Here is the list of all the herbs and edible flowers found in our garden. Herbs are represented with (H), edible flowers with (F), and plants that are both herbs and edible flowers are (F-H).

The plants are listed by common name, followed by the botanical name. Also, other information (including culinary uses) is included for most of the plants.

	Common Name	Botanical Name	Properties
	Alyssum (F)	Lobularia Maritime	Mildly floral
	Angelica (F-H)	Angelica Archangelica	Candied stems similar to licorice
	Anise Hyssop (F-H)	Agastache Foeniculum	Sweet licorice
	Basil (F-H)	Ocimum Basilicum	True strain used in Pesto
	Basil, Dark Opal (H)	Ocuimum Basilicum "Dark Opal"	Excellent for seasoning, basil vinegar
	Basil, Sacred (H)	Ocimum Sanctum	True sacred basil; use in salads and other cold dishes
	Basil, Thai (H)	Ocimum spp.	True strain used in Vietnamese and Thai dishes
	Bergamot (Bee Balm) (F-H)	Monarda Didyma, Monarda Fistula	Sweet, tangy
	Bergamot, Lemon (F-H)	Monarda Citriodora	Spicy citrus
	Blackberry Leaves and Berries (F-H)	Rubus Villosus
	Borage (F)	Borago Officinalis	Cucumber
	Burnet, Salad (H)	Poterium Sanguisorba	Nut-cucumber flavour; great in salads
	Calendula (F)	Calendula Officinalis	Tangy, savoury
	Catnip (H)	Nepeta Cataria
	Cedar (H)	Thija Occidentalis
	Chamomile (F-H)	Chamaemelum Matricaria	Apple-like
	Chives (F-H)	Allium Schoenopraum	Onion-like
	Chives, Garlic (F-H)	Allium Tuberosum	Irresistible combination of garlic and chives
	Cicely, Sweet (H)	Myrrhis Odorata	Delightful flavour to sweets with half the sugar
	Cilantro (F-H)	Coriandrum Sativum	For exotic dishes and Mexican favourites
	Clary Sage (H)	Salvia Sclarea
	Clove Pinks (F)	Dianthus Spp.	Clove-like
	Clover, Red (F-H)	Trifolium Pratense
	Colts Foot (H)	Tussilago Farfara
	Comfrey (H)	Symphytum Officinale
	Coriander (F-H)	Santo Cilantro	Pungent, citrus-y leaves; musky roots; sweet aromatic seeds; flowers are softer and have a more sweetened flavour than the foliage
	Cornflower (Bachelor Button) (F)	Centaurea Cyanus	Sweet to spicy
	Cowslips (F-H)	Primula Veris	Light, flowery taste
	Dill (F-H)	Anethum Graveolens	Great with fish and will improve your barbecues
	Dock, Bloody (H)	Rumex Sanguineus	An interesting new salad green, adding colour and flavour
	Echinacea (H)	Echinacea Purpurea
	Fennel (F-H)	Foeniculum Vulgare	Use with fish, soups, salads, and stews
	Feverfew (H)	Tanacetum Parthenium
	Geraniums, Scented (Apple, Coconut, Old Spice) (H)	Pelargonium Spp.	Apple, rose, cinnamon, lemon, etc.
	Ginger, Wild (H)	Asarum Canadese
	Hollyhock (F)	Althea Rosea	Variable floral
	Hops (H)	Humulus Lupulus
	Horseradish (H)	Amoracia Rusticana	Use in condiments, fresh oysters
	Hyssop (H)	Hyssopus Officinalis
	Lady's Mantle (H)	Alchemilla Vulgaris
	Lavender (H)	Lavendula Spp.	Fragrant
	Lamb's Ear (H)	Alchemilla Vulgaris
	Lemon Balm  (H)	Melissa Officinalis
	Lilac (F)	Syringa Vulgaris	Like the scent
	Lime Balm (H)	Melissa Officinalis Lime
	Lovage (H)	Levisticum Officinale	Flavour is reminiscent of celery
	Mallow (H)	Malva Sylvestris
	Marigold (F-H)	Tagetes Tenuifolia	Lemony
	Marjoram (H)	Origanum Majorana
	Milk Thistle (H)	Silybum Marianum
	Mint, Apple (F-H)	Mentha Suaveolens	Apple - menthol fragrance
	Mint, Chocolate (F-H)	Mentha x Piperita	Chocolate - mint fragrance
	Mint, Pink Candypops (F-H)	Mentha "Pink Candypop"	Minty
	Nasturtium (F)	Tropaeolum	Peppery taste; spicy (leaves)
	Oat Straw (H)	Avena Sativa
	Peppermint (F-H)	Mentha x Piperita Variegata	Excellent with fish, cheese, desserts like ice cream, mint sauce
	Pineapple Sage (F-H)	Salvia Elegans
	Spearmint (F-H)	Mentha Spicata	Excellent with carrots, peas, potatoes; mint sauce
	Marigolds (F)	Tagetes	Citrus-like aroma and flavour
	Motherwort (H)	Leonurus Cardiaca
	Nasturtium (F)	Tropaeolum Minus	Peppery
	Nettle (H)	Urtica Dioica
	Onion, Egyptian (H)	Allium x Proliferum	Excellent for pickling, seasoning soups and stews
	Oregano, Italian (H)	Origanum Sp.
	Oregano, Zorba Red (H)	Origanum Vulgare "Zorba Red"	Great for seasoning; Italian dishes
	Pansies, Violas, Heartsease (F)	Viola Cornut, Odorata, Tricolour	Minty
	Parsley, Italian (H)	Petroselinum Crispum
	Poppy, Opium (H)	Papaver Somniferum
	Roses (F)	Rosa Damascena, Rosa Canina, Rosa Gallica, Rosa Eglanteria, Rosa Rubiginosa	Roses, just like the smell
	Rosemary (H)	Rosmarinus Officinalis
	Sage (H)	Salvia Officinalis
	Sage, Honeymelon (F-H)	Salvia Elegans "Honeymelon"	Aromatic foliage; used in stuffings, sausages, omelettes, soups, stews
	Sage, Tricolour (H)	Salvia Officinalis Purpurea
	Salad Burnet (H)	Poterium Sanguisorba	Nut-cucumber flavour; use in salads, soups, casseroles, herb vinegar, and cream cheese
	Savory (H)	Satureja Hortensis
	Scarlett Runner Bean (Flowers) (F)	Lablab Purpureus	Like beans, sweet pea
	Scullcap (H)	Scutellaria Lateriflora
	Sorrel, Profusion (H)	Rumex Acetosa	Fleshy leaves all season; tender; great in soups, salads, omelettes
	Squash Blossoms (F)	Cucurbita Spp.	Buttery veggie
	Stevia (H)	Stevia Rebaudiana	Remarkable herbal sugar substitute containing steviosides – hundreds of times sweeter than sugar without its calories!
	Strawberry Flowers (F)	Fragaria x Ananassa	Like strawberries
	Sweet Pink (F)	Dianthus "Rainbow Loveliness"	Clove scent
	Sweet Woodruff (F-H)	Galium Odorata	Vanilla
	Tarragon (H)	Artemisia Dracunculus Sativa
	Tea Tree (H)	Malaleuca Alternifolia
	Thistle, Milk (H)	Silybum Marianum
	Thyme, Creeping (F-H)	Thymus Pulegioides
	Thyme, English (F-H)	Thymus Vulgaris
	Thyme, Lavender (H)	Thymus Thracicus
	Thyme, Lemon (F-H)	Thymus x Citriodorus
	Thyme, Orange Balsam (F-H)	Thymus "Orange Balsam"	Sensational orange scent and flavour
	Tobacco, Wild (H)	Nicotiana Rustica	We use this for our blend of insect repellent.
	Valerian (H)	Valeriana Officinalis
	Verbena, Lemon (H)	Aloysia Triphylla
	Vervain, Blue (H)	Verbena Hastata
	Yarrow (H)	Achillea Millefolium

