Turk S Cap Flower Edible

The mexican apple plant is one of the few multi season wild edibles that gives us texans something to nibble nearly every month of the year.

Turk s cap flower edible.

It seems the bulb from which the turk s cap flowers grow is a tasty addition to stews and meat dishes. The leaves of turk s cap are also edible as are the small berries they produce. We liked these edible flowers so much that we grow ours in a pot. Turk s cap mallow is a florida friendly shrub related to hibiscus.

Turk s cap lily information tells us that these flowers nearly became extinct a few decades ago because of their popularity as an edible. Steaming sautéing boiling or stir frying are all good ways to cook these leaves. Both malvaviscus penduliflorus and malvaviscus arboreus sport lovely flowers usually red that perpetually appear as if they re just about open fully but never do. Actually boiling is a terrible way to cook just about any leafy green but so be it.

The young tender leaves can be used like spinach but cook them to soften their texture. Turk s caps are native to the gulf coast region of the southeastern us zone 9 so be on the lookout for these distinctive flowers if you live in that area. How to make sparkling flower cordials. The marble size red fruit is edible having a mealy taste and is enjoyed by a number of birds and animals.

The flowers provide nectar to eager ruby throated hummingbirds and several species of butterflies.