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14 Beautiful Flowers that You Can Eat
While most people give gifts of flowers to their loved ones, did you know that you might be able to survive off of those flowers?
You can eat some flowers in an emergency situation to keep your alive. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, use the knowledge below to help you get out safe and sound.
Be Safe
There are a few things to consider when you are going to eat a flower. First, be sure that it’s edible. If you’re not sure if a plant of flower is edible – don’t eat it. It’s safest to eat flowers that you have grown yourself, that way you don’t have to worry about knowing what chemicals or pesticides have been used on them. For that reason, don’t eat plants or flowers that were grown in parks or on the side of the road.
Please also note that with many flowers, only the petals are edible and the pollen of the flower can cause some highly allergic reactions.
Edible Flowers
| Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) It’s sometimes called the poor man’s saffron. Marigolds are spicy with a little bit of tangy taste. It will add a golden hue to your foods. |
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| Clove Pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) The clove pink has a spicy taste to it, almost peppery. They can come in a variety of colors including white, red, pink and yellow. |
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| Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) Has a faint apple flavor. When made into a tea, it tastes very good. The chamomile is often used to create cosmetics but is considered a great antiseptic and antibiotic. |
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| Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) The plant is 16-35 inches tall with a grey-green branched stem. It is often used as an ingredient in tea blends and tisanes. |  |
| Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Very young flowers can be fried in butter and they taste like mushrooms. The leaves can also be eaten in salads or soups. Raw leaves might be a little bitter but they have a lot of calcium. |
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| Tasso Deep Rose (Bellis perennis) Has a tangy flavor. The flower is typically found close to the ground and the petals can be used for salads, soups or sandwiches. |
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| Cape Jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides) Has a sweet flavor that is very light to the taste. It is also an evergreen flower so you’re more likely to find it around. It is common in Vietnam, Southern China, Taiwan, Japan and India. |
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| Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) If you boil Habiscus, it makes a very good tea. It has often been used in salads in the Pacific Islands. |
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| Common mallow (Malva sylvestris) This very delicate flower is sweet and has a soft taste on the pallet. It was used across Europe during the 1840s as a vegetable when boiled. |
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| Lark’s Heel (Tropaeolum majus) The buds of the Lark’s Heel (aka Nasturtium) are often picked and used as capers. It has a slightly peppery taste and can be used in salads. |
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| Lady’s Fingers (Hibiscus esculentus) This flower tastes similar to a squash blossom. It can be used to thicken soups. The seed pods are used widely in rice dishes, soups and other vegetable dishes. |
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| Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) This is a very flavorful flower that tastes a lot like a ripe pineapple. It has a grey-green leaf and grows about 10-15 tall and wide. |
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| Sunflower (Helianthus annuus 9) If the flowers haven’t opened yet, pick off the buds and steam them like artichokes. If the flower is open, the petals are still edible but they are very bitter. |
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| Forest Pansy (Cerci canadensis) The flower that grows on the Eastern Redbud tree was used by Native Americans. They would roast the seeds or eat the flowers raw. |
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Have you eaten flowers?
Comment below to tell us what flowers you’ve used or eaten.
I have used pansies that I grew myself as decorations for a cake. I paint the leaves with powdered egg white, then sprinkle with sugar and they “crystallize”. They look like they have ice crystals and are beautiful on the cake. Tasty too!
February 14th, 2013 at 4:45 amwild violets & pansies are edible
February 14th, 2013 at 5:53 amOrnamental cabbage is a “superfood”. Grows in the winter and has a strong broccoli taste.
February 14th, 2013 at 6:45 amIf the Dandelion is mature and large, go for the root and clean & cook like a carrot. Another common and very edible plant is the Arrowhead found around many ponds and marshes. The root (tuber) is potato-like and tasty. Arum has some visual similarities, but is not edible, so when it comes to edible plants, learn to identify, identify, IDENTIFY! A good reference guide, for that matter, a good library should be part of everyone’s preparedness.
February 14th, 2013 at 7:40 amSome other things to keep in mind:
February 14th, 2013 at 8:59 amEdible does not mean tasty. Try a little first and see if you like it and if you have a reaction.
What you list as Marigold is known as Calendula in the U.S. Likewise Tasso Deep Rose is English Daisy, Lark’s Heel is Nasturtium, Forest Pansy is Redbud. Pansies, Violets, Roses, and the flowers of many herbs including Chives are also edible. Chive flowers taste like chives and are a colorful addition to salads. Grow edible flowers in your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects and to add more color to your garden space.
Oh yeah? Well, shut up and eat your flowers!
At least for all that money we spend staying out of the doghouse we can feed them to the horses or goats after!
Seriously, we use flowers in our salads to add some spicy flavors as well as to make the locals think we read the fancy magazines… It really is a wonderful way to spice up a dish visually as well. And, kids get a special joy out of being able to eat the flowers! It’s a great way to get finicky kids to eat salads!
