Busy Lizzie (impatiens)

Impatiens walleriana

flower

Small flat flowers with a mild, neutral taste, used to decorate salads and desserts.

Origin

East Africa, grown everywhere

Where to find it

In gardens and window boxes, where it blooms in the shade; garden-center plants are often treated: better to pick your own.

Season (United States)

June to September

Preparation

The flowers are picked open and scattered raw at the last moment.

Did