Edible flowers have become quite fashionable\nof late and for good reason. A handful of flowers will transform a mundane\nsalad into an edible work of art that makes you feel like Martha Stewart.\nFlowers don\u2019t only add color however; many also add unique and delicious\nflavors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You probably already grow edible flowers in your garden, you just\ndon\u2019t realize it and think of them as simply ornamentals. My belief is that if\nyou have them, you should make use of them. I am not going to give any\ncultivation directions here, I just want to make you are aware of what is out\nthere. Things you might already have, or might choose to grow in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caution<\/strong>: The golden rule with eating anything is \u201cknow what you eat\u201d.\nNever put anything in your mouth that you don\u2019t know to be edible. Not all\nflowers are edible (edibility has no connection with beauty) and a few are\nquite poisonous. Some plants have edible flowers, while the rest is poisonous,\nso don\u2019t take anything for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when a plant is considered to be edible, there is still the\npossibility that it could cause an adverse reaction in some people (some\nmembers of the Daisy family are known for this). When you taste a plant for the\nfirst time, it\u2019s a good idea to eat only a small amount and see if there is any\nproblem, before consuming more. It\u2019s probably a good idea to always eat flowers\nin moderation (which is what most people do anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also be aware that flowers in other peoples gardens (or\nanywhere else) may have been sprayed\nwith toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taste<\/strong>: Just because a flower is considered to be edible doesn\u2019t mean it\ntastes good, or that you will like it. The only way to know that is to taste it\nyourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which part of a flower you eat will depend upon what it is. Sometimes\nyou eat the whole thing and sometimes only a part of it. In some cases only the\npetals are good, in which case you will have to remove the sepals (green leafy\nbits underneath the petals), stamens and pistils (these are the reproductive\nparts and often taste different from the petals). The stamens commonly contain\npollen which can occasionally cause allergies). Sometimes even the white base\nof the petals isn\u2019t good and should be removed. You need to experiment to find\nout what you like and what you don\u2019t (this really is a matter of taste).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Identification<\/strong>: Before you can safely eat any flower you know is edible, you\nneed to be sure that you have got the right plant. Common names can sometimes\nbe confusing, as the same name may be applied to more than one plant (this is\nwhy we have unique Latin names for every species). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gathering<\/strong>: I make it a habit to pick a few flowers whenever I am out\ngathering salad materials. Gather them when they have just opened fully,\nideally while it is still cool, but the flowers are dry. Usually you\ndon\u2019t need many, so you can be picky and choose only perfect ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cleaning<\/strong>: If the flowers have just opened and haven\u2019t touched anything you don\u2019t really need to clean them (they are clean), just check them carefully to make sure they don\u2019t contain hidden insects or other surprises. Nothing spoils the dinner party like a guest crunching on an earwig (you can be sure Martha Stewart doesn\u2019t have insects in her flowers). If the flowers aren\u2019t clean, you can dip them gently in water, shake and dry on a paper towel. They must be dried carefully and rapidly otherwise they will deteriorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using<\/strong>: Flowers can be used in many different ways. The most obvious is\nto add them to salads, but they can also be used as a edible garnish to add\nbeauty, color and flavor for any dish. You can also add them to ice cubes for\ndrinks, or candy them for\ndecorating desserts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best edible \ufb02owers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of edible flowers are mostly for show; they add color and\nmake a dish look spectacular, but don\u2019t add much flavor. It you are happy with\nedible flowers that look great and don\u2019t care if they add flavor, then there are\na lots to choose from. If you want something that also adds a unique flavor\nthen you are much more restricted. Here are the ones I have found to be the\nmost useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anise Hyssop <\/strong>(Agastache foeniculum<\/em>): The flowers are small, but add a\nlovely blue color and anise flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arugala <\/strong>(Eruca vesicaria<\/em>): The white flowers taste like arugala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basil <\/strong>(Ocimum basilicum<\/em>): The small white flowers taste like\nbasil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Batchelors Buttons<\/strong> (Centaurea\ncyanus<\/em>): Beautiful bright blue color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brassicas<\/strong>: All Brassica flowers are edible and have a pleasantly pungent mustard flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bee Balm <\/strong>(Monarda didyma<\/em>): Beautiful and aromatic<\/p>\n\n\n\n Borage <\/strong>(Borago officinalis<\/em>): Use only the blue (or white) petals,\nremove the hairy calyx\nand stamens<\/p>\n\n\n\n Calendula <\/strong>(Calendula officinalis<\/em>): A reliable standby if nothing else\nis available, Calendula flowers can be found almost year round in my garden.