Violets were Napoleon’s favourite flowers. Violet flowers smell soft, powdery and romantic, a little like iris, and are can be played up to create a very feminine fragrance. (For more about violet leaf, though, which smells green and aquatic, click here.)

Do violets have fragrance?

One thing violets are known most for is the fact that they have a lovely scent that seems to go away after just one sniff. That’s because the flowers contain a chemical called ionine which desensitizes the nose and sense of smell temporarily.

Do wild violets have a scent?

And speaking of scent, interestingly enough, it is the chemical ionone that is responsible for that elusive aroma, yet according to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. D., “Violets temporarily steal your sense of smell! Initially, ionone binds to scent receptors and stimulates them, so you smell the odor of violets.