h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Edible Flowers...

This is not an extensive list by any amount. It is an introduction to what you can eat in the way of flowers. It would be much easier to list all the flowers you can't eat. There are flowers that are commonly eaten that have not been listed for reasons of safety (Tansy, for example, has abortive properties but is otherwise safe in small amounts. Hence it's other common name "Bitter buttons") or due to my lack of knowledge in this area of wild food.
The common names used are the ones that I know the plants by, I live in England so there may be some differences. That's why the Latin names are listed too.
I will leave it up to you to decide how to prepare the flowers, eaten raw (day lillies), crystallised (violets), made into sweet flower fritters (elder), or prepared like globe artichokes (milk thistle). I haven't got time to do a comprehensive list of that too.

One last thing. Please, do not pick wild flowers unless they are in abundance. Stripping a patch of plants of their flowers may mean they won't grow back next year. Also make sure they haven't been sprayed with anything nasty.

Oh, and always make sure you know what you're eating and that it is safe to do so, don't just take my word for it.


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Alexanders (Smyrnium olustratum)
Begonia (Begonia tuberosa)
Borage (Borago officianalis)
Broom (Sarothamnus scoparius)
Carnation (Dianthus sp)
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Clary (Salvia sclaria)
Courgette (Cucurbita pepo)
Colts foot (Tussilago farfara)
Cowslips (Primula veris)
Crab-apple (Malus sylvestris)
Dandelion (Taxacarum officinale)
Day Lilies (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus)
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Geraniums (Pelargonium cultivars)
Gorse (Ulex europaeus)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Lavender (Lavendula officinalis)
Lesser Celandine (Rununculus ficaria)
Lemon Verbena (Lippia citriodora)
Lime (Tilia vulgaris)
Marigolds (Calendula officinalis)
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Medowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana)
Passionflower (Passiflora edulis)
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Primulas (Primula sp)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Rose (Rosa sp)
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Sloe (Prunus insititia)
Stemless Thistle (Carlina acaulis)
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Sunflower (Helianthus ??)
Sweet Violet (Violata odorata)
Tulip (Tulipa edulis)
Violet (Viola sp)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris)
Yucca (Manihot esculenta)
Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare)
Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)
Wild Rose (Rosa canania)

(NOTE: This list may be found on other places on the internet. It was compiled by me and other people using it have also been granted a non-exclusive right to publish, or create derivitave work, from the information contained here.)

You list nettles here, but they are very dangerous to eat raw. You should mention that some of these will need cooking before eating, so people don't go out and get ill. And they should make sure they don't have other problems that will be made worse by eating plants like these. Just saying not to take your word for it, is not very responsible.

Surely this calls for a guide entry

I'm not too sure about picking any wild flowers though, abundant or not. Aside from legal considerations, it is all too easy to make fatal mistakes especially with hedgerow climbers (nightshades) and umbellifers (hemlock).

Best to grow from seed - I especially like nasturtium flowers and leaves, a nice peppery snack while I'm doing the weeding

The post is here as a post not an article. It is not meant to be complete. I thought you might want some information but if you don't then I won't post the next installment.

As for nettle flowers, they are fine to eat raw.

I'll write a complete version of the article and post it elsewhere. Pictures of the individual plants can't be posted here for identification purposes, so this isn't a good site for posting that kind of information anyway. I'll post a link on "my space" when it's available.

Flowers might be, but the plant isn't. It's too easy to misunderstand I think.