I posted this in the forum, but I thought I would post it here as well, since it is on topic! :)
I read that the great apes eat flowers as a portion of their diet. I also read that most flowers are edible! Cool! Does anyone eat flowers or do you know which ones are edible or not edible?
I think they could add some good nutrition - just like some people eat bee pollen, you could get the same thing from eating the pollen in the flowers.
I don't know too many edible flowers. Obviously you'd want to make sure they were organic or similar so you don't eat sprayed flowers.
I found this list from Wikipedia:
Common edible flowers
- Artichoke (flower bud)
- Broccoli (flower buds)
- Cauliflower (flower buds)
- Caper (flower buds)
- Chamomile (for tea)
- Cannabis (flowers or buds)
- Chives (flowers or buds)
- Chrysanthemum (flower)
- Citrus blossoms (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit)
- Clover (Trifolium)
- Daisies (Bellis perennis quills)
- Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale leaves, roots, flowers, petals, buds)
- Daylilies (Hemerocallis buds, flowers, petals)
- Elderflower (blossoms for drink)
- Hibiscus
- Honeysuckle
- Jasmine (for tea)
- Lilac (salads)
- Moringa oleifera
- Nasturtium (blossoms and seeds)
- Osmanthus fragrans (flower)
- Pansies (Viola x Wittrockiana flowers, petals)
- Pot Marigolds (Calendula officinalis petals with white heel removed)
- Roses (Rosa petals with white heel removed, rose hips)
- Sesbania grandiflora (flower)
- Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus buds, petals, seeds)
- Violet ('leaf and flowers in salads, candied flowers for pastry decoration')
- Zucchini blossoms (blossoms)
Risks
Some flowers are toxic, others may be edible only after appropriate preparations. Toxic flowers may be misidentified as edible when gathered. Allergic reactions are possible, especially from eating pollen. Both gathered flowers and those from a commercial grower may have been sprayed with toxic pesticides. Damaged, dirty or insect-ridden flowers may be unsafe to eat. Some flowers, like Madhuca longifoliaare not safe if eaten often.
Replies
All fruits are flowers ;)
Yeah! I was going to say, I think I read that a lot of the flowers that other primates eat are the flowers of fruit trees before they become fruit. So you could start there.. (or add those to your list of options)