Flowers: Safety for Use in Cocktails
Flower Safety for Cocktails
Flowers are often used to garnish cocktails and sometimes as flavoring to infuse into cocktail ingredients. Only use edible flowers designated for food use, as decorative flowers can be full of pesticides.
Many flowers are poisonous whether they’re home grown/organic or not. Keep in mind that poison ivy is organic too.
Some providers specialize in edible flowers for food and garnish use.
If you're looking for a specific flower, please use the search function on this page (or in the sidebar) as it may be in one of several sections. If you don't find the plant listed, that does not imply that it is safe.
Edible Flowers:
According to Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits by Andrew Schloss [link], edible flowers include:
- angelica
- chamomile
- daylily
- elderflower
- fruit blossoms
- geraniums
- hibiscus
- honeysuckle
- hops
- jasmine [note: not all types - see below]
- lavender
- lilac
- linden
- marigold
- nasturtium
- pansy (this is listed as a Beverage-Only Ingredient)
- rose
- violet
Wikipedia maintains a list of edible flowers [link]. Follow the link for more information on each of the flowers mentioned below:
- American elderberry
- Apple, etc.
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Basil
- Bergamot, etc.
- Cabbage, etc.
- Camomile
- Carnation
- Chervil
- Chicory
- Chinese hibiscus
- Chives
- Chrysanthemum
- Common bean
- Common dandelion
- Common sage
- Common violet
- Cornflower
- Daisy
- Daylily
- Dill
- Fennel
- French marigold
- French marigold
- Geranium
- Heart's ease, etc.
- Indian cress, etc.
- Japanese honeysuckle
- Lavender, etc.
- Lilac
- Linden, etc.
- Lovage
- Marigold
- Marshmallow plant
- Mint, etc.
- Moth Orchid
- Okra
- Pansy
- Passion flower
- Pineapple sage
- Red clover
- Rose
- Rosemary
- Sacred earflower
- Snapdragon
- Squash, etc.
- Starflower
- Sunflower
- Thyme
- Woodruff, etc.
Unsafe/Inedible Flowers
Inedible flowers according to Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits by Andrew Schloss [link] include:
- anemone
- buttercup
- columbine
- daffodil
- foxglove
- hydrangea
- iris
- lily of the valley
- narcissus
- oleander
- poinsettia
- privet
- rhododendron/azalea
- sweet pea
- wisteria
Wikipedia offers a list of poisonous flowers [link]. Follow the link for more information on each of the flowers mentioned below:
- Aconitum
- Adonis
- Anthurium
- Angel's trumpet
- Asclepias (Milkweed)
- Azalea
- Belladonna
- Bloodflower
- Bloodroot
- Brugmansia
- Boxwood
- Blue cohosh
- Calla lily
- Caladium
- Century plant
- Clematis
- Crown vetch
- Colchicum
- Datura
- Delphinium
- Digitalis
- Euphorbia
- Frangipani
- Gloriosa lily
- Goldenseal
- Grevillea
- Henbane
- Hyacinth
- Horse nettle
- Horse-chestnut
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Laceflower
- Lantana
- Lily of the Valley
- Lobelia
- Lycoris radiata
- Lords and ladies
- Maikoa
- Moleplant
- Monkshood
- Mountain laurel
- Nightshade [note that Deadly Nightshade is poisonous while Black Nightshade is consumed.]
- Oleander
- Opium
- Philodendron
- Pittosporum
- Poison hemlock
- Poinsettia
- Pokeweed
- Pulsatilla
- Ranunculus
- Rhododendron
- Scotch broom
- Stramonium
- Sweetpea
- Toloache
- Wisteria
- Yellow bell
- Yellow jessamine
According to this blog entry on ProFlowers.com, the following flowers are poisonous/dangerous to some degree:
- Baby's Breath
- Bleeding Heart
- Blood Root
- Calla Lily
- Daffodil
- Foxglove
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Larkspur
- Lily of the Valley
- Marigold
- Morning Glory
- Mountain Laurel
- Naked Lady
- Oleander
- Peace Lily
- Peruvian Lily
- Tulip
- Wolf's Bane
- Yarrow [see the Wormwood page for more information on the safety and legality of yarrow.]
According to Edible Flowers by Monica Nelson, you should not eat the flowers of:
anemone- azalea
- buttercup
- calla lily
- clematis
- daffodil
- delphinium
- hyacinth
- hydrangea
- iris
- lantana
- lily of the valley
- lobelia
- milkweed
- morning glory
- nightshades, such as eggplant
- oleander
- rhododendron
- spring adonis
- spurge
- sweet pea
- trumpet flower
- wisteria
*Jasmine: Night blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) is considered toxic to mammals including humans. [link] [link] [link]
According to several sites [link], "Only the species Jasminum sambac is edible; all other jasmine species are poisonous."
Holly: "The berries containing the toxin saponin are poisonous; the leaves are not." [source]
Mistletoe: Most parts of mistletoe are toxic to some degree, so they should not be used in food or beverages. "A case review of 14 patients with American mistletoe leaf or berry ingestions failed to show any symptoms of toxicity. Based on that series, ingestion of 1-3 mistletoe berries or 1-2 leaves is unlikely to produce serious toxicity." [source]
See also: Eat The Weeds [link] for edible and non-edible plants.