"Many flowers are edible, and you may already be growing them in your landscape," said Barbara Bates, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. "If you have a redbud--Cercis Canadensis, lilacs--Syringa sp., or roses--Rosa sp., then you are already on the way to a delightful treat."
The taste of flowers such as honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) mimics its sweet fragrance. The spectrum of floral flavors ranges from the unbeatable peppery onion of nasturtium to licorice-flavored anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), to the citrusy tang of tuberous begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida) to the cucumber-fresh hint of borage (Borage officinalis).
"For early-season color in salads or as a garnish, use blossoms from redbud, chives, dianthus, pansies, and violets," Bates said. "Harvesting pansies and violets will keep them blooming longer. The blossoms can be eaten au naturel in salads, desserts, or as a garnish. For added drama, they can be candied by coating them with a sugar glaze."
Flowers that work well stuffed with cheese or meat mixtures include squash, tulips, nasturtiums, and daylily. Anthers should be removed from flowers prior to consumption. Anise hyssop, lavender, and rose or lemon-scented geranium blossoms can be baked in cookies, shortbreads, scones, and cakes. Flowers can also be used to flavor and color vinegar, oils, jams, jellies, syrups, and teas.
"Experienced gardeners know that as the daytime temperatures warm, cool-season vegetables such as radishes bolt and begin to set flowers," said Bates. "Don't despair; just change your thinking by shifting your attention to the blooms. Radish flowers add a colorful, gentle zest to summer salads.
"When growing edible flowers, remember it is the blooms you are harvesting, so planting them as a focal point in a container or bed may make you reluctant to harvest them for the table. On the other hand, sometimes harvesting the blooms can be a beneficial garden maintenance practice."
Harvesting the blossoms of summer squash, Bates added, reduces the number of fruits you get, which in the case of zucchini can be a blessing.
"Understand that the blossoms of squash can be either male, with five pollen-bearing anthers, or female, with a single sticky stigma," she said. "Seek out the female blossoms for eating to reduce fruit production. Removing blossoms prior to fruit set is analogous to 'deadheading' which encourages a longer bloom period."
For best results, flowers should be picked early in the day at the peak of bloom. They should be washed thoroughly and inspected for pollinating insects that might be resting or working in the blossom. Dry the blooms on a paper towel and store them in the refrigerator until use.
"Storage life of most flowers is short, so harvest them the day you intend to use them," said Bates. "As with any edible plant, those grown organically without pesticides are the healthiest for people and the environment. Flowers purchased as cut flowers from florists and other outlets should not be eaten as they may have been treated with preservatives or pesticides.
"Some individuals may have allergic reactions, so introduce flowers into your diet slowly to watch for any possible reaction."
Source: Barbara Bates, Unit Educator, Horticulture, bbates@uiuc.edu
