Similar to tea ingredients, flowers have properties that assist with problems ranging from bladder infections to skin rashes, from bruises to nausea and from pretty much everything in between. In fact, flower parts are present in many herbal teas. In today’s world a place that seems to have forgotten the hard learned lessons of those who preceded us, flowers have been all but over-looked dietarily.
The good news is that interest in eating flowers has risen in recent years. You will see them used as a garnish on plates at restaurants and are sometimes used in a salad. Your bird will enjoy flowers because, more than anything else, they are interesting, colorful and fun to tear to shreds!
Not All Flowers Are Safe!
Many flowers are not meant for consumption. Some contain natural pest defenses such as cyanide or strychnine. Some plants are irritants, and some produce symptom that can be fatal. So that there is no confusion, this post will contain only SAFE flowers.
This list is not complete, but it will certainly give you a lot with which to work:
African violets, aster, bottlebrush, carnations, chrysanthemum, daisies, gardenias, gladiolus, hibiscus, honeysuckle, impatiens, lilac, magnolias, marigolds, nasturtium, pansies, petunias, roses, sunflowers, and violets.
The above are all safe for your bird. However, while nature produces a safe plant, humans can make it unsafe by using harsh synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Florists use chemical treatments for the growth and longevity of flowers for aesthetic purposes. Anything you feed your bird MUST be free of all such chemicals. They are NOT safe for consumption!
The safest flowers will come from your own garden where you KNOW no pesticides have been used. You may also choose to do what I often do and buy them from the store where they are sold in packages as “edible flowers.”
If you liked this article then you might also be interested in our FREE report on Household Dangers.
Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
20 comments
I like to take my riel to my attached garden planters to do some natural foraging. He loves it. He gets some fresh air and sunlight as well. My question is are the flowers mentioned in this article including the stem/stalk and leaves as well as the flowers? He is getting more curious and more exploring deeper- which I am so happy about, but I don’t want to risk his health.
The list is not correct, gladiolus for example has parts that are toxic to even human.
Are Gerbera Daisies safe for green cheek conures to eat?
Can we feed our Green Cheek Conure Pisces Enterprises Freezedried Omnivore Mix or Pisces Dried Floral Mix?
Hi. I was looking up if it was safe to feed parrots a Rose of Sharon flower. They are related to hibiscus, I believe. Thanks.
Can fisher love birds have a branch of flowering frangipani Thanks
can my blue and gold macaw eat rose buds? and should i trust etsy if they say there edible
Can my budgies eat lavender and geranium? They love Dandelions leaves
Like a true Umbrella, my cockatoo, Pecky, just shreads them and drops them on the floor! That’s why we can’t have anything nice!
Can I feed my birds Blue Corn Flower?
We have Virginia spiderwort growing all over our neighborhood, apparently they’re okay for humans but do you know my green wing eat them too? He loves his hibiscus and I’d love to try something new.
Can my green cheek conure eat gerbera daisies?
Can my rainbow lorikeet eat peonys
can my Indian Ring Necks eat my sunflower stalks
Is it safe for them to eat the stems of the safe flowers as well?
What flowers can I give to my African gray
We grow Jasmine is it dangerous to Lorikeets
Are hibisucs leaves safe for toucans to eat? My enclosure was next to a hibiscus plant and they kept picking at the leaves and sure of now they love it. Is it safe for them to eat this leaf?
Can l give my lovebirds bottlebrush
Can my parrot eat sweet Alyssium
Leave a comment