Turk S Cap Flower Edible

How to make sparkling flower cordials.

Turk s cap flower edible.

The marble size red fruit is edible having a mealy taste and is enjoyed by a number of birds and animals. 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. Steaming sautéing boiling or stir frying are all good ways to cook these leaves.

Well actually turk s cap mallow is the common name used for two different hibiscus relatives. Actually boiling is a terrible way to cook just about any leafy green but so be it. The flowers provide nectar to eager ruby throated hummingbirds and several species of butterflies. It seems the bulb from which the turk s cap flowers grow is a tasty addition to stews and meat dishes.

The mexican apple is more commonly known as turk s cap but that name while appropriately describing the shape of the flower does little justice to its edible qualities. Turk s cap are a wonderful source of foods. 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.

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.