Edible Flowers To Forage In May
Driving around rural Pennsylvania in late May its hard not to notice dense clusters of purple and white flowers popping up everywhere known as Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis). While its beautiful blooms might lead you to believe its a native wildflower, Dame’s Rocket is actually an invasive, noxious weed.
Dame’s Rocket is a member of the Brassicaceae family known for its mustards and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, arugula, kale, and cabbage. It can grow perennially (once a year) or biennially (twice a year) and features fragrant, four-petaled purple or white flowers on top of 2-3 foot high, multi-branched stalks with serrated, triangular leaves.
Dame’s Rocket features both edible leaves and flowers.
What Do Dame’s Rocket Leaves Taste Like?
All the Dame’s Rocket I’ve found have been past their prime and didn’t really taste like anything to me. Supposedly, if you harvest Dame’s Rocket leaves at the right time they are very similar to arugula and have a bitter, peppery flavor that are great in salads.
The leaves were covered in small, tender, fuzzy hairs. They don’t add or detract from the texture of the leaf. Other foragers that like to collect Dame’s Rocket recommend blanching the leaves. This softens up the hair on the leaves and makes it unnoticeable.
While the leaves are an unremarkable, mild green, the real prize of the Dame’s Rocket is its flowers.
What Do Dame’s Rocket Flowers Taste Like?
The Dame’s Rocket I’ve been able to forage had flowers in full bloom and they were delicious. They reminded me a lot of common blue violet, but the Dame’s Rocket flowers were juicier, sweeter, and had a stronger black pepper flavor. They would make a yummy addition to any salad.
While the flowers were delicious, I’m told that the best time to eat Dame’s Rocket is before its flowers bloom. They form dense clusters at the top of the plant that can be cut off and sautéed similar to broccoli. Add a little melted butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of salt and you have some delicious spring greens!
Next spring I’ll be on the lookout earlier in May to grab some of the bud clusters. I’ll report back with more photos and information.