Edible flowers are finding their place in a reawakening movement.
Northern Virginia Master Gardener Nancy Dowling makes the most out of limited outdoor space in Arlington. Dowling is among the many gardeners and growers who are rediscovering the lost art of edible flowers.
Along with offering habitat to her frequent bird and butterfly visitors, her floral canvas offers colorful culinary possibilities.
“Working outside, you build an appetite,” she laughed. If there’s a vibrant nasturtium blooming nearby, she can’t help but indulge in her favorite flowery snack.
“More people are interested in using their space as productively as possible, and what’s more productive than eating your own plants?” Dowling remarked.
“A lot of flowers are edible, and it’s actually more common than you think,” noted Arden Jones, owner of Great Day Gardens in Bedford County, VA.
Because Jones already was growing cut flowers, herbs and mixed greens for direct sale, it made sense to venture into the edible flower market. Her cornflower, nasturtium, calendula and rose petals set her salad mixes apart at the local farmers market. The business also grows edible flowers for bakery breads and custom-ordered wedding cake décor.
Praised for their medicinal benefits throughout history, many edible flowers contain antioxidants and other useful nutrients. Rose petals and rose hips were promoted during World War II as an excellent source of vitamin C when some foods were scarce, according to Mary Toth, curator of herbaceous plants at Norfolk Botanical Garden.
“It’s kind of dependent on the flower and what it may offer you, but a good amount of them have some sort of beneficial medicinal value,” Toth explained.
While many flowers are edible, it’s important to study up before ingesting one.
“There’s a lot of flowers you cannot eat that are poisonous, so you have to be careful,” Dowling warned. Ingesting flowers like peonies, hydrangeas and hellebores can prove fatal.
Sometimes the same plant can contain both edible and poisonous parts, and some parts are too bitter to eat.
“The petals are usually the best part of the flower, so I’d recommend removing the heel at the base of the petal – your stamen, pistil and calyx,” Toth advised.
Before foraging flowers from roadsides, neighborhoods or out in the wild, ensure that they’re properly identified and pesticide-free. When in doubt, don’t eat them.
Toth recommends picking flowers early in the morning, and avoiding any “faded, dusty or discolored flowers” for optimal freshness. Store them in the fridge for up to three days, and rinse in a bowl of water right before eating.
Read more in Virginia Farm Bureau’s summer Cultivate magazine at bit.ly/4dKDvZi.
