Edible and Non-Edible Flowers

It’s a popular trend these days to add some colourful petals to a salad or simply place a flower or two on a dish as a decoration. It’s a simple way of adding colour and variety to your meals, but a word of caution is required. Make sure you pick the right flower – many cut flower favourites are actually poisonous and should never be used, even as a garnish.

Several vegetable favourites, like broccoli and cauliflower are actually flowers, so you probably eat flowers more often than you think. But remember, there are many more poisonous flowers than edible ones, either sold as cut flowers or grown in our gardens, so you need to be very sure the flower you use is safe. Never eat any flower that you are not absolutely sure is safe, and make sure you know how it was grown. Many cut flowers have been sprayed with insecticides and fungicides, so don’t use flowers sold in bunches in cooking. Edible flowers are most often sold loose, either as part of a salad, or by themselves. You will need to wash all flowers that you intend to eat – even if you grew them yourself.

So what flowers are safe to eat? There are only a few of the more common cut flowers and garden plants that are safe and delicious. If the flower you wish to use is not on this list, don’t eat it.

Safe to Eat

Plum and apple blossoms are delicious with icecream and Hollyhocks are a great addition to any salad, as long as stamens and green parts are removed from the flower. Hollyhock petals are also used as decorations, as are nasturtiums, which are common in salads these days. Tuberous begonias have a wonderful tangy citrus flavour, but be careful not to touch other forms of begonia as they can be toxic.

Some websites list Daylilies as a safe flower to eat. Daylilies have been a popular food in Chinese cooking for centuries, where the flowers are eaten fresh, or dried petals are used in Chinese Sweet and Sour soup. However, Daylilies are included in a list of flowers that must not be added to food by Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) under Schedule 1, so it is not recommended that you use these flowers.

Never Eat!

It’s very important to know which flowers should never be eaten. The flowers on this list are fine to handle, as long as you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards (or wear gloves), but NEVER use these in a salad or as a garnish. There are some very popular cut flowers in this group, like Alstroemeria, Anemone, Anthurium, Asparagus fern, Calla lily, Dahlia, Delphinium (and Larkspur), Eucalyptus, Hyacinth, Iris, Narcissus (Daffodils and Jonquils), Poppy, Ranunculus and Tulip.

Common Poisonous Cut Flowers – Never Eat

Food Safety

All fruit and vegetable growers in Australia must follow an accredited food safety quality assurance scheme and their produce must conform to the Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) Standard 2.3.1. These are designed to make sure our food is safe to eat and not contaminated by bacteria or other micro-organisms that can cause illness. Foods grown in Australia are also regularly tested by state and federal agencies to ensure they do not contain harmful levels of agricultural chemicals. These rules also apply to edible flowers, so it is safe to assume the petals you see in salad mixes are OK. 

You need to make sure you follow the same food safety rules, in a general sense, if you want to eat flowers grown in your own garden.

Here’s a few suggestions:

1. Never fertilise plants with animal manures – use a liquid fertiliser or blood and bone.
2. Make sure fertilisers are not splashed onto flowers during watering.
3. Don’t use chemicals to combat pests and diseases.
4. Be wary of garlic and chilli-based insecticides as these can affect taste.
5. Wash all flowers thoroughly in cold water after harvest.
6. Remove anthers and pollen – this is a good idea regardless if the flowers are to be eaten or used as a garnish.

For more information on food safety, visit the website of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ): http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/