Violets and Violet Pendants

After making a few violet pendants lately, I thought it might be fun to learn more about violets.

Interesting Facts about Violets

Seed Dispersal

One of the most fascinating things about violets is their method of seed dispersal, called explosive dehiscence. Essentially the plants create seed pods which explode, scattering the seeds up to five feet away.

The other method of seed dispersal is called Myrmecochory, which means dispersal by ants. The seeds have a nutritious aspect which the ants eat, and then the rest of the seed is discarded and grows into a new violet.

Medicinal

Violets actually contain a high number of antioxidants, and has been shown to be effective in treating dermatitis, asthma, and insomnia. Plants have been used for centuries to cure various illnesses, so it's cool to see science validating a lot of this. 

Scent

One of the other really odd things about Violets is they contain a compound called Ionone which actually turns off your ability to smell them! So for moments at a time a violet you may be smelling will have no scent. In the perfume industry it's considered to be a "flirty scent" for this reason. 

I hope you found some of this interesting! I also have a few violet pendants in my shop.