\nThe ray flowers (petals) don\u2019t have much flavor, but are worth adding for their\nvivid orange or yellow color (they are sometimes called poor mans saffron). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chives <\/strong>(Allium schoenoprasum)<\/em>: The purple, onion flavored florets are very good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cilantro <\/strong>(Coriandrum sativum<\/em>): The white flowers are tasty, but\nsmall. Even better are the green seeds, which are a delightful combination of\ncilantro and coriander. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Day Lily<\/strong> (Hemerocallis<\/em> species): These are commonly eaten in Asia.\nTheir flavor varies a lot so taste them to find the best kinds (some are not pleasant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dill <\/strong>(Anethum graveolens<\/em>): Nice dill flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garland Chrysanthemum<\/strong> (Chrysanthemum coronarium<\/em>): Also known as shungiku, the\npetals are aromatic and pungent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Garlic <\/strong>(Allium sativum<\/em>): If your garlic produces flowers, they can\nbe eaten for their pungent garlic flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ox Eye Daisy <\/strong>(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum<\/em>): The white ray flowers\n(\u201cpetals\u201d) are good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fennel <\/strong>(Foeniculum vulgare<\/em>):: The yellow flowers, buds and\nimmature seeds all have a delicious (and quite strong) anise flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Garlic Chives <\/strong>(Allium tuberosum<\/em>): The pretty purple flowers have a nice\ngarlic flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lavender <\/strong>(Lavandula angustifolia<\/em> is best): The aromatic flowers are used to flavor a variety of\nfoods (lavender cookies are good).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leeks <\/strong>(Allium porrum<\/em>): The florets have a nice onion flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lovage <\/strong>(Levisticum officinale<\/em>): The flowers have that delicious\nlovage flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marigold<\/strong> (Tagetes tenuifolia<\/em>): Only a few varieties are good (Lemon\nGem and others) so taste first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nasturtium <\/strong>(Tropaeolum majus<\/em>): One of the best edible flowers. Big and\ncolorful with a delightful aromatic\/pungent\/sweet flavor all their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pea <\/strong>(Pisum sativum<\/em>): This is the common garden pea (not Sweet\nPea – Lathyrus\nodoratus<\/em>, which is poisonous). They have a nice\n(you guessed it) pea flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pineapple\nGuava<\/strong> (Feijoa sellowiana<\/em>): The thick succulent petals are sweet\nand very good.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pinks and carnations<\/strong> (Dianthus<\/em> caryophyllus – <\/em>Clove Pink is best):\nFlavor varies a lot so try any you find. Remove the white base of the petal and eat the colored part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Radish <\/strong>(Raphanus sativus<\/em>): The flowers and green seed pods have a\npungent mustard flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roses<\/strong> (Rosa <\/em>species): Not to everyone\u2019s taste, but the scented\npetals are used to flavor a variety of various dishes and drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Salvia<\/strong> (Salvia <\/em>species): Pineapple sage, common sage and clary\nsage are all good, but some others can be mildly toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Squash <\/strong>(Cucurbita <\/em>species): The stuffed blossoms are a delicacy.\nThe petals are eaten, but the rest is usually removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweet Cicely <\/strong>(Myrrhis odorata<\/em>) Sweet anise flavored flowers can be used raw or as flavoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Violas <\/strong>(Viola <\/em>species): The strongly scented Sweet Violet (V.