Edible Flowers: A Culinary Delight

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health Care
Written By Peter Morris

Flowers ! - it's what's for dinner !!!

a lovely summer salad !

It may be trendy, but it's nothing new. For centuries, cultures around the world have brightened their recipes by adding flowers to dishes. In Roman times, for example, roses were used for cooking and flavoring food.

floral ice cubes - fun!

Some can be crystallized in sugar - my Grandmas' favorite – crystallized rose petals ! Or you can add some to ice cubes, eat them in salads or used as decoration in fancy drinks, cakes and candy.

candied rose petals - easy to do !

Which are NOT safe to eat ?

But not every flower is edible - proceed with caution because several flowers, such as azaleas, buttercups, daffodils, delphinium and wisteria, just to name a few, are poisonous.

Remember to Identify the flower exactly and eat only those you are sure are edible. If you need help with that simply ask one of our Plant Specialists experts for advice! We know our flowers !!!

The stunningly beautiful but highly poisonous Delphinium

WHAT ABOUT PESTICIDES?

You should also go organic or grow your own – do not eat flowers treated with pesticides or other chemicals like most of those commercially sold in flower shops and grocery stores. – oh - and never harvest flowers growing by the roadside ! Plant Specialists will gladly grow them organically for you in your own garden !

PREPARATION

Pick your flowers at a cool time of day; morning is often best. Remove the pistils and stamen, and be sure to wash petals carefully. Just to make sure there are no insects stuck inside your flowers.

THE EDIBLES LIST

There are many edible flowers !!!!! The common ones most of us know are broccoli, cauliflower and artichokes, oh and cloves! But it's a VERY LONG LIST and includes many others – some with pictures!

Check it out below !

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) - licorice-scented, pinkish flowers borne in large umbels

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) - purple flowers with a mild licorice flavor 

Agastache

Apple (Malus genus) - blossoms have an appealing but delicate flavor and scent

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria) - small, spicy, white or yellow flowers

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) -  YUM!

yummy artichoke !

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) - white to lavender, and look stunning when sprinkled over pasta

white basil flowers

Bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) - flowers taste of mint with undertones of citrus and oregano

Bee Balm 

Begonia - Tuberous Begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida) - flowers with a slightly bitter to sharp citrus flavor

Begonia - Wax Begonia (B.semperflorens-cultorum) - Same as its cousin the tuberous one !

Borage (Borago officinalis) - blue, star-shaped flowers have a cooling taste reminiscent of cucumber

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - used instead of saffron to color rice, petals taste peppery

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) - daisy-like flowers used fresh or dried to tea that tastes like apples

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) - white flowers borne in umbels with mild anise or licorice-like taste

Chicory (Cichorium endivia) - Endive ! Striking, sky-blue flowers for an earthy, endive-like flavor. The unopened flower buds can also be pickled like capers.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) - ball-like clusters of hundreds of little florets that can be separated and  scattered onto salads for color and a mild onion flavor

chive flowers

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) - tall umbels of white flowers. These have an intensely herbal flavor

Citrus all citrus flowers blossoms have a mild delicate citrus flavor

Clover (Trifolium genus) - white flower heads have a sweet, mild licorice flavor

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) - these have a slightly spicy, clove-like flavor with a subtle sweetness

Crown daisy (Leucanthemum coronarium) - white daisy-like flowers with yellow centers, or flowers that are entirely  yellow. The petals of both types are edible and faintly tangy.     

Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) - pale Mustard flowers are always in fours with  a mild bitter flavor

Dandelion (Taxacum officinalis) - flower buds have a surprising sweetness, reminiscent of honey. The flower is edible as is the root and if you have eaten Horta in Greece then you have experienced the delicious leaf as well.

Day Lilies (Hemerocallis genus) - sweet, with a flavor resembling mild melon or cucumber

Dill (Anethum graveolens) - very small, yellow, and borne on tall umbels

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) - white flowers used as a tea for helping with cold symptoms

English Daisy (Bellis perennis) - have a bitter flavor, but are entirely edible

English daisies !

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - tall umbels of tiny yellow flowers with a mild licorice flavor

Fuchsia (Fuchsia x hybrida) - extraordinary looking flowers have a slightly acidic flavor.

love love love

Garlic (Allium sativum) - pink to white, with florets that can be separated and inserted into salads for a mild garlic zing.  Flower stems can be sautéed in butter for an intense, early summer side dish.

Gladiola (Gladiolus communis) - flowers (anthers removed) have a nondescript flavor like lettuce

Geraniums (Pelargonium genus) - they have a sour citrus flavor

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) - have almost no flavor of their own, but look nice cut into salads   

so pretty 

Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) - Japanese honeysuckle is best, with its distinctly honey-like flavor Do  not eat the berries that follow as they are all poisonous

Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) - the petals are edible and have a surprisingly sweet taste

Impatiens flowers

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) -  sweet, intensely floral flavor of lavender - use with restraint

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) - have an intensely floral, almost perfume flavor with lemon undertones

Linden (Tilia americana) - pale yellow flowers dried to make tea for an upset stomach

Mint (Mentha genus) - edible flowers that may be sweet or lemons scented, or even with chocolate overtones depending on the type

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) - nasturtium have a pleasant, sweet, peppery flavor

Okra (Abelmoschus escultentus) - nutty asparagus like flavor

Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana ) - are edible and highly decorative, petals have little flavor, It has a grassy,  wintergreen undertone

Phlox (Phlox paniculata) - the tall perennial type – not the creeping one, bears pink flowers with five petals that have a pleasant, peppery flavor

Phlox

Primrose  (Primula vulgaris) - is worth cultivating if only to tear its petals into a few summer salads

primula vulgaris

Rose  (Rosa genus) -  petals are intensely perfumed, their flavor is subtle and fruity, with complex undertones strawberries and green apples to mint to spice

 a salad bar ?

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - leaves contain more oil than the flowers, both similar in flavor

Sage (Salvia officinalis)  -  mild-sage flavor to salads or savory

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) - flowers have a strongly lemony flavor

Viola (Viola tricolor) - these don't have a strong taste, but  they work well as a garnish, in a  salad, crystallized for use on cakes or deserts or in ice-cubes

johnnie jump ups 

Zucchini  (Cucurbita pepo) - harvest the male flowers (the ones on longer stems) fully opened. Delicious stuffed with ricotta, battered and fried in butter !!!!!!

zucchini flowers

Uncommon edible flowers

Durian flower (Durians genus) - the flower is light in smell, faintly sweet and fragrant

Banana Bud (Musa genus) - only the pale heart of the banana bud is eaten

banana bud

Bunga Kantan (Blue ginger flower)  - flowers are pink used as a decoration, buds are used in Malay dishes

Sesbania Flower – eaten across Asia, Larger ones stuffed with minced meat or seafood

Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana) - the petals puff up to form a puff of sweet marshmallow goodness

Have fun exploring !

AND

Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

Our gardeners can plant your garden with all sorts of edible flowers!

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 52 YEARS !

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission from @SHUTTERSTOCK  

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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