Foraging for Edible Wild Flowers

Whether you lost your food stash to a bear, need a little more to bulk up a meal or just want a colorful garnish to finish your dish, these edible flowers grow in the wild and are easy to identify. Always check that your flowers aren’t growing in a polluted area and be sure to clean them really well as they are likely to be home to a couple of bugs.

Also; use your noggin! If you aren’t sure about a flower or can’t identify it 100%, don’t eat it.

Violets

These beautiful purple blossoms love the shade. The plants grow low to the ground and have heart-shaped leaves which you can also eat in salads or add to soups and stews.

Forget me not

This petty little blue blossom is actually an herb. Look out for the tiny little light blue blossoms which are 3-4 mm (0.2 inches) with five little petals. Add these to your salads or use as a garnish.

Clover

You can eat clover flowers, but eaten in excess they may cause bloating. The clover leaf is very recognizable and clover can be found in most fields.

Dandelion

You can eat all parts of the dandelion and the leaves and flowers are great in salads. Roasted dandelion root is a good substitute for coffee. Dandelions are an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Water Lilies

Roots can be added to stews while leaves can be used in stews and soups or eaten raw. Flowers can be boiled as buds or used as a garnish when open. You can also nibble on the petals. All parts of the lily should be really well cleaned to remove any insects.