Flowers and flowering plants are always a fantastic sight in your garden, especially if they grow well, healthy and lush. And you will be most excited, especially if a flower blossoms in a vibrant and myriad of colors. But what makes it more impressive is its use. Most flowering plants are used as ornaments; others are used as medicines, while others are food.
Edible flowers and flowering plants became famous in today’s invention and concoction of different cuisine. Helped by science, they are known for their edibility and nutritional value. Since long ago, some locals have consumed these flowers as a delicacy and traditional cuisine.
Since then, eating these edible flowers and flowering plants had become famous, and some even became a subject of research. These plants became an essential segment in the food market because of their sensory aspect, nutritional value, and pharmacological attributes that benefit humans. The industry is growing, and it encourages traditional gardening and even farming.
Growing these edible flowers preserved a socio-cultural tradition. It also strengthened the knowledge and consuming habits of modern people. Further, it helps conquer a promising market in the food industry. You can check out this list and be informed about them.
Sunflower
Sunflowers are easy to grow because they are pest resistant and grow fast. Seeds can be grown directly in pots, yards, or garden plots. They can be tucked nicely into your garden because you can have the Sunflower Elf variety that grows only 4 inches tall on top of a 16- inch stem.
You can also grow huge sunflowers, the Sunforest Mix variety that grows from 10 to15 feet tall. Sunflowers are heat tolerant and become vibrant under the sun; thus, they are called heliotropic and it has a variety of uses.
Sunflower seeds are not only a great munch, but they can also become tasty sunflower butter spread. The spread is made from the roasted flower’s kernel and ground to paste. The spread is an excellent substitute for peanut butter, especially for people with allergies to peanuts. The seed is rich in vitamins and minerals like magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. These micronutrients help provide antioxidants in the body and other bodily functions.
Agastache
Agastache is familiar in its purple and lavender colors. But you can also find blooms in pink, white, rose, blue, and orange colors. Agastache is an aromatic flowering plant native to North America, and it also has a species from eastern Asia. The leaves and flowers have a delicate and fragrant taste that is ideal for cake additives that gives sweet flavor and fragrant aroma. Extra caution, though, for pregnant women for possible contraindications when taken.
Lilac
Lilacs are great as fusions to get lilac sugar for baking. Its flower syrup is also perfect for making cocktails. The flavor of lilac varies depending on the variety of the plant. It tastes slightly bitter, with a distinct lemon taste best for salad dressings.
Lilacs are best to grow in the spot in your garden where it receives full sunlight. The plant won’t bloom in a shady area. Lilacs need a well-drained, moist, and slightly alkaline soil known as sweet soil.
Roses
Roses are perfect for bouquets on every occasion. The flower has many different colors and several species. It is best planted in soil with good drainage under a sunny location.
The soil should be kept moist and never allowed to dry out. With proper care and nutrients, roses give awe-inspiring flowers that bloom in early spring.
Roses’ petals can be eaten raw on salads or processed into jam and jellies. There are more than 150 species of roses, and the best flavorful of the species are those that give a pleasant smell. Rose tea from rose petals is a traditional Chinese medicine that regulates qi or positive energy. Rose petal tea is also an excellent remedy for fatigue, irritability, digestive problems, and menstrual cramps.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus flowers grow in tropical and subtropical climates anywhere in the world. The flower exists in hundreds of species in many different colors like yellow, white, red, and multiple shades of pink. Its flower can grow up to a diameter of six inches wide.
Commonly, hibiscus is for ornamental use, but it has its own medicinal and culinary use, popularly the roselle variety or the Hibiscus sabdariffa. You can make your delicious salad out of the raw flower, and you can also use it for jam, relish, and tea.
Hibiscus tea or sour tea is concocted from a mixture of dried leaves, flowers, and mature calyx as the main ingredient of the tea. The tea helps regulate blood pressure and reduce cholesterol deposits; thus, many cultures are growing the flower for its health benefit.
Takeaway
There are countless plants and flowers that you plant in your gardens or grow in the meadows. Often you admire them because of the magnificent beauty; little did you know that they have edible and medicinal value. Using them for food gives a fantastic experience to your taste buds. Be mindful, though, that some might have contraindications to your health or existing illnesses. Thus, be careful and be extra safe when ingesting one.
