The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed a list of unsung and largely unknown edible plants and flowers flourishing in thousands of gardens that people may not know they can eat. 

It comes as part of the Festival of Flavours, to highlight the incredible edible plants that not only provide beautiful flowers and garden interest but that can also help to diversify diets and provide a boost to garden harvests. 

In total there are 24 plants highlighted, with the way in which they are typically consumed. 

“Edimental plants are a beautiful and easy way to grow food. They are resilient and have longevity and if you have a small garden they can be both decorative and delicious,” says Sheila Das, garden manager at RHS Garden Wisley.  

“However, take care the accurate identification of flowers and plants is essential, if in doubt don’t eat it, and you can find help with identification by visiting the RHS website www.rhs.org.uk or RHS members can contact RHS Gardening Advice.” 

The RHS does issue guidance with it however: Avoid old, faded or dusty flowers from roadsides and areas frequented by livestock or dog walkers.

It also recommend being careful of bees and remove small insects from flowers by giving them a shake to encourage insects to leave, while people susceptible to allergy, especially pollen, should not eat flowers. 

Growing, harvesting and cooking edibles is being explored in talks and workshops by Das and Liz Mooney at the RHS Festival of Flavours which continues at RHS Wisley, until Sunday. 

“At this time of year gardeners across the UK are reaping the rewards of their vegetable patches – but without realising they already have edible, ornamental flowers and plants lurking in their borders that can provide a much more diverse range of plants to eat,” says Mooney, horticulturist in the edibles team at RHS Garden Wisley.  

“Many people know about edible flowers often used on cakes and in drinks – such as violas, geraniums, borage and elderflower, but did you know you can eat Berberis and Fuchsia berries, day lily flowers, Dahlia tubers, Hosta, sea kale and Mahonia?” 

Elsewhere, Das has been confirmed to start as the National Trust’s new head of gardens and parks early next year.