Most people don’t realize it, but there are a LOT of edible flowers. Some you can find in the fields, forests and pastures. There are some you’ll find growing in your flower garden and still others you’ll find growing in your vegetable garden. Just remember, if you eat all the flowers in your veggie garden, you won’t get any veggies. Eat a few and leave the rest is a good rule of thumb.
The most common way to eat edible flowers is either candied or in salads. But once the zombie invasion starts, you probably won’t have time for such delicacies. Zombies simply do not know how to dress for a fancy dinner party with candied flowers on the cake. But the same flowers people use to make those treats can help fill a tummy after the invasion starts. Learn how to spot them now, and you won’t go as hungry later.
Dill Flowers – photo- Pixabay
Notice
This list is comprised of edible flowers only. It is not intended to be a detailed list of edible plants. Some of the plants these flowers come from are edible, some are not. You can use this list to help in choosing which plants to grow in your garden or what seeds to add to your seed bombs. But it is only the first step in making those decisions.
Warning
Only some flowers are edible. Some are poisonous. Never eat flowers from a florist, even if you know they are an edible variety. Florists flowers are often treated to keep the flowers fresh and should not be eaten.
List of Edible Flowers
- Allium blossoms (leeks, onion, garlic, chives, etc.)
- Althaea (Althaea officinalis)
- Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
- Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Apple blossoms (Malus species)
- Arugula (Eruca vesicaria)
- Bachelor’s button (Centaurea cyanus)
- Banana blossoms (Musa paradisiaca)
- Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
- Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
- Begonia (Begonia X tuberosa & Begonia cucullate)
- Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
- Borage (Borago officinalis)
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
- Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus)
- Chamomile (Chamaemelum noblis)
- Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
- Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium or Chrysanthemum indicum)
- Citrus blossoms (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)
- Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
- Clover (red - Trifolium pratense)
- Clover (white - Trifolium)
- Cornflower (Centaurea cynaus)
- Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
- Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)
- Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
- Dill (Anethum graveolens)
- Elderflower (Sambucus species)
- English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
- Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Fuchsia (Fuchsia X hybrida)
- Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
- Garland Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium)
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Gladiolus (Gladius)
- Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens)
- Hibiscus (Hibiscus)
- Hollyhock (Alcea)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
- Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)
- Jasmine (Jasminum sambac, Jasmine officinale)
- Johnny Jump-Ups (Viola tricolor)
- Kale blossoms (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
- Lavender (Lavandula species)
- Lemon Bergamot (Monarda citriodora)
- Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)
- Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
- Linden (Tilla species)
- Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia – aka T. signata)
- Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
- Mint (Mentha spp.)
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
- Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
- Ox-Eye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
- Pak Choy (Brassica chinensis)
- Pansy (Viola x Wittrockiana)
- Passion Flower (Passiflora spp.)
- Pea Blossoms (Pisum sativum)
- Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
- Perennial Peanut (Arachis glabrata)
- Perennial Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
- Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowians)
- Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)
- Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
- Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia species)
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
- Pumpkin Blossoms (Cucurbita pepo)
- Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
- Quince (Cydonia oblonga)
- Radish Blossoms (Raphanus sativus)
- Rose (Rosa spp.)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Savory (Satureja hortensis)
- Scarlet Runner Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- Scented Geraniums (Pelargonium species)
- Sesbania bispinosa
- Sesbania grandiflora
- Signet marigold (Tagetes signata)
- Snapdragon (Anthirrhinum majus)
- Squash Blossoms (all squash and zucchini varieties are edible)
- Strawberry Blossoms (Fragaria × ananassa)
- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
- Sweet Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)
- Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
- Violet (Viola odorata and other viola species)
- Yucca Petals (Yucca species)
- Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
My other food foraging posts you might be interested in:
Pine Needle Tea
Borage
Cattails
Wild and Mock Strawberries
Seed Bombs
Clover
Fried Dandelion Flowers Recipe
Dandelions
Food Foraging 101 – part 1
Food Foraging 101 - part 2
Food Foraging 10 1- part 3
Sources:
whatscookingamerica.net
treehugger.com
westcoastseeds.com