Edible Flowers with Surprising Health Benefits

Could colorful blooms really help your health? Just because they’re pretty, doesn’t mean certain flowers can’t be good for you. Before you start munching on that bouquet on your desk, though, take some tips on which flowers are the best (and safest).

Red Clover
An easily identifiable wild flower, red clover is known to reduce internal inflammation, as well as help with menstrual symptoms. The greens, meanwhile, are a good source of Vitamin C.

Dandelions
One of the favored starter flowers for those embarking on an edible flower exploration, dandelions are easy, safe and found just about everywhere. The flavor ranges from sweet (the flower portion of the plant) to spicy (the greens) and the benefits include high volumes of Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. They can be eaten raw in salads or in jams.

Roses
Rose hips, rose syrups, rose extract — you can likely find it all in your specialty grocery store and it’s easy to assume you’ve tried these in a dessert or tea at some point in your life. Search out the latter for benefits such as stress and headache relief.

Violets
Pretty when added to desserts and cocktails as a garnish, violets shouldn’t be discarded after you’ve had an appreciative look. The flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Benefits include pain and headache relief, as well as temporary relief from cold symptoms like coughs.

Feverfew
Perhaps a little less familiar, feverfew is a daisy-like member of the chrysanthemum family. As could be expected, the flowers are good for fever and headaches when included in a dried blend for an herbal tea.

When ingesting flowers and other unfamiliar ingredients, always be sure it’s totally safe by doing your research and making your purchases from a qualified vendor. While 7 percent of plants are entirely safe for consumption, the other 93 percent, not so much.