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Making It Grow! News Articles

September 25, 2005

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You never know what is going to happen on live television. Such was the case several years ago when Dr. David Bradshaw, Professor of Horticulture at Clemson, discussed on Making It Grow the many weeds and flowers he ate each day. For those who know David, a description of his life style as it relates to sustainable agricultural practices needs no explanation.

David eats the tops of pigweed and dines in the spring on dandelion.
In addition, he uses many plants for medicinal purposes. Needless to say, David creates quite a bit of discussion after his appearances in front of the camera.

While many of the flowers which David enjoys at dinner cannot be found on menus in South Carolina restaurants, there are some edible ornamental flowers which are used for decorating the dish and consumption. In fact, there are over 100 types of garden flowers which are considered edible.

Pansies (Viola wittrockiana, V. tricolor, and V.cornuta), which may be planted very soon, are similar in taste with striking colors for decorating many dishes. This flower has an advantage in that the stamen, pistil, and sepal (parts of the flower) can be consumed. Most other edilbe flowers will have a bitter taste if these parts of the bloom are not removed.

Daylillies can be found all over the Palemtto State. They are very tough plants in that heat and drought doesn't appear to bother them very much. They are also considered by 'The American Gardener'
magazine to have an edible flower. The taste has been described as "varying in flavor from sweet and floral or vegetal to slightly metallic, depending on variety". For my personal part, normal foods that have a "metallic" taste would not be very appealing to me. For those who want to try daylilles, it is recommended that you "harvest the plumpest buds just before they open". These flowers have been used in stir-fries, salads, and even some desserts.

The most popular flower for Mother's and Valentine's Days is reported to "vary greatly in flavor from a full-bodied floral to pleasantly sweet'. Roses (Rosa spp.) have been used to flavor beverages and even to make a classic rose petal jam.

There are many other flowering ornamentals which are considered edible. Violets, tulips, marigolds, common lilac, geraniums, and calendula are just a few that will give a new flavor to any taste bud.

If you think I am making fun of David and anyone who enjoys edible flowers in their diet, let me remind you that confession is good for the soul. On one of our featured segments with Making It Grow I ate kudzu pasta and jelly that was prepared by S.C. Native American and artist, Ms Nancy Basket of Walhala. It was a very different dish, so I will stick with my fried chicken and collard greens!