How many calories are in a pansy, anyway?Usually April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but this year Seattle saw April showers bring nothing but more gray, lame, and cold May showers. When will it end?! Now that the first few bulbs are starting to bloom around the Sound, it’s hard not to cut them all and bring them indoors. And what’s more, with spring and summer crops starting to show themselves on menus, chefs are prepping their plates with edible flowers to spruce things up a bit. Most folks know about the mainstream edibles such as pansies and squash blossoms, but there are a handful of flowers you can eat that may treat what ails you. Take a look at a few blooms that can grace your plate and work double-time for those inclined to self-medicate.Apple BlossomThinking about inviting your nemesis over for dinner? You may want to garnish their plate with a sprig of apple blossom to show how sweet you truly are. The fragrant and floral perfume of this whitish-pink fruit flower is enough to mend any fence. Just make sure you don’t shower their meal with too many buds, since it contains traces of cyanide. Use just enough to keep them guessing. 50states.comBorage

The bright-blue bloom can cheer up any bland lunch affair with its mild herbal flavor. And that’s just what the doctor ordered for that crazy bikini-body diet you’ve got lined up for June. Even with its petite size, a little really does go a long way, since this beauty packs massive diuretic effects.

Day Lily

Lilies are so fragrant and pretty, it’d be hard to eat them rather than put them in a vase, which is probably a good thing because digesting multiple day lilies creates a fast-acting laxative effect. How fast-acting? Good question–why don’t you give it a try and let us know, OK? It may have a sweet and slightly veggie flavor about it, but this is probably a flower Mother Nature intended to be consumed with just your eyes.Linden

The delicate white petals of the honey-flavored linden flower are great as a garnish and even as a tea. But apparently, not all natural teas are necessarily good for you–at least not for the long haul. Used for ages to induce sweating (Why? Why would you want to make yourself sweat?), eating linden flowers too often can lead to serious heart damage . . . something no doctor would recommend.

Sweet WoodruffWhat a workhorse! Not only is this little white devil sweet and nutty with a hint of vanilla, it can also replace your ibuprofen, and would make a killer band name! No? Well, at least it still tastes good. Sweet woodruff acts as a blood thinner when eaten in large quantities, which raises the question: In what scenario are you eating flowers as a main course, and then what would you use as a garnish? Chicken or fish?

Elderberry BlossomPut away the Ipecac, kids, Grandma’s got a new antidote in her medicine cabinet! The blossoms of the elderberry have a sweet scent and sweet taste, but uncooked berries, leaves, and stems have a not-so-sweet effect. Used in winemaking and centuries-old folk medicine, this plant is almost too complicated to even bother using in cooking! With some parts combining to make cyanide and others coaxing your insides out–we’ll leave it at that–maybe it’s best to just admire this from afar.

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