Magnolias

PEI’s Magnolia trees (Magnolia spp.) are putting on an amazing show right now (Photo 1). You’re likely familiar with the beautiful sight and scent of the blossoms, but what about their taste? Yes, Magnolia flowers are edible!

Photo 1: A young Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) on PEI.

Magnolias aren’t native to the Island but have been widely planted as ornamental trees in urban and residential areas. Many years ago, I’d visit one specific house on Richmond Street in Charlottetown each spring. It had the only Magnolias I knew of at the time, and I suspect they are still among the oldest and largest ones around. Since that time, Magnolias have been planted by property owners around the Island, and Charlottetown added 150 of them to its streetscapes and parks in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the city’s incorporation in 2005.

I’ve long known that Magnolia flowers are edible but am usually so distracted by wild foods in spring that I forget about this urban ornamental until it’s too late. This year, I made a point of catching it, and I was not disappointed! 

Photo 2: The edible blossom of white Star Magnolia. Pink, purple and yellow varieties are said to have an even stronger flavour, though I couldn't find any in publicly-accessible areas.

The flavour of Magnolia flowers is usually described as a combination of ginger, cloves, and cardamom and that’s it, exactly. They taste like they smell: warmly spicy and floral. Younger flowers and flower buds are said to be less intense than mature blooms, but I tried a variety of stages and didn’t find much difference. Coloured petals are reported to be stronger-tasting than white, but I could only find the white-flowered Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata, Photo 2) in public areas. If you have a pink, purple, or yellow variety, you may want to taste-test it against white. 

Photo 3: Some of my initial culinary uses of Magnolia - fresh, dried, infused into vodka, and Magnolia-scented Couscous.

Magnolia is best used as a seasoning rather than a main menu item, but that doesn’t mean its flavour shouldn’t shine. My first thought was Magnolia-scented Couscous, and that worked well. I can think of a TON of uses for the distinctive flavour of Magnolia petals including infused into vinegar, vodka, or rum; infused into heavy cream for cheesecake; added to ice cream; candied; made into syrup; as a decorative and tasty topping for baked goods including cookies and muffins; used fresh or dried for tea; and dried and crushed as a spice. Photo 3 shows some of my initial uses of Magnolia in the kitchen, and you can find more detailed instructions here: https://www.pei-untamed.com/post/magnolia-flower-recipes

Sustainable foraging applies to urban areas just as it does to more natural sites. If you’re going to give Magnolias a try, do ensure that you’re harvesting from public land (or have permission if on private land) and don’t take too much from any one tree. Our street and park trees are there for everyone’s enjoyment; it’s easy to collect blossoms sparingly from multiple trees, ensuring that no one even notices they’re missing. Fallen Magnolia petals can also be collected from the ground at the end of their season.

Wild foods give us such an amazing range of natural flavours. I will definitely be keeping Magnolias in my regular rotation of edible flowers of PEI Untamed!