FAQs About Edible Vegetable Flowers

Edible flowers are savored in different ways. They are served as a salad or dessert or as decorative elements in culinary dishes. Sometimes some varieties of one species are toxic while others are edible. Ideally, the flowers selected for consumption must grow without pesticides.

Q: How are edible flowers used?

A: Young leaves and flowers are eaten in India and America as a salad just like watercress, while fruit and tubers are used as capers or gherkins. The leaves are made into soup and are considered strong aphrodisiacs. The sap of these leaves is rich in vitamin C and is thought to have many health benefits.

Q: Where do edible vegetable flowers grow?

A: These flowers are annual or perennial plants from Central and South America, mainly from Chile, Bolivia and Peru, but also from Asia and especially India. They have grown in Europe since 1684. They come in yellow, orange or red and as single or double flowers.

Q: When and how do you plant edible flowers?

A: Planting is done usually in late April or early May. These plants need a sunny location and a fresh soil that is not too rich in nitrogen (because plants that get too much nitrogen tend to have a lot of foliage growth at the expense of flowering and disease resistance).

Q: What about nourishment?

A: Edible flowers do not have any special demands or requirements, but it is recommended to water them with a soluble fertilizer every 15 days.