They bloom quietly in gardens, meadows, and along paths – yet are hardly recognized for what they have been for thousands of years: serious medicinal plants. Pansies and violets belong to the same plant family, the violets (Violaceae), and share a long history as medicinal and monastic herbs. Hildegard of Bingen dedicated an entire chapter of her Physica to the violet and described its benefits for skin, head, mind, and soul.
While the large-flowered garden pansy mostly decorates balconies today, the real healing power lies in its wild ancestors: the wild pansy (Viola tricolor) and the sweet violet (Viola odorata). Both contain remarkable active compounds – and both play their own role in Hildegard medicine.
In this article, you'll find out what pansies and violets can do as medicinal plants, what Hildegard of Bingen wrote about them, how to prepare a tea, and why violet salve is one of the most well-known recipes in monastic medicine.
What does science say? Expert opinion & EMA assessment
“The wild pansy is a specialist when it comes to inflammation. Modern research has confirmed that it works similarly to aspirin. Completely new compounds from the group of peptides – so-called cyclotides – have also been found in pansy. With their pharmacological properties, they might have a promising future.”
Source: PhytoDoc – Wild pansy: anti-inflammatory medicinal plant, professionally reviewed by Prof. Dr. Michael Wink, co-author of “Handbuch der Arzneipflanzen” (Wiss. Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 2015) and Van Wyk, Wink, Wink (2015).
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published an official herbal monograph for Viola tricolor (pansy herb). The traditional use for mild, inflammatory skin conditions – especially cradle cap and seborrheic eczema in children – is recognized there. This matches exactly the uses that Hildegard of Bingen and folk medicine have passed down for centuries.
Additionally, the Monastic Medicine Research Group at the University of Würzburg confirms that violets are among the classic monastic medicinal plants, appearing consistently in herbal books from antiquity to the Middle Ages – from Dioscorides to the Lorsch Pharmacopoeia and Hildegard of Bingen.
Pansies & violets – which species is which medicinal plant?
Many people think of the colorful garden pansy on the balcony when they hear “pansy” – but that is not a medicinal plant. The wild relatives are the ones that matter for herbal medicine:
Wild pansy (Viola tricolor L.): The true medicinal plant. Also called field pansy, trinity flower, or heartsease. Annual to biennial, 10–40 cm tall, three-colored flowers in violet, white, and yellow. Grows in meadows, along paths, and in fields. The herb collected and dried during flowering – leaves, stems, and flowers – is the official drug (Violae tricoloris herba). It is the best-researched and EMA-monographed violet species.
Sweet violet (Viola odorata): The classic “violet” with its unmistakable, sweet scent. Perennial, 5–15 cm tall, heart-shaped leaves, deep violet flowers that appear from March to April. In Hildegard medicine, it is the violet – still preferred today for external uses like violet salve and violet oil. Hippocrates also recommended sweet violet (Viola odorata) for headaches and melancholy.
Garden pansy (Viola wittrockiana): The widely cultivated variety with large, colorful flowers. It is edible and used as a decorative flower, but compared to its wild ancestors, it contains much lower levels of active compounds. It is not suitable as a medicinal plant.
All three belong to the genus Viola within the Violaceae family – a group with around 400 species worldwide. In Hildegard medicine and European monastic herbalism, sweet violet (Viola odorata) is always used for external applications, and wild pansy (Viola tricolor) for internal use. You can learn more about Hildegard’s system of healing herbs in our overview of Hildegard’s herbs and their effects.
Why is the pansy called “pansy”?
The charming folk name comes from the structure of the flower: five petals are supported by five sepals. The largest, lower petal – the “stepmother” – sits on two sepals, the paired side petals (the “proper daughters”) each have their own sepal. The two upper violet petals have to share a single sepal as the “stepdaughters.” A flower with a family drama – cherished for centuries as a symbol of the Trinity and quiet love.
Hildegard of Bingen on the violet – quotes from the Physica
Hildegard of Bingen described the violet in her Physica as a plant between warmth and cold – of “moderately cool” nature, living from the purity and sweetness of early spring air. For Hildegard, it was an herb that touched both body and soul.
Hildegard wrote about the violet and head complaints: Anyone with a headache should rub their forehead across with a violet salve – it will make them feel better. For ulcers in the body, she recommended the same salve externally. Her precise instructions for preparing and using violet oil and violet salve make it clear that these are not casual mentions, but targeted, experienced
Besides external use, Hildegard also described violets for melancholy, anger, and lack of motivation—in the form of a violet drink made from blossoms in wine or honey water. This is similar to what we would now call an adaptogenic or mood-balancing application. Flavonoids like rutin and quercetin, which are indeed found in violet plants, have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in modern studies—a plausible biochemical background for Hildegard’s observations.
