Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
Today’s blog fits in both the categories of food and farming! If you are planting any flowers, or planning a garden, you may consider adding more edible varieties as well. I thought little about adding edible flowers to my food until I visited Agroshare core team members Sarita Cox and her mother, Nancy Cobb, in Tuscaloosa, AL. They are both incredibly knowledgeable about plants all throughout our state! They are also avid gardeners who are growing many blooming and edible plants on their property.
Nancy cooked a meal for us, made salad, and sent me out to go pick some blooms off a gardenia bush in the yard! I was so intrigued and decided to find more about the different edible flowers. I wanted to offer people a nutritious, tasty and beautiful way to improve your meal. It is also an affordable (or free if you have any edible plants in your yard or garden) way to add fresh food and vibrant color to your diet. I ate gardenia blooms in a salad, but you can add edible flowers to your diet in a variety of ways.
When I looked up how many buds and flowers can be used, I found that there were over 50 edible varieties! I will not list all of them here at once, but we will get started with a few that grow well in Alabama. If you are thinking about planting some bulbs or seeds in your garden, or you are out and about walking, we will teach you what you can easily identify to add to your salads and other dishes. Fortunately, flowers are much more easily identified than other forms of plants!
Edible flowers make your food beautiful, boost the nutritional value of your meal, and may even entice kids to eat more salad! Growing edible plants gives you an excuse to get outside and be active so you get even more health benefits! There is not a lot of nutritional analysis done on flowers, but research has identified compounds such as vitamin A, C, niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2) and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium in the petals.
It is very important that you correctly identify anything you plan to consume, as some flowers, including some commonly found in household gardens, are toxic! Those listed below with their pictures are edible!
Gardenias- Gardenia jasminoides
You can add gardenias to your garden in either fall or spring, because until established, the plants prefer moderate temperatures. If tended correctly, they’ll come back year after year. Gardenias should not be planted too deeply, and once added to well-drained soil, the roots should not be disturbed. They can tolerate full sun, but prefer afternoon shade, especially in the hot Alabama summers. Their fragrant blossoms have a wide variety of culinary applications, and they make great garden borders.
Borage- Borago officinalis
Borage is a self-seeding annual and a favorite of pollinators. The vibrant blue blossoms are not only edible, they also attract native bees and wasps. Because of this, borage is frequently used in companion planting (especially with tomatoes and cabbage) because it attracts beneficial predatory insects that help to control garden pests such as cabbage worms. It is not frost tolerant, so in order to enjoy the edible flowers, plant after the last frost. It can sometimes be slow to germinate (up to 21 days).
Hibiscus- Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Roselle- hibiscus sabdariffa
Anything in the hibiscus family is of tropical origin, so these flowers flourish in the hot and humid Alabama summers, but do not tolerate cold at all. They need to be planted out when the weather is reliably warm, and their vibrant blooms add a bright red color to tea and jellies.
Lavender- Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender is a beautiful flowering perennial, but can sometimes be difficult to start from seed. It is best to plant out after the last frost, but once established in well-drained soil, it usually comes back year after year. The blossoms are fragrant, edible, and have traditional medicinal applications as well.
Nasturtium- Tropaeolum majus
Nasturtiums are a quick-growing annual flower and are best started indoors and then planted out after the last frost date. They produce bright blossoms all summer until a frost, and the peppery flavored flowers add a pleasant bite to salads.
Pansy- Viola tricolor
In Alabama, pansies are best grown from October through April, as they struggle in our hot summers and thrive in cooler weather. These colorful flowers are short-lived perennials and can add interest to both your garden and your food in the cooler months.
