Growing Edible Flowers in Your Garden (cont)
By: Charlie Nardozzi
Some Great Edible Annual Flowers
Heres a table of common edible, annual flowers that are easy to grow and tasty to eat. Included are a number of herbs and vegetables that have edible flowers as well as leaves and fruits.
- Calendula/pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) comes in yellow, gold or orange flowers that have a tangy and peppery taste.
- Garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium) produces mild-favored, yellow to white flowers.
- African marigold (Tagetes erecta) has white, gold, yellow or red flowers with a strongly pungent flavor.
- Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia) features white, gold, yellow or red colored flowers with a citrus flavor.
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) has white to red colored flowers with a watercress and peppery flavor.
- Pansy/viola (Viola) has violet, white, pink, yellow or multi-colored flowers that have a sweet flavor.
- Petunia (Petunia hybrida) is a summer blooming flower that comes in a wide range of colors and has a mild flavor.
- Garden salvia (Salvia officinalis) features blue, purple, white or pink colored flowers with a slightly musky flavor.
- Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) has scarlet-colored flowers with a sage flavor with pineapple undertones.
- Radish (Raphanus sativus) has yellow, spicy-hot flowers.
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) features spring and fall flowering plants in a wide range of colors with a bland to bitter flavor.
- Scented geraniums (Pelargonium) has white, red, pink or purple-colored flowers with an apple, lemon, or other flavor depending on the variety.
- Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) has bright orange to scarlet colored flowers with a mild, raw bean flavor.
- Squash (Cucurbita) has yellow to orange colored flavors with a mild, raw squash flavor.
- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) features white, yellow, orange or burgundy colored flowers. Unopened buds taste like a mild artichoke. Flower petals are bittersweet.
- Tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) have white, pink, yellow, red, orange or multi-colored flowers with a citrus flavor.
Some Good Tasting Perennial Flowers
Flowers of these perennials and herbs offer a broad range of flavors and mature at different times throughout the summer.
- Baby's breath (Gypsophila) has white or pink colored flowers with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
- Bee balm (Monarda didyma) features red, pink, white or lavender colored flowers with a tea-like flavor thats stronger than the leaves.
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) have white, lavender or purple colored flowers with a strong onion flavor.
- Dianthus/Pinks (Dianthus) have pink, white and red colored flowers with a spicy, clove-like flavor.
- Daylily (Hemerocallis) comes in a wide range of flower colors with a slight asparagus or summer squash-like taste.
- Borage (Borago officinalis) has blue, purple to lavender colored flowers with a cucumber-like flavor.
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has yellow, slightly bitter flowers.
- Red clover (Trifolium pretense) has sweet tasting, pink or red colored flowers.
- Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) come in a wide range of colors with a bland to a slightly bitter flavor.
- Tulips (Tulipa) come in a wide range of colors except blue and have a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
- Violet (Viola odorata) has violet, pink or white colored flowers with a sweet to slightly sour flavor.
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