Viola spp.

"The soft, silent and humble heart, in the violets hidden sweetness breathes" was the unfinished needlepoint I found in my great-grandmother's belongings. The "hidden sweetness" could be the fleeting sweet scent of crushed flowers but there is a vaguely minty note that indicates the presence of methyl salicylates, the ester also found in meadowsweet, willow and species of gautheria also known as the primary compound in asprin. An oil can be prepared out of many of these plants, viola included, and applied topically for bruising and pain relief and is a useful, safe remedy for children.

Gardenia jasminoides var. ....

This gorgeously-scented flower has a heavy sweetness associated more with the tropics, to which it is native, than the many unexpected places it grows such as this particular specimen blooming in front of my apartment. Called zhi zi in Chinese medicine, it is quite commonly used to clear heat in wide variety of manifestations, from infections to insomnia and topical inflammation.

Kumquat, Fortunella japonica

Honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica, jin yin hua

The name "jin yin hua" can be translated from the pinyin to mean "silver gold flower", noting the appearance on the vine of both white and gold-colored flowers simultaneously. In Chinese medicine this herb is categorized to clear heat and relieve toxicity which would be similar to infectious disease or a fever due to bacterial or viral infection.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, pi pa ye