Sweet Violet

flowers · fragrant · gardens

Sweetly scented blooms. Sweet violets are famous for their lovely perfume, which is why they're called 'sweet' violets and have been used to make perfumes and candies for hundreds of years.

Tough little growers. These small plants are hardy perennials, which means they come back year after year and can handle cold winters without dying.

Many different names. Depending on where you live, people call this same flower a wood violet, English violet, garden violet, or florist's violet, but they're all the same plant.

Butterfly favorite food. Violet caterpillars love to munch on sweet violet leaves, especially the caterpillars of fritillary butterflies, so planting them helps butterflies grow.

Ancient garden star. People have grown sweet violets in gardens for thousands of years because they're pretty, smell amazing, and were believed to have magical or healing powers.