Is This Edible?

by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com

The flower's pretty, looks like calendula. Pluck it and eat it, right? No way. Before you eat anything from your garden—flowers, vegetables or herbs—make sure you've addressed each of these points:

• Make sure that you've identified the flower correctly. A lot of plants, flowers and bulbs--like foxglove, daphne, castor bean, crocus, cardinal flower and amaryllis, to name a few—are toxic.

• Don't eat anything that's been treated with pesticides.

• Make sure you know which part of the plant is edible.

• After you've determined that the plant or flower is safe to eat, sample a little first. Eat just a small amount first to catch any allergic reactions.