The violet stands for a special quality in Hildegard’s healing tradition: the connection between physical healing and emotional balance—a holistic principle that modern psychosomatic medicine is increasingly confirming today.
Pansy & Violet: Effects and Ingredients
The healing effects of pansies and violets are complex. Wild forms contain a remarkable combination of active substances:
Flavonoids (especially rutin, quercetin, luteolin): With up to 21% rutin in the blossoms, wild pansy is one of the richest medicinal plants in flavonoids. Rutin supports vein walls, helps with capillary permeability, and has anti-edematous effects. Quercetin and luteolin have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These flavonoids are also partly responsible for the striking flower color.
Salicylic acid and its derivatives (methyl salicylate): Wild pansy contains 0.06–0.3% salicylic acid compounds—precursors of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). They have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and mild fever-reducing effects. Used externally, they can reach deeper tissue layers, which explains the effect of violet ointment on scars and ulcers. Similar salicylates are known from wormwood remedies, where bitter substances and phenolic compounds work together.
Mucilages (about 10%): Made up of glucose, galactose, arabinose, and rhamnose—they form a protective layer on irritated mucous membranes and skin, soothing irritation and loosening mucus. That’s why pansy tea was traditionally used for coughs and respiratory catarrh.
Cyclotides (hemolytically active peptides): A recently discovered group of active substances found in pansy. These ring-shaped peptides have shown immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and even anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies—they are the subject of current pharmaceutical research that goes far beyond traditional use.
Tannins: Have an astringent and mucosa-stabilizing effect—supporting external use for skin inflammations and eczema.
Carotenoids (violaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene): Responsible for the intense flower colors and have antioxidant effects. Violet blossoms are rich in vitamin A precursors.
What are pansies and violets traditionally known for?
In folk and monastic medicine, pansies and violets were used for the following complaints—both internally and externally:
| Area of application | Form of use | Tradition / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Eczema, cradle cap, acne | External: tea infusion, wash, cream | EMA monograph recognized (Viola tricolor) |
| Headaches, eye complaints | External: violet oil, ointment | Hildegard Physica; Hippocrates (460 BC) |
| Scars, bruises, ulcers | External: violet ointment, cream | Hildegard Physica; folk medicine |
| Melancholy, sadness, inner pressure | Internal: violet drink in wine or honey | Hildegard Physica; Hippocrates |
| Respiratory infections, cough, catarrh | Internal: tea (pansy) | Folk medicine; Lonicerus (16th century) |
| Gout, rheumatism | Internal & external | Folk medicine |
| Blood and metabolic cleansing | Internal: tea, spring cleanse | Monastic medicine, folk medicine |
Especially mild and well-tolerated: pansy is considered one of the child-friendly medicinal plants—gentle enough for the sensitive system of children. In monastic medicine, pansy tea was therefore also used for childhood illnesses involving the skin.
Pansy Tea: Preparation and Use
With 300 monthly searches, “pansy tea” is the most common practical question about this medicinal plant. Tea made from dried wild pansy (Viola tricolor herba) is the classic internal application—easy to make and well-tolerated.
Basic Recipe for Pansy Tea
Ingredients: 1.5–2 g dried pansy herb (about 1 heaping teaspoon) per 150–200 ml boiling water.
Preparation: Place the herb in a tea strainer or directly in the pot, pour over freshly boiled (not boiling!) water, and let steep for 10 minutes. Then strain. The tea tastes slightly bitter and grassy; if you like, you can sweeten it with a teaspoon of honey.
Dosage: 2–3 cups daily, preferably between meals. For skin conditions, folk medicine recommends a 4–6-week course as a “blood cleansing cure,” ideally in spring. For coughs and respiratory catarrh, the tea can also be used acutely for a short time—as a supplement to the classic respiratory herbs from the Hildegard respiratory cure.
Pansy Tea as an External Remedy
The cooled tea can also be used externally as a wash or compress for eczema, cradle cap, or irritated skin. Soak a clean linen cloth in the tea, wring it out lightly, and place it on the affected skin areas for 10–15 minutes. This double—internal and external—application is typical of monastic medicine according to Hildegard von Bingen, which always treated body and skin together. You can find more about Hildegard’s holistic approach to healthy skin in our Hildegard Cosmetics Collection.
