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Edible and inedible flowers

Cornflower : A sweet-to-spicy clove-like flavour.


Dahlia : Flavours range from water chestnut and spicy apple to carrot.

Hibiscus : Great addition to fruit salads or to make a citrus-flavoured tea.

Honeysuckle : Enjoy the nectar fresh, or use petals make a syrup, pudding, or a tea.

Magnolia : The young flowers can be pickled or used fresh in salads.

Nasturtium  : Tasting peppery, like watercress, these make a lovely salad addition.

Pansy : Mild and fresh-tasting, they’re great in a green salad or as a garnish.

Rose : Lovely in drinks, fruit dishes, jams, and jellies thanks to its delicate fragrance.

Scented Geraniums :  The flavours range from citrussy to a hint of nutmeg.

Cape Jasmine : Extremely fragrant, they’re ideal for pickling, preserving, and baking.

10 Unusual edible flowers

Forget-Me-Knot : Delicious as a trail snack on its own or as a garnish.

Sunflower : The mild nutty taste makes the petals good in salads or stir fries.

Hollyhock : Remove the centre stamen (e.g. pollen) before eating.

Lilac : Enjoy mixed with cream cheese or yogurt as a dip or spread.

Camellia : Used fresh as garnishes or dried and then used in Asian cuisine.

Fuschia : Enhance the flavour by removing all green and brown bits and the stamen.

Freesia : Great infused in a tisane with lemon juice and zest.

Gladiolus : Mild in taste (similar to lettuce), they’re good in sweet or savoury dishes.

Peony : The petals taste lovely fresh in salads, or lightly cooked and sweetened.

Pinks : Tasting of clove, they’re good in flavoured sugars, oils and vinegars.

10 Poisonous flowers you should never eat

Daffodil : Eating any part of a daffodil will cause distress due to the toxin, lycorine.

Poppy : Give these a wide berth as all poppies are poisonous.

Foxglove : These contain naturally-occurring poisons that affect the heart.

Oleander  : The whole plant is highly-toxic – one of the most toxic garden plants in fact.

Clematis :  Mild, but toxic, contact with clematis (mouth or skin) can cause irritation.

Bluebell : All parts of the bluebell contains toxic glycosides.

Rhododendron : Its toxins can impact heart rhythm and blood pressure.

Larkspur : Its toxic alkaloids are fast-acting and potentially life-threatening.

Hydrangea :  The small amount of cyanide in Hydrangeas make them dangerous.

Lily-of-the-Valley : Pretty, but they contain convallatoxin, which should not be ingested.

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