There are a lot of good reasons to drink herbal tea. They usually lack the caffeine of black tea, and lots of herbs come with other health benefits! If you’ve got a green thumb, there are a ton of flowers, herbs, greens, and even weeds that you can dry out and steep in boiling water for a delicious and unusual tea experience.
Edible (and drinkable) flowers
- alliums (flowers and young shoots)
- bee balm
- carnations
- hibiscus blossoms
- hollyhock
- honeysuckle flowers (avoid the berries; they are highly poisonous)
- Johnny-jump-ups (flowers and leaves)
- lavender (blossoms and leaves)
- nasturtiums (flowers, buds, leaves, seedpods)
- pansies (flowers and leaves)
- roses (petals, leaves, and rose hips)
- violets (flowers and leaves)
The scent of lavender and rose are both very soothing. Try pairing these flowers with chamomile for a relaxing bedtime tea.
Edible (and drinkable) kitchen herbs
- basil
- chamomile flowers
- chives
- dill
- lemon balm
- marjoram
- oregano
- parsley
- peppermint, spearmint, and other mints
- rosemary
- sage
- thyme
- verbena
Peppermint is great for digestion, so a mint tea is a good idea if you have an upset stomach. I can’t say the thought of dill or oregano tea is especially appealing to me — I tend to like my teas to be sweet, rather than savory — but it’s worth a try!
Edible (and drinkable) grasses, bushes, and trees
- birch leaves (these taste better when young, if possible)
- blackberry leaves
- citrus blossoms (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.)
- gardenia
- hibiscus flowers
- honeysuckle flowers
- raspberry leaves
- chickweed
- chicory (flowers and buds)
- dandelions (flowers and leaves)
- goldenrod
- kudzu
- stinging nettle
A citrus blossom tea sounds like a lovely drink for a hot summer day!