About Edible Flowers

1. Eat flowers only when you are sure that they are edible. Not all flowers are edible; some are poisonous.
2. Just because a flower is served with food does not mean it is edible.
3. Eat only organically-grown flowers.
4. If you have hay fever, allergies, or asthma, do not eat fresh flowers.
5. Don’t eat flowers from florists, garden centers, or nurseries.
6. Don’t eat flowers that you picked from the side of the road. They can be contaminated from car emissions or herbicide sprays.
7. Only eat the petals from larger flowers; remove the pistils and stamen. For example, you can eat the whole flower of pansies, nasturtiums, and scented geraniums.
8. Always toss salads before adding flowers, because the salad dressing will spoil the colour and fresh appearance of the delicate petals.
9. There are many varieties of any one flower. Flowers taste different and have different colours when grown in different locations.
10. Introduce flowers into your diet the way you would new foods to a baby – one at a time and in small quantities

 Adapted from Edible Flowers by Cathy Barash

Note: 

Certain flowers are said to be toxic by some but not by others; for example, petunias and primroses. You should err on the side of caution and not eat them.

Chrysanthemums contain pyrethrum, which kills aphids, mites and other insects but will not harm fish, plants, waterfowl or mammals and which breaks down quickly in sunlight. Do not confuse pyrethrum with pyrethoids, which are highly toxic.

A Personal Anecdote:

Recently, I was at a restaurant where my main dish was served, beautifully adorned by Sweet Peas, flowers I knew to be toxic. I was curious about the level of toxicity! and ate the flowers as would an average customer. It was not a pleasant experience!  I had a violent reaction not too long after dinner; I became very lightheaded and barely made it to the ladies' room. It took me awhile to recover and I worried about my return trip home. Thankfully, my body reacted to naturally to expel the poison and I was fine afterwards. Please don’t be discouraged by my story. For your convenience, I have included all edible flowers in the list above; they really are worth trying. You will discover a variety of unique flavours.