Can You Eat The Flowers?

Well, yes and no. To help you out, we've made lists of both edible flowers/plants and poisonous flowers/plants below.

Did you know that many of the flowers commonly growing in the garden are edible? Here are some of the flowers we grow in our gardens that aren't just pretty...you can eat them too! The flipside of this is that many of the plants and flowers we grow are also varying degrees of toxic to downright poisonous. So to help you out we have accumulated a list that we will be adding to of both the edibles and poisonous plants and flowers that you and we may be growing in our gardens.

"It's best to grow the flowers & plants yourself if you are going to eat them. "

If you purchase your plants and flowers already grown...florists and grocery stores and even your local nurseries often heavily treat their plants and flowers with chemicals, fungicides, and insecticides. As a gardener, you must also be careful to not eat anything from the garden that may have come in contact with lawn chemicals, disease controls, fertilizers, and insecticides that you or your neighbors may be using. Edibles should be grown under food-safe conditions and preferably using organic practices.

The more toxic plants aren't something to fear, just respect. Plants create toxins for the same reason we have security systems, to protect themselves. Plants are living, intelligent, organisms and create these toxins to defend themselves against disease, fungus, insects, and other threats. Almost all plants have some level of defense with varying degrees of toxicity.

Hopefully, while looking over the lists below you'll discover that you are growing more food in your garden than you thought. I routinely look over my lists because it's easy to forget that there is so much abundance in the average garden...Have a wonderful day and happy gardening!

"The Plants Above Are Not Just Lovely To Look At...You Can Eat Them Too!"

EDIBLE FLOWER/PLANT LIST

Some parts of the plant may not be edible. Always double-check to make sure before consuming any plant flowers/parts. Be safe, do not spray your plants with anything that is not listed as food safe when growing edibles.

Apple (Malus species)

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Basil (Ocimum basiilicum, O. species)

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Burnet (Pimpinella saxifraga)

Bee balm (Monarda didyma, M. species)

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum xmorifolium, C. coronarium)

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum, A. tuberosum)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Elderberry (Sambuccas Nigra, black elder, flower only)

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Honeysuckle (Lonicera species)

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia, L. × intermedia)

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

Lemon (Citrus limonum)

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Mustard (Brassica species)

Marigold (Tagetes erecta, T. tenuifolia)

Mint (Mentha species)

Marjoram/oregano (Origanum majorana, O. × majoricum, O. species)

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Orange (Citrus sinensis)

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)

Pinks (Dianthus species)

Peas (Pisum sativum)

Plum (Prunus species)

Rocket (Eruca vesicaria, E. sativa)

Rose (Rosa species)

Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

Scented geraniums (Pelargonium species)

Squash blossoms (Cucurbita species)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Savory (Satureia hortensis, S. montana)

Scented geraniums (Pelargonium species)

Squash blossoms (Cucurbita species)

Tulip (Tulipa species)

Thyme (Thymus species)

Violet, pansy, Johnny-jump-up (Viola odorata, V. tricolor, V. × wittrockiana)

POISONOUS PLANT LIST

"The Plants Above Are Beautiful To Look At But Are Poisonous If Ingested."

We hope you will use the above lists to be safer in the garden and also utilize more of the plants you are growing as food. We can't imagine a summer salad without the peppery tasting and beautiful nasturtium flowers in it!

"Plants, Flowers, and Herbs Can Make The Ordinary Special! They Aren't Just Beautiful, They Are Nutritious & Tasty Too."

Please leave us a comment below if you have an addition to either list. Thanks for stopping by!