Edible flowers are a lot of fun to experiment with. Yet little (and much contradictory) information exists about them. This list excludes all known poisonous and questionable flowers as well as most tropical flowers and some edible flowers with little culinary merit. Please note that this list pertains only to the edibility of the flower portion of the plant. Finally, never eat any plant or flower you cannot identify with certainty.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Arugula (Erusca vesicaria)
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Bee Balm (Mondarda didyma)
Tuberous Begonia (only Begonia x tuberhybrida)
(Note: Wax Begonia is carcinogenic)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Brassica (Brassica spp.)
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Clove Pink ( Dianthus caryophyllus)
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Chevril (Anthriscus cerefolium)
Chive (Allium schoenoprasum)
Chives, Garlic (Allium tuberosum)
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)
Coriander (Coraindrum sativum)
Cress (Lepidium sativum)
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Daisy, English (Bellis perennis)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Day Lily (Hemerocallis fulva)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata)
Geranium, Scented (Pelargoniums)
Herbs (all culinary flowers)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp)
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Jasmine (Jasminum gradiflorum)
-do not confuse with Carolina Jessamine (gelsemium sempervirens) which is poisonous.
Lavender (Lavendula spp)
Johnny Jump Up (Viola tricolour)
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Verbena (Lippia citriodora)
Lily (lilium auratum) Only true lilies are edible. There are many other ‘lilies’ such as Aztec, Calla, Mariposa, African and Lily of the Valley- all of which are poisonous).
Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Maple (Acer macrophyllum; A. rubrum)
Marigold (Tagetes erecta, T. tenuifolia, T. lucida)
- most marigolds while edible, don’t taste good. Try “Lemon Gem”, “Tangerine Gem”, and “Mexican Tarragon.”
Mint (Mentha spp)
Mitsuba (Cryptotaenia japonica)
Mustard (Brassica spp)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus; T. mius:
T. tuberosum)
Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana)
Nodding Onion (Allium cer nuum)
Oregano (Oreganum vulgare)
Pansy (Viola x Wittrockiana)
Peas (Pisum sativum) –not Sweet Pea flowers (Lathyrus odoratus) which are toxic.
Pineapple Guava (Feijoa Sellowiana)
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)
Rose (Rosa spp)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage ( Salvia spp)
Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
The Painted Lady Runner Bean is also edible and quite beautiful.
Shungiku (Chrysanthemum coronarium)
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Savory, Summer (Satureja hortensis)
Savory, Winter (Satureja Montana)
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
Tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus)
Thyme (Thymus spp)
Tulip (Tulipa spp.) Do not eat the tulip bulb.
Vegetables, All except: tomato, potato, egg plant, bell peppers and asparagus.
Viola (Viola cornuta)
Violet (Viola odorata)
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
Yucca (Yucca spp)
Note: Treat edible flowers as you might mushrooms. Different people have different sensitivities even to commonly eaten edible flowers. An excellent resource for further information is Cathy Wilkinson Barash’s “Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate”.
Prepared by Dr. Sinclair Philip, Sooke Harbour House, 2004
1528 Whiffen Spit Road, Sooke, British Columbia, V9Z0T4, Canada
Email Byron (our Head Gardener) at gardens@sookeharbourhouse.com Phone: 250-642-3421
Please follow the link to read a recent Dutch article on Diane Bernard, the seaweed lady, and also on how seaweed is used in cooking at Sooke Harbour House. LINK TO ARTICLE
To learn about the Pacific Marine Circle Route through an article published in AutoNerve please
select Read More and then click on the Link.
view from your room
Link to Travel+Leisure Magazine’s July 2010 article, Culinary Tour of Vancouver’s Cowichan Valley, Duncan to Sooke
For information on Sooke Harbour House please select Read More below and then click on the link.
