Herb library · Herb · Viola odorata
Sweet violet
The garden and wild violet of old European and Persian herbals, made into syrups for coughs, sleep and "cooling". Two small Iranian trials of violet syrup reported better sleep in menopausal women and faster easing of some COVID-19 symptoms.
Traditional use
Culpeper called violets cold and moist and used the leaves and flowers, and above all a syrup of violets, to cool heat and inflammation, ease headaches from lack of sleep, and soothe the lungs and a hoarse throat. Traditional Persian medicine recommends sweet violet for respiratory infections.
Traditional energetics
Galenic (hot or cold, dry or moist)
Cold and moist. Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1814), p. 188 (opens in a new tab)
What studies show
- Limited
Sleep in menopause: in a triple-blind trial of 84 women who finished the study, violet syrup (5 ml twice a day for a month) improved sleep-quality scores more than placebo. Of 118 women enrolled, 34 were excluded or dropped out.
- Limited
COVID-19 symptoms: in a trial of 108 outpatients, violet syrup added to usual care eased cough, muscle aches, headache and diarrhea faster than placebo syrup. Both groups improved.
Be careful of
Cautions
- NoteThe two trial abstracts do not describe side effects, and the trials were short (one week and one month), so little is known about longer use.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“Both the tame and the wild are so well known, that they need no description.”
“They are a fine, pleasing plant of Venus, of a mild nature, no way harmful.”
Sources
- Effects of Viola odorata syrup on sleep quality in menopausal women: a randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial (2024) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Efficacy and safety of add-on Viola odorata L. in the treatment of COVID-19: A randomized double-blind controlled trial (2023) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.