Do you know that some flowers are edible and healthy to eat? We mistakenly believe that flowers should not be viewed as an herb or vegetables. Eating the rainbow is an important element of nutritional health and flowers can aid us in this process. I am excited to share from my extensive research the best 12 Edible And Healthy Flowers!
Most people know that it’s OK to eat certain flowers they lack the courage to try these beauties themselves. Flowers add color and nutrition to your cooking. Flowers in your salads provide nutrition and flavor. Step out of your comfort zone and put (safe) flowers onto a cake, into your cooking pot, or salad plate.
One Caution
Please make sure you use flowers that are not sprayed with pesticides or any chemicals. Organic is always best. Chances are you have many of these healthy and edible flowers growing in your own backyard!
12 Edible And Healthy Flowers
ROSE (Rosa rugosa or R. gallica officinalis) – The rose has been used for centuries as an edible plant and not just the flowers but the rose hips too. You can get different flavors depending on the growing conditions and type of rose and make sure to remove the white part of the petal for it is bitter. All roses are edible but the darker in color the stronger the taste. Freeze them in ice cubes and float them in drinks or sugar the petals for delicately delicious cake decoration. Use rose petals in syrups, jellies, and sweet spreads.
MINT (Mentha spp) – Both the flowers and leaves are frequently used in middle eastern cuisine. It makes food very refreshing and I like to use mint flowers to decorate mint tea. Different varieties of mint have slightly different aromas and tastes. Peppermint in all its forms aids digestion!
PEONY (Paeonia lactiflora) – Have you ever eaten a peony? I must confess that I have not tried eating Peony petals and did not even know you could until I was researching for this post. Looking forward to trying them when my peonies come into bloom. In Chinese culture, the petals are parboiled and sweetened with a tea-time delicacy. Add peony petals to your summer salad or float in punches and lemonades. This sounds delicious! (I also use them as an ingredient for my homemade garden potpourri)
VIOLETS (Viola species) – My favorite way to eat violets is sugared on top of a cupcake! Besides making charming visual presentations violet actually tastes sweet. Both the leaves and flowers in wonderful in salads. I have a prolific source right outside in my yard in both purple and cream. An added benefit violets are high in vitamin C and beta-carotene.
NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum majus) – Nasturtiums are easy to grow and flower profusely when grown in poor soil. The blossoms have a spicy flavor add the leaves to add an even more peppery tang to salads. Nasturtium’s added to white wine vinegar make a gorgeous colored vinegar you can use in anything from beans to homemade salad dressings
HIBISCUS (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) I have a huge hibiscus plant that spends the summer outside and the winder inside our mudroom and blooms year-round. This plant makes me happy to look at and even happier when eating it. It has a cranberryish flavor. Makes a great hot tea once dried and you can also use the petals sparingly in salads or as a garnish.
CLOVER (Trifolium species) – Clover has a sweet, anise-like flavor. White and red clover blossoms have been used in folk medicine to prevent gout and rheumatism The whole clover plant is easily used in salads. White clover leaf tea is good for coughs and colds. When harvesting, choose the flowers with the brightest color.
ELDERBERRY FLOWER (Sambucus spp) – Eat only the blossoms as other parts of this plant are poisonous. The blossoms are a creamy color and have a heavenly scent and sweet taste. When picking elderberry flowers, do not wash them as that removes some of the flavors. The elderberry flower can be made into elderberry wine and can be added to salads.
DANDELION (Taraxacum officinalis) I have to admit that I was walking into the Eye Doctor today and saw the hugest dandelion plant I think I have ever seen. It was a complete salad unto itself! If I wasn’t sure it had been sprayed with pesticide I would have been tempted to pick it up and take it home for dinner tonight. It could have fed the whole family!
Dandelion flowers are sweetest when picked young. When dandelions mature both the flower and the leaves turn bitter. The buds are tastier than the flowers so pick them young. Dandelion flower buds are good raw or steamed and look quite lovely sprinkled on a salad. Dandelion Greens are ranked in the top four most nutritious of all green vegetables and the root makes a wonderful tea!
WILD PRIMROSE (Primula vulgaris) – The wild variety is known as Cowslip. It is such a lovely plant and looks fantastic anywhere I have seen it growing. This flower is colorful with a sweet taste. Wonderful added to salads or cooked as a vegetable. Also, primrose is loaded with vitamin C!
CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis) – Calendula is a wonderful edible flower. It tastes a little bit like nasturtiums which are peppery in flavor. This plant comes in yellow through golden-orange hues. While we are talking about Calendula, it is also wonderful for the skin! Sprinkle the petals on soups, herb butter, and salads. The good news about Calendula is that it has high amounts of flavonoids, and plant-based antioxidants that protect cells from being damaged by unstable molecules called free radicals.
BORAGE (Borago officinalis) – Borage is one of my all-time favorite flowers! I love the smell of them and this plant is also easy to grow and will reseed for you too. Borage has lovely cornflower blue star-shaped flowers. They are often referred to as starflowers. Borage flowers and leaves have a refreshing cucumber taste and look beautiful frozen in ice cubes or sprinkled on salads.
YOUR TURN…
What is your favorite flower to eat?
Blessings,
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Broccoli!
You are right!! Thanks for the recommendation Kevin!
Great post, thanks for the plant suggestions!