The violet is a spring-bloomer, perhaps the sweetest of all. The edible blossoms are rich in sugar and pectin. They are often crystalized for use as a candy or cake decoration and made into syrups and even marmalades. In the days of Queen Elizabeth, they were made into a medicinal confection called sugar violet, "which is most pleasant and wholesome, especially it comforteth the heart and other inward parts" (John Gerrard, 1633) Young violet leaves can be used in salads and fritters, and they're good for you, too. An ounce of the first spring leaves contain five times more vitamin C than an ounce of oranges and almost three times more vitamin A than spinach.