February 14th, 2013 at 10:02 amWild Edible Hibiscus: The flowers, buds and leaves are a deep cranberry color. Some friends of mine thought we had some sort of Japanese Maple in the yard, but it was just the Edible Hibiscus! In Florida they are easy to grow … if you have one, soon you’ll have many! They are a great food, you can add the leaves to salads. The flower buds are excellent to can. You can add some sugar to them and make a syrup. Add them to some champagne (you don’t even have to be in survival mode to do that!) Google for images and recipes of them. Try it, you’ll like it!
February 14th, 2013 at 6:57 pmLavender is wonderful when put into cakes, or lightly heated and sprinkled onto sweet dishes. To in cooperate lavender into cakes, strip the buds from the stem and drop them into the milk you will be using to make the cake and icing. Leave in the fridge overnight and bake as normal, it tastes delicious!
February 15th, 2013 at 7:00 amTHIS IS SOME OF MY FAVORITE INFO. I NEED TO STUDY UP ON IT A LITTLE MORE MYSELF. THERE IS A WHOLE GARDEN OUT IN THE WILD IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN AND CANT EAT.
February 15th, 2013 at 8:53 amI have a very large wild honeysuckle on my property and every year i pick and dry as much as i can it makes a very good cleansing/detox tea and i also use it in homemade soaps and perfumes.But we are talking edible so here is the recipe i use. place 1 cup of honeysuckle flowers and leaves in 1 quart of boiling water. Turn off heat and place cover on pot. Let the mixture steep for at least 10 minutes, and then strain. If you have any leftover, put the in the fridge and drink as an iced/cool tea. You can drink up to 2 cups a day. If you only have dried honeysuckle, you can boil two teaspoons of dried honeysuckle in one cup of water.hope its helpful
February 16th, 2013 at 9:38 amI make Red Bud Blossom jelly
February 16th, 2013 at 11:42 amI’ve eaten the petals of violets and day lillies. When I was a kid, Dad tried dandelion leaves. He picked some relatively young leaves (not the very tiniest, youngest ones) and boiled them three or four times, pouring the water off each time, which never became less green. The leaves were still bitter. I’d go with the very youngest leaves if I were to eat dandelion!
February 16th, 2013 at 1:43 pmWhen I was very young, my friend and I would eat Lilac flowers. We would look for the ones that had more than four petals. They were supposed to bring us good luck. We never got sick so I guess they are edible.
February 16th, 2013 at 2:09 pmI tried dandelion flowers for the first time summer before last. You’d best believe I was out picking them last summer! Dip in milk and flour, and fry. Omigosh! Couldn’t get enough LOL
February 16th, 2013 at 3:38 pmFrom childhood, we’ve picked clover flowers and bitten the fat end off for the sweetness also. I guess you can make tea from them, but we liked them just the way they were.
Here’s a hint for every one..Trying in privet,,make sure it the right flowwer and have some one check on you latter,,talk to them about it as a check up ..and when out in public for safty sake bring along a piture so no mistakes are made about what your eatting and REALLY Watch out for pestasides near farms and others.Wind blows every wich way…That will kill you or make you sick real fast..Even when you get them home inside..Remember the check up latter from some one who won’t think your a nut from a tree….
February 18th, 2013 at 6:14 amDaylily..a little sweet. Here’s a link
http://www.lilyflowerstore.com/lily-facts/how-to-eat-a-daylily.html
February 22nd, 2013 at 4:36 amI’m surprised that Wild Rose Hips (the bulb / fruit left after the petals drop) aren’t mentioned.
February 24th, 2013 at 3:28 pmI have eaten dandelion leaves in salad. Must use the smaller, newer leaves for best taste. They are good for your liver, also.
March 1st, 2013 at 10:26 amDandelion blossoms can be dipped in egg and rolled in seasoned flour. Fry in oil until golden brown. Nice crunchy snack that tastes a lot like popcorn.
March 8th, 2013 at 12:28 pmAs a teen, our Dad would have us out pulling dandelions in the yard. I remember the neighbor suggesting that it would be much easier if we used one of the “poison sticks” as it had the advantage of killing the root…exactly what we did NOT want to do. Dad thanked him for the advice, but we just kept enjoying our salads. Basamic Vinegar,olive oil, tomatoes, garlic salt, maybe a little cuke…dang, need to get me some o dem weeds!
March 10th, 2013 at 10:03 pmPlus ya gotta know they are far more nutritious than something like iceburg lettice!
Clover flowers dipped in a batter and stir fried is good. Any of the flowers white, red or pink. All are good with different flavors just remember to remove the green at the bottom of the flower as it is bitter.
March 13th, 2013 at 12:34 pmI remember eating batter dipped then fried squash-Zucchini flowers since I was a child. They are considered an Italian delicacy and are rich in nutrients.
March 16th, 2013 at 12:47 pm