The violet is a small, low-growing flower with heart-shaped leaves and delicate five-petaled blooms, usually in purple, blue, or white. Modest but much-loved, it carries centuries of meaning and is the birth flower of February.
Violet at a glance
- Botanical name: Viola
- Family: Violaceae
- Bloom season: early to mid-spring
- Symbolism: faithfulness, modesty, and devotion
About the violet
Violets grow close to the ground and spread to form charming clumps in woodlands, lawns, and shady borders. Many are sweetly scented, and the flowers and leaves of several species are edible, used to decorate cakes and flavor syrups. The genus Viola also includes pansies and Johnny-jump-ups.
Violet meaning and symbolism
The violet symbolizes faithfulness, modesty, and devotion. It’s February’s birth flower and the state flower of Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
Types of violet
Popular varieties worth knowing:
- Sweet violet (V. odorata) — fragrant and edible
- Common blue violet (V. sororia) — the wild lawn violet
- Johnny-jump-up (V. tricolor) — cheerful tricolor faces
- Garden pansies — large-flowered Viola hybrids
How to grow and care for violet
A few essentials keep this flower thriving:
- Grow in partial shade with moist, rich, well-drained soil
- Water during dry spells
- Allow them to spread and naturalize, or divide to control
- Many violets self-seed readily
- Enjoy the edible flowers of sweet violet in the kitchen
Violet FAQs
Are violets edible?
Yes. The flowers and young leaves of sweet violet (Viola odorata) are edible and are used to decorate desserts and flavor syrups. Always confirm the species before eating any flower.
Do violets spread?
Yes. Violets spread by runners and self-seeding to form clumps, which makes them a lovely groundcover — though some can naturalize freely in lawns.
What is the difference between a violet and a pansy?
Pansies are large-flowered hybrids bred from violas, with bigger, flatter, more colorful faces. Violets are the smaller, often fragrant wild and species members of the same Viola genus.
Explore more
Browse more flower profiles, learn about flower meanings, or find your birth flower.