Edible Flowers

[ratmom]

Every list I find says something different on flowers, but when they say for instance violets can give the leaves also? Does anyone have a real good list they go by? There are so many.

 

[jcottonl02]

Oh God I did. With about 200 flowers. I printed it out though. I'll try and find it. Gimme a mo.

Jen

 

[jcottonl02]

I am so sorry- I can't find it atm. But I will keep looking.

Hopefully someone else will be able to help with this in the meantime

Jen

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I think this one is good. Don't see Violet on it though...:expressionless

http://earthhome.tripod.com/saferab.html

 

[Runestonez]

This page lists poisonous plants specifically...but the nice bit is that it also has pics to help identify them...you can search by common name or botanical...

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html

They also have links to specific other ares of the US...

Or for the Canadians in the group wondering...Canada specific poisonous plants...no pics for this one!

http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.list?p_sci=comm&p_type=all&p_x=px

Danielle

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Hazel eats the violet leaves. We have the little purple ones, cpalled "sweet violet", and small yellow and violet ones. Not sure what they're called, my husband calls them "pixie faces"

 

[ratmom]

They love the purple violets they go crazy for them lol. I usually put a couple flowers in with their veggies. I never thought of the leaves though.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Violets, leaves and flowers, are safe for bunnies to eat. Pansies and heartsease too (all from the same family).

Not sure about african violets. I've seen mixed information on those.

Here's a couple lists (though hardly extensive) with flowers on them (both with pictures):

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/feeding_en.pdf

http://kanin.org/node/189

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[ratmom]

Thanks so much Rue I really appreciate it

 

[NorthernAutumn]

With regards to http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/feeding_en.pdf ....

She has a lot of good material on there, but the inclusion of gladiolus on that list does not make me comfortable, as it is expressly forbidden on a number of other lists.
Makes me wonder a bit about her other references...

 

[Hazel-Mom]

"A number of other lists" also contain many inacuracies, particularly the ASPCA lists, or any that get their information from there.
The flowers of gladiolus species are generally not considered toxic. I would not let them eat the bulbs however, but even those are classed "low toxicity." The effects are mainly mildly vomiting and diarhoea, in dogs and cats. The sap also can cause dermatitis, in susceptible individuals.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Thanks for the info, Hilde
Have you personally fed glads to your buns?

 

[Hazel-Mom]

no, I haven't grown any here in California. Hazel's vet however has. Her bunnies used to run through her yard, and snack on pretty much all of her flowers, according to her.
She is of the opinion that most flowers are ok for rabbits to snack on occasionally.
Personally, I wouldn't worry either if a rabbit would eat a few flowers when visiting the yard, but most of the flowers I wouldn't exactly feed, certainly not as a staple diet.