Edible Flowers
Did you know that some of the flowers in your Florida garden might be more than just a pretty face?
Edible flowers have traditionally been used around the world since ancient times. They have been used in rituals and festivals, prepared foods, and medicinal products for their nutritional qualities and cultural significance.
Today, a resurgence of interest in edible flowers has brought an influx of these delicacies into restaurants and kitchens. Their unique flavors, fragrant aromas, and colorful appearance make them a popular addition to dishes, drinks, and preserved foods. Not only are edible flowers attractive on the plate, they also provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Growing Edible Flowers
Many plants produce edible flowers—annuals, biennials, perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines. While growing condition requirements vary among species, certain measures can be taken to increase success. When watering, it is best to avoid overhead sprinklers, which could damage the appearance of the flowers. A soaker hose or drip irrigation are great alternatives.
When growing flowers for consumption, make sure to never use chemical pest control on or nearby the plants. Harmful insects can be handpicked from the plants to avoid spraying. To diversify the landscape and promote the presence of beneficial insects (which prey on harmful insects), plant a variety of different flower species. Fences can protect your plants from animal foraging. Once blooms are faded and past their peak, it is important to remove them to prolong the bloom period. Be sure to cut off damaged or infested plant material.
Harvesting and Eating Edible Flowers
It is best to harvest edible flowers immediately before you plan to use them, no more than one day before eating. If you need to store them, place the flowers on a moist paper towel in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Harvest flowers that have just fully opened. By collecting the flowers in the morning after the dew has dried you can ensure the plant is not wilted.
Right before using them, wash the flowers by dipping them in cool water rather than rinsing. Rinsing can affect the integrity of the flower’s delicate features. Cleaning the flowers helps to remove dirt and insects hiding in them. If further washing is needed, you can use a clean, small paintbrush or makeup brush to remove debris. You may place the flowers on a paper towel to dry.
USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres
Edible flowers can be prepared fresh, cooked, candied, frozen, dried, or preserved. These delicacies provide unique texture and diverse flavors to food, ranging from sweet to savory. When served fresh on salads they add a pop of eye-catching colors and shapes. Minced flowers can be added to cheese spreads, herbal butters, pancakes, crepes, and waffles. They can even be added to stir fry dishes, and some can be fried in a light batter or corn meal. Edible flowers can serve as decorations on a cake or in drinks, displaying the beauty and versatility of plants.
Cautions
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.
- Slowly introduce edible flowers into your diet one species at a time in small quantities to see how your body responds and to look out for allergic reactions. You can slowly incorporate larger quantities into your diet over time.
- Never consume flowers without confirming their scientific name and whether they are edible. Common names can be unreliable when identifying plants. There are many toxic flowers that are not edible, and you don’t want to confuse them with the edible ones.
- It is recommended to only consume the petals of the flower and remove all other parts to avoid their bitter flavor and hinder allergic reactions from pollen. The sepals (the green part at the base of the flower), stamens (the part that contains pollen), and pistils (the part that sticks straight up from the center of the flower) should be removed.
- Not all parts of the plant are edible. Do not experiment with eating different parts of the plant unless you are sure they are harmless.
- Never consume flowers treated with chemical pesticides or fertilized with raw manure. It’s wise to grow your own edible flowers from seed rather than purchase from nurseries, florists, or garden centers—these places might have used pesticides or fertilizers. Fertilizers are okay to use for edible flowers but need to labeled for use on vegetables.
- Do not eat cut flowers from florists or flowers picked from the roadside.
- If you introduce edible flowers to your kids, make sure to tell them to never pick and consume flowers without asking you first.
- Edible flowers sold in the produce department at grocery stores are grown specifically for consumption and are safe to eat.
Edible Flowers to Try
USDA photo by Kirsten Strough
- Borage (Borago officinalis) – Flowers have a cucumber flavor. Note that borage has a diuretic effect in large quantities.
- Calendula, pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) – The petals can serve as a slightly bitter saffron substitute, with a tangy and peppery flavor.
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) – The flowers and leaves have onion flavors. They can be sprinkled on soups, salads, and vegetables.
- Dill (Anethum graveolens) – The seeds, foliage, and flowers can be used for pickling, dips, sauces, and fish dishes.
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – The flowers taste mildly like anise and are licorice-flavored and sweet.
- Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) – Flowers can be used to add red color to teas. All are edible, but they don’t all taste same. The types that are most commonly grown to eat in Florida are H. acetosella and H. sabdariffa (usually the calyx, or the outermost part of the flower, is harvested as the edible part, right after the blooms fall off).
- Mustard (Brassica spp.) – The flowers are spicy, similar to the leaves.
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) – The flowers and leaves have a peppery taste and work well fresh in salads for a spicy flavor.
- Pansy (Viola spp.) – Flowers have a grassy, green flavor. Note that dark flowers may temporarily dye your tongue dark.
- Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) – Flowers and leaves can be used fresh or dried and sprinkled on pasta, salads, and poultry.
- Radish (Raphanus sativus) – The flowers have a spicy flavor and can liven up dishes.
- Rose (Rosa rugosa alba, R. rugosa, R. damascene, R. gallica) – Petals can be used, but remove the white base of the petals because they are bitter. Rose hips (seed heads) can be used for tea and vinaigrette.
- Squash (Curcurbita spp.) – Flowers can be stuffed with cheese or fried. Only eat the flowers of cultivated varieties of edible squash.
- Tuberous begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida) – The flowers have a citrus flavor.
