RICHMOND COUNTY — In Richmond County, we have a long farming tradition, and even those who don’t farm often cultivate a vegetable garden – or have a family member who does. Growing tomatoes, collards, beans and peas are favorite past times of many. Serous vegetable gardeners sometimes dismiss growing flowers as a waste of time since they don’t provide food, just decoration. Flowers can add color and beauty – and many can be eaten as well! If you want to make points with the flower lover in your life, read on to see what flowers you can grow that can both fill a vase and make an appearance on a dinner plate.
If eating flowers sounds crazy, consider you may already be eating some flowers without realizing it. For example, artichokes are the immature flower bud of a large, thistle-like flower. Broccoli is an edible flower which is eaten at a very immature stage, before flowers open and turn yellow. While eating flowers-masquerading-as-vegetables may be fairly commonplace, eating showy flowers might seem strange or silly. However, flowers aren’t just pretty: many have real nutritional and/or medicinal value. Whether in a tomato, peach, or a showy blossom, color is the plant’s signal of the presence of phytonutrients, including antioxidants. Red, orange, and yellow flowers typically contain high levels of carotenoids, which protect from certain types of disease and enhance the immune system; as antioxidants, they act to lower inflammation in the body, and help protect against certain types of cancer (such as lung cancer). Some carotenoids are converted to vitamin A which is important for eye health. Flowers tending to the blue and purple range are high in anthocyanins, which are plant-produced chemicals called flavonoids. Research has shown that anthocyanins may help reduce blood pressure; they may help reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing cholesterol and inflammation which impact the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Finally, studies show daily consumption of anthocyanins can help protect and improve brain function.
Here are a few great edible flowers which you may already have growing in your garden:
The common orange daylily (Hemerocallis spp)is a transplant from Europe which has naturalized widely in our region. The open flowers last only one day but can be eaten at all stages from bud to full flower. Try them in a stir fry or pickle the buds. Other parts of the plant, including the tubers, are edible as well. My mother used to batter and lightly fry the flowers, then dust with powdered sugar – what a treat! Just be sure you’ve correctly identified the daylily – other “lilies” such as star lilies and Asiatic lilies (which grow from a bulb rather than a tuber) can be toxic. Avoid harvesting daylilies from the roadside for eating, as they are likely contaminated from passing vehicles.
Nasturtiums are beautiful and a classic edible flower. These colorful annuals add a pop of color to outside containers and summer salads! Add whole flowers to a jar of vinegar to add a sweet,
peppery flavor. Leave the flowers in the vinegar for a few days, then strain. Use a clear, mild flavored vinegar to showcase the flavor and color of the flowers (the vinegar will take on the color of the flowers). The leaves and shoots of nasturtiums are edible as well.
Another easy annual to grow for edible flowers is Calendula, often called pot marigold. Calendula is well known as an ingredient in healing salves, however less well known is its use as a cheap substitute for saffron. Saffron, a spice often used in Indian cooking and for medicinal purposes, is itself part of a flower: the stigma of a special crocus; saffron is often called the world’s most expensive spice, costing up to $10,000 per pound! To substitute for saffron, finely chop the petals of calendula, sauté gently in olive oil to “fix” the color, then add to rice for the color and flavor similar to real saffron.
Other commonly grown flowers which make great edible additions to everything from salad, desserts, and dried for teas, include pansies, johnny jump ups, roses, and lavender. All are beautiful additions to the garden as well as many recipes.
There are so many exciting edible flowers to grow and experiment with. Make sure you do your research on the parts of flowers to use, and how and when to use them. For example, the flowers of elderberry are beautiful but all parts of the plant are toxic and need to be cooked before consuming (including the elderberry fruit which is a popular supplement). Accurate identification of a flower is essential before eating. Ensure the flowers have not been exposed to toxins or sprayed with pesticides (as flowers from a florist often are).
For more information on growing flowers, contact NC Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center, 910-997-8255. Visit our website, Richmond.ces.ncsu.edu, or follow us on Facebook.