Violets are a popular and beautiful group of flowering plants found in many gardens. However, some violets can be poisonous and even deadly if ingested. It is important to be able to identify poisonous violets and distinguish them from their edible look-alikes in order to avoid accidentally poisoning yourself or others. This article will explore what makes certain violets poisonous, provide identification tips to tell poisonous violets apart from regular violets, and give an overview of some of the most common poisonous violet look-alikes.
What makes some violets poisonous?
All violets contain variable amounts of viola alkaloids like violine, viola quercitrin, and viola cyanin. These alkaloids give violets their bitter taste and are present in higher concentrations in certain species, making them toxic to humans. Consuming high doses of viola alkaloids can cause side effects like stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and paralysis. The roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds of poisonous violets all contain these harmful alkaloids.
Some specific viola alkaloids to watch out for include:
– Violine – This compound causes stomach irritation.
– Cyclotides – These peptides can induce low blood pressure, paralysis, and convulsions when consumed in high amounts.
– Saponins – These detergent-like phytochemicals irritate mucous membranes.
So in summary, violets that produce above-average levels of viola alkaloids, cyclotides, and saponins should be avoided for consumption. Only wild forage or grow violet species that are known to be safe and non-toxic.
How to identify poisonous violets
Here are some tips for distinguishing poisonous violets from regular violets in the wild or garden:
– Bitter taste – Poisonous violets tend to taste very bitter, while edible violets are milder. Crush a small piece of leaf or flower and taste it, being careful not to swallow. Spit it out if intensely bitter.
– Purple/blue flowers – Most poisonous violets have dark purple or blue flowers, while edible violets are usually white or pale violet.
– Spurred petals – Many toxic violas have a spur or nectary on the bottom petal, while most edible violets do not.
-Leaf shape – Poisonous violets often have rounded, kidney-shaped, or triangular leaves rather than oval.
-Habitat – Only forage violets growing away from roadsides or areas that could be sprayed with herbicide.
-Research species – Identify the exact species before harvesting using a field guide if uncertain.
When in doubt, do not eat any violets unless you have confirmed the species is edible. It is not worth the risk.
Common poisonous violet look-alikes
Here are some of the most frequent poisonous violet species that get mistaken for their edible cousins:
| Poisonous Violet | Key Identifying Traits |
|---|---|
| Viola labradorica | Purple and white bicolor flowers, rounded leaves, blooms April-July |
| Viola selkirkii | Dark purple flowers, spurred petal, kidney-shaped leaves |
| Viola conjugens | Violet-blue flowers, spur petal, marsh/bog habitat |
| Viola striata | Pale violet flowers, spur petal, woolly seed capsules |
| Viola adunca | Purple and yellow bicolor flowers, triangular leaves |
Meanwhile, some common edible violets that these poisonous look-alikes get mistaken for include Viola odorata (English violet), Viola sororia (common blue violet), and Viola tricolor (Johnny jump up). When foraging, ensure you correctly match the characteristics to one of the known edible violas.
Toxicity and symptoms
Eating large quantities of poisonous violets can potentially be fatal. However, in most cases of accidental poisoning, consuming violets causes mild to moderate digestive upset like:
– Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
– Abdominal cramps, pain
– Excessive drooling or sweating
– Difficulty swallowing
On rare occasions after ingesting extremely high doses, viola alkaloids may also induce muscle weakness, paralysis, convulsions, seizures, hallucinations, or coma. But severe reactions are uncommon and poisoning is more likely to result in simple gastrointestinal irritation.
If you experience any adverse symptoms after eating wild violets, immediately call your doctor or the poison control helpline for assessment. Poisoning can be treated with medications to relieve symptoms and IV fluids. Hospitalization may be required for severe poisoning.
Safety tips
Here are some recommendations for safely handling and using violets:
– Verify the exact species using a field guide before harvesting from the wild. Only collect known edible species.
– When trying violets for the first time, eat just a small amount to check for tolerance.
– Do not give children wild foraged violets without being certain they are edible.
– Wash violets thoroughly and cook them to help denature toxins. Do not eat raw in large quantities.
– Do not collect violets growing near roadsides, industrial areas, or cropland that could be contaminated.
– Do not assume purple or blue-flowered violets are poisonous. Some are edible, so confirm the species.
– Remove violet plants from your garden if children or pets may put leaves or flowers in their mouths by accident.
By correctly identifying violets and exercising caution, it is certainly possible to safely forage and enjoy edible violet species. Just take care to avoid their poisonous look-alikes whenever venturing to eat wild violets.
Conclusion
While violets are a popular garden flower known for their delicate beauty, some varieties contain toxic compounds that can cause poisoning when ingested. Certain viola alkaloids make specific violet species unsafe for human consumption. Key traits like bitter taste, spur petals, bicolor blooms, and rounded leaves can help distinguish poisonous violets from non-toxic look-alikes. Consuming high amounts of poisonous violets may result in digestive upset, so positive species identification is crucial before harvesting wild violets for food. With proper foraging precautions, the risk of poisoning can be minimized. Remember, when in doubt, leave wild violets out of your diet.
