“Purple violets are the color of congealed blood. Believers make garlands of violets to lay on the altar of the Virgin Mary. Because when Christ was crucified, a violet shadow fell over the cross. The purple robes of Christian funerals, the amethysts worn by widows—that’s all from violets. The flowers are very finicky. They wilt in too much sun, and when you water them, you have to avoid getting water on their leaves or petals. And a fun fact is that their leaves make roots. If you take a leaf and put it in water, it grows roots.”
