Pictured: Edible Flowers in a Salad
By: Kathy Sadowski, Master of Science Degree in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT
As we head into Spring and Summer, edible flowers offer a gorgeous and delicious way to spruce up a salad, garnish a drink, and decorate cupcakes. Make sure to use organically grown, avoiding pesticides, herbicides, and pollution. Pick and very gently rinse blooms before use.
Here is a list of some popular edible flowers:
- Calendula / Marigold (Calendula officinalis) – colorful and mild tangy flavor
- Sweet William (Dianthus Barbatus) – variety of pink hues and a mildly sweet taste
- Pansy (Viola wittrockiana) – Velvety texture with lettuce flavor
- Viola (Viola cornuta) and Johny Jump Up (Viola tricolor) are mini-pansies
- Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) – tastes sweet and herbaceous
- Daisy (Bellis perennis) – mildly bitter
- Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) – velvety with a rosy citrus flavor
- Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) – frilly petals are sweet and mildly sharp
- Clover (Trifolium ssp.) – sweet and don’t overeat
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis)- sweet and sunny
- Queen Ann’s Lace / wild carrot (Daucus carota) – strong and carrot flavored
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum ssp.) – snappy and sweet
- Bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea cyanus) – brilliant color and lettuce like flavor
- Borage (Borago officinalis) – blue star flowers with a cucumber melon flavor
- Hibiscus Hibiscus (Rosa-sinensis) – strongly bitter, makes a delicious red hued tea
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) – amazing orange and yellow hues and a spicy sweet flavor
- Cornflower (Centaurea cynaus) – beautiful opaque blue and slightly sweet
- Sunflower (Helianthus annus) – sunshiny and bittersweet
- Stock (Matthiola incana) – fragrant aroma carries over into the flavor
- Passionflower – (Passiflora ssp.) – colorful with a sweet fruity taste
- Rose (Rosa ssp.) – sweet with flavors varying with species
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris ) – tastes mild and sweet
Hungry for more? Try this Flower Power Salad Recipe. Or, for more information, here are some interesting links:
- http://www.eattheweeds.com/edible-wild-flowers/
- https://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm
- https://porch.com/advice/steps-to-an-edible-flower-garden
Updated: 2/18/2020