Hildegard’s Violet Drink—the Internal Remedy for the Soul
For the effect Hildegard described for melancholy and emotional strain, the abbess recommended violet blossoms in wine
or honey water – a kind of elixir, just like in the tradition of Hildegard herbal wines and elixirs that’s still alive today. For this, the fresh or dried flowers of sweet violet (Viola odorata) are preferred – our violet leaves with flowers are perfect for it.The Violet Salve – the most famous Hildegard recipe with violets
No other violet preparation is as closely linked to the name Hildegard von Bingen as the violet salve. In her Physica, Hildegard described in detail how violets should be processed with pure fat into a salve – for use on headaches, ulcers, skin issues, and scars.
The active ingredient background of this external use is well understood today: The salicylic acid derivatives in violets have anti-inflammatory properties and can penetrate deeper tissue layers through the skin. The essential oils act as antioxidants and are antimicrobial. The combination of olive oil (as a carrier) and violet flower extract makes the salve especially gentle on the skin.
For scar care, violet salve is one of the most widely used natural remedies – for surgical scars, stretch marks, and acne scars. It’s not applied directly to the wound, but gently massaged into the surrounding tissue. Our violet cream after Hildegard von Bingen is made from fresh violet flowers and leaves using a traditional recipe – without preservatives or synthetic additives.
The violet skin oil – an infusion of violet flowers in pure olive oil – follows the original instructions from the Great Hildegard Apothecary. Hildegard especially recommended it for the temples and eyelids in case of headaches, as well as for the eyebrows to “drive away the darkening of the eyes” – a phrase that, in her medieval imagery, describes both visual complaints and mental heaviness. You’ll find all violet care products in our Hildegard cosmetics collection.
Violets and wild pansies in the Hildegard spring cure
In monastic herbal medicine, violets and wild pansies always had a place in spring. As some of the first blooming medicinal plants of the year – sweet violet appears as early as March, wild pansy from May – they were seen as ideal “spring herbs” for cleansing the blood, detoxifying, and lifting the mood after the dark winter.
This seasonal cure idea matches Hildegard’s principle of seasonal medicine: In spring, the body needs support to shake off the heaviness of winter. Wild pansy tea stimulates the metabolism, supports elimination, and has a mild diuretic effect – just right for a gentle spring detox. Combined with fasting periods and avoiding heavy foods, it makes a complete spring program.
Violets fit into the spring ritual not just as tea or salve, but also as edible plants: The edible flowers of wild pansy and sweet violet can be added fresh to salads or used as decoration for desserts – rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and flavonoids, with a slightly tangy floral taste. This knowledge of edible wild plants is fully in line with the tradition of Hildegard nutrition, which always saw food and healing as one.
Growing wild pansy and violet in your own garden
If you want to use wild pansy and violet as medicinal plants, it’s best to grow them yourself – from organic seeds, without pesticides. The pansies sold for gardens aren’t suitable for medicinal use.
Wild pansy (Viola tricolor): Thrives in sunny to semi-shaded spots with poor, well-drained soil. No standing water. Self-seeding and usually biennial. Flowering time: May to September. The whole flowering herb (without root) is harvested – best during peak bloom, then dried and stored in a well-ventilated place.
Sweet violet (Viola odorata): Prefers semi-shaded, slightly moist spots under trees or hedges. Perennial, forms runners. Flowering time: March to April, sometimes again in autumn. The flowers are used fresh or gently dried – the fresher, the more fragrance and active ingredients.
Note: The cyclamen (Cyclamen), which is often kept as a potted plant indoors, despite its name does not belong to the violet family – it’s a primrose and is poisonous. There’s hardly any risk of confusion outdoors, but it’s still important to mention as a warning.
Conclusion: Wild pansy & violet – small, quiet, and full of healing power
Wild pansy and violet are gentle medicinal plants. They bloom early, hardly attract attention – and yet have had their place in monastery gardens, herbal books, and on apothecary tables for thousands of years. Hildegard von Bingen knew their strength: for the skin, for the mind, for the soul.
Modern science supports Hildegard: The flavonoids, salicylates, and the newly discovered cyclotides make Viola tricolor and Viola odorata medicinal plants with real potential – even if clinical research is still in its early stages. What applies to skin and well-being is well supported by EMA recognition and traditional experience.
Discover our violet products in the Hildegard tradition: the violet cream and violet skin oil for external use, as well as violet leaves with flowers for tea and internal use. And if you want to explore the world of Hildegard natural cosmetics further, you’ll find all products in our Hildegard cosmetics collection.
