Common Daisy, Bellis perennis
Description
Much like the nettle, everyone alive knows what a daisy looks like, but most people are unaware that this unassuming little plant can also be eaten. From being added to salads and used as a pot-herb, to being enjoyed as a refreshing tea, the daisy is an awesome little edible and can be found absolutely everywhere.
Common Daisy Checklist
Habitat
🌳 Deciduous Woodland.
🌲 Coniferous Woodland.
🐑 Grassland, including paddocks, fields and meadows.
🌊 Waterways, including rivers, lakes and streams.
🏡 Urban Green Spaces, including scrubland, parks and gardens.
🏢 Urban Environments, wasteland, Streets and pavements.
🚜 Hedgerows, including field edges.
🐝 Moorland, including heaths and grouse moors.
Season
🌸🌞🍂❄️ Jan - Dec
Leaves
☘️ Thin, green, leafless and hairy.
Flowers
🌷 A central and circular sun-yellow disc that is surrounded by many white petals, somtimes with a reddish flush. The daisy is perhaps the world's most recognised flower.
Stem
🌱 Stems are sprawling, square-angled and branching at the base.
Edible Parts
☘️ Leaves
🌷 Flowers
Aroma / Taste
👃 Slightly floral and a little pungent
👅 The leaves have a bitter aftertaste, much like dandelion leaves. The flavour improves with cooking.
ID Notes
🟩 ID Difficulty - Beginner
👀 Being one of the most recognised flowers in the world, this plant is very easy to identify.
Uses
🥗 Salad - Leaves can be eaten raw and added to salads.
🌺 Garnish - Flowers can be used as a garnish.
🥬 Green - Leaves can be cooked as a vegetable.
☕️ Beverage - Leaves and flowers can be used to make teas or other drinks.
🍨 Sweet - Flowers can be used to make cake toppings and other desserts.