, next season! Can’t wait, Richo! Thank you so much for all that you do to offer the opportunity and materials for people to be self-sufficient, and to empower ourselves to make our own medicine!!
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Question
Cathie –
Could this be the same as what l would find wild in the PNW? I have been looking to start some of what was in my grandma’s yard lol. She always called it wild violets and this is what I remember it looking like. I am in semi dry zone 7 Oregon
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Richo Cech –
Hi Cathie, Actually, no, its not quite the same although similar. What we have here is the European form. Richo
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Cathie –
Ok. I am looking for the PNW version seeds or starts for nostalgia lol. We used to add the flowers to honey and turned it purple. The things you remember. Thank you though.
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Marie –
How can I get violet as tincture
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Richo Cech –
hi marie, i think the best way is to make your own. there may be some availability, i know herb pharm makes viola tricolor tincture. r
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Maggie –
Can I plant these in early October here in Southern Vermont? Or would it be better to overwinter them in a 50-60 degree sunroom? Or best to wait til next spring to buy them?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Maggie, thanks for writing! The sweet violets are a phenomenon of the late winter to early spring–that’s when they bloom and spread most vigorously. So my thought is that you would do best, in a cold VT, to plant in the early spring. Now would be a good time to plant the SEEDS,. richo
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Mag –
My pleasure as always to communicate with Mr. Plant Deva, incarnate. Thank you for this clarification. I will plant the seeds this fall, and delay buying your beautiful Viola Odorata plants until early next spring. A thrilling prospect!
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Richo Cech –
the pleasure is mine. for me, if I can help people save effort it is similar to something like carpooling, or finding a nifty new DIU trick instead of buying something. in gardening, its not only saving effort, but engendering success, flowers, nectar…
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Melissa Hofer (verified owner) –
I have looked all over for old fashioned violet seeds. At the time I ordered from Strictly Medicinal, seeds were out of stock. I ordered the $50 pack of plants, feeling that that was risky. All the plants were alive and vigorous with extensive root systems. I got them this spring and planted them in gallon containers. I may have burned one to death in the sun. I plan to put them in the garden when it cools off.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Melissa, Yes, they do best in the cool of fall and early spring. In a shady and moist location, they can make a lush ground cover. Richo
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Melissa Hofer (verified owner) –
September 24 – planted them in the ground in shade w/ hellebores! All has gone well
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Melody Beswick –
If I get these in September will they survive a northern Michigan winter?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Melody,
I’m a bit undecided on this because on one hand northern michigan is very cold and on the other hand its a shame to miss the early spring burst of growth that occurs with these. I’m remembering the winds in Detroit. Maybe you should get them in the spring. We’ll have plenty.
Richo
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Melody Beswick (verified owner) –
I just ordered 3. I am putting them in a planter that is kind of protected, so will see how they do. If I want some in the spring should I order them now for shipment then, or wait to order this winter?
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Richo Cech –
hi melody, OK, thank you, and we’ll start accepting orders for spring-shipped plants in January. Richo
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Question
dinamarie –
Is the variety that is used for making syrups and sugaring?
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Richo Cech –
Hi, yes, most certainly. r
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Question
A.Ripley –
Do you have the cultivar name of this particular violet?
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Richo Cech –
It’s as pictured, viola odorata konigin charlotte
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Crissy –
I have a very healthy old maple tree but it has a lot of exposed roots over the surface and so people walk on them, and get snipped every once in a while when cutting back the grass. I would prefer to remove the grass and replace with groundcover that doesn’t require mowing so help keep the soil in place while protecting the roots. Is this a suitable groundcover for this or is there a better recommendation?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Crissy,
I do think that violets would be a good choice. Problem is to get rid of the grass. You might get away with spreading newspaper or cardboard on top of the exposed roots, putting a thick layer of coir (black gold “just coir”) on top of that, or maybe peat moss, and planting violets or bugle into that. Check the groundcover blog at this link https://blog.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/where-and-how-to-grow-an-herbal-groundcover/
Richo
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Question
hunterdunford –
Do you think this is the same plant sweet violet? I stumbled across many of these in my woods the end of May that were in bloom here NE Ohio. Thank you.
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Diana –
That would be the Ohio version of Viola, not odorata.
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Jake Moore –
Could be either Wood Violet, which is just wild Viola Odorata (also the Wisconsin state flower), or could be Common Blue Violet, Viola Sororia.
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ian_fallis (verified owner) –
Late last summer I purchased three sweet violet plants. The healthy plants arrived in great shape, and they have thrived over the fall and winter. I have even been able to separate out four plants to expand their bed. In the photo, the three plants and their progeny are on the right, and the four plants I’ve separated out are on the left. We’ll see how they do in our long, hot, humid summer, but so far, so great!
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Chrissy Hein –
Hi! I want this for my very shady home also in central florida (just moved) did they survive the summer?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Chrissy,
They did survive the summer and are well-rooted in their pots at this time. They aren’t exactly a houseplant like an African Violet would be, but I suppose if given adequate air circulation, moderate light, frequent watering and a loamy soil that Sweet Violet could do quite nicely indoors in your zone.
Richo
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Dillon (verified owner) –
Hello! Wondering if I order these now for the May 3rd ship date, it will still be early enough to plant them out? Or would they prefer to planted out earlier in the season? I live in Taos, New Mexico. Thank you for any guidance!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Dillon, Love Taos! Hard to predict these days how warm it’ll be how soon and where… Anything like this, we consider to be a starter plant, and you get it, and give it shade and water, and maybe it does wilt through the summer, but meanwhile its sending out subterranean runners, and when the weather cools, then they manifest as plants, and early the following spring you have lots of flowers. Right here right now the sweet violet patches look like ponds of purple. Richo
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