The do's and don'ts of edible flowers

Edible flowers add a little bit of luxury to any dish, cake or cocktail, but there are some things you should know about using them for your next creation.

1. These are not just any old flowers!

The Sweetest Petal provides only the finest fresh, hand picked and 100% organic blooms from local farms. Only use flowers from reputable suppliers; this is food you are putting inside your body, so you want to be sure they are not only safe to eat, but free of chemicals and of course, delicious!
Always insist on 100% organic edible blooms. 

2. Don't pick your own

Flowers grown in public places, such as the side of the road, are exposed to the fumes and toxins of passing vehicles, making them unsafe to eat. 
While many flowers are beautiful, not all are safe to eat. Even within flower varieties, similar looking flowers - even some with the same name - are not ok to consume. For example, there are various types of ‘Daisies’ however only the Bellis Perennis variety is edible. Likewise, while Jasmine Officinale is edible, while another genus of Jasmine called a Gelsemium Sempervirens is considered poisonous for human consumption!
Leave it to the experts to at The Sweetest Petal to provide organic, safe and delicious edible flowers. 

3. Flowers can make allergies worse

4. Don't eat flowers from the florist!

Before plunging into the beautifully diverse world of edible flowers, be mindful fo the following:

  1. Edible flowers shouldn’t be eaten as an all-inclusive salad.
    Think of them as a nutritional contribution and/or elegant garnish
  2. Don't eat flowers that are grown in public places or along roadsides.
    These blooms would be exposed to various pollutants and fumes from moving vehicles.
  3. Avoid eating blooms if you have persistent and flared allergies, asthma or hay fever.
    These may exacerbate the symptoms
  4. Only eat flowers that you can be sure have been grown organically.
    This will ensure they are free from toxic chemicals and pollutants.

Flowers grown for floral designs are intended to be looked at and looked at only.
Most have been continuously sprayed with insecticides, pesticides, preservatives, fungicides – you get the idea. Definitely not for incorporating into your cookie dough!

A danger to consider when consuming edible flowers is the difference between the Common name and Botanical name of the plant. There are some safe and some harmful species that share the same common name, making it difficult to differentiate between the two without the relevant knowledge. 

The way to know is to be sure of the DIFFERENT botanical names.

Daisy – there are various types of ‘Daisies’ however only the Bellis Perennis variety is edible.
Jasmine – only the Jasmine Officinale is edible. There is another genus of Jasmine known to be available in the market called a Gelsemium Sempervirens which is very different and considered poisonous for human consumption.

The following flowers should never be consumed under any circumstances:

Bleeding hearts
Calla lilies
Castor beans
Clematis
Daffodils
Daphne
Four-o’clock’s
Foxgloves
Hyacinths
Hydrangeas
Lily-of-the-valley
Lupines
Oleander (very dangerous!)
Rhododendrons
Sweet Pea’s (the pretty smelling ones!)
Wisteria

If you're unsure, it's better to be safe than sorry, so leave that flower where you found it - let The Sweetest Petal do the work and provide you with safe, tasty and gorgeous looking edible flowers!