\nodorata<\/em>) is the best. Other types add color but not much flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other edible \ufb02owers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is pretty much just a long list, as to\ngo into more detail would take up more room than is really justified. This list\nis potentially almost endless because anything that isn\u2019t actually poisonous\ncould probably be eaten in the small amounts. These are all considered edible\nflowers, though their quality varies lot. Many add color and beauty, but not\nmuch flavor. You may want to experiment with some of these species (I can\u2019t\nguarantee they will all agree with you though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alkanet<\/strong> (Anchusa azurea<\/em>): Petals only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alliums<\/strong>: Almost any wild or cultivated species can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alyssum<\/strong> (Lobularia\nmaritima)<\/em>: Small white flowers are pungent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Angelica<\/strong> (Angelica\narchangelica<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple<\/strong> (Malus<\/em> spp): Can eat a few petals but not too many, as they have a\nchemical that turns into cyanide when eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balloon\nflower<\/strong> (Platycodon grandiflorum)<\/em>: Blue\nflowers are quite good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bean<\/strong> <\/strong>(Phaseolus vulgaris<\/em>): Flowers have a green bean flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Black\nLocust <\/strong>(Robinia pseudoacacia<\/em>): Eat the\nflowers only, all other parts are toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Burnet<\/strong> (Sanguisorba minor<\/em>): Cucumber flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carrot<\/strong> (Daucus\ncarota<\/em>): Nice carrot flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catnip<\/strong> (Nepeta\ncataria<\/em>): Strong mint flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chamomile<\/strong> (Chamaemelum\nnobilis)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chervil<\/strong> (Anthriscus\ncerefolium<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chicory<\/strong> (Cichorium\nintybus<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citrus<\/strong>: Taste first, some are not very pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clover<\/strong> (Trifolium<\/em> species): Sweet<\/p>\n\n\n\n English\nDaisy<\/strong> (Bellis perennis<\/em>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dandelion<\/strong> (Taraxacum\nofficinale)<\/em>: Use individual petals <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cottage\nPink<\/strong> <\/em>(Dianthus plumarius<\/em>): Can be very\ngood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elder<\/strong> (Sambucus<\/em> species): Flowers only (other parts toxic). They\nhave a distinctive aromatic flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evening\nPrimrose<\/strong> (Oenothera biennis<\/em>): Yellow\nflowers are quite good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forget-Me-Not<\/strong> (Myosotis\nsylvatica<\/em>): Use flowers in moderation, contains\ntoxins<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freesia<\/strong>: Aromatic<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fuchsia<\/strong>: Eat only the petals, discard the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gardenia<\/strong> (Gardenia\njasminoides<\/em>): Used raw, pickled, for\ntea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ginger<\/strong> (Zingiber\nofficinale<\/em>) Fragrant flowers have a ginger flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gladiolus<\/strong>: Taste first, some are good and some are not pleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hawthorn<\/strong> (Crataegus<\/em> species)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hollyhock<\/strong> (Alcea rosea<\/em>): Flowers add more color than flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honeysuckle<\/strong>: (Lonicera japonica<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Horseradish<\/strong> (Armoracia\nrusticana<\/em>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hibiscus<\/strong> (Hibiscus\nrosa-sinensis)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hyssop<\/strong> Hyssopus\nofficinalis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Impatiens<\/strong> (Impatiens walleriana)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jasmine<\/strong> (Jasmine\nofficinale<\/em>): Traditionally used in tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kudzu<\/strong> (Pueraria\nmontana<\/em>): Aromatic and sweet<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lemon\nVerbena<\/strong> (Aloysia triphylla<\/em>): The flowers are small but aromatic<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lilac<\/strong> (Syringa\nvulgaris<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linden<\/strong> (Tilia<\/em>\nspp.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mallow<\/strong> (Malva\nsylvestris<\/em>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Manzanita<\/strong> (Arctostaphylos<\/em> species): Some species are good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marjoram<\/strong> (Origanum\nmajorana<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marsh\nMallow <\/strong>(Althaea<\/em> officinalis<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mexican\nTarragon<\/strong> (Tagetes lucida<\/em>): Flowers taste like\ntarragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mimosa<\/strong> (Albizia\njulibrissin<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mints<\/strong> (Mentha<\/em>\nspp)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moringa<\/strong> (Moringa oleifera<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mullein<\/strong> (Verbascum\nthapsus<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okra<\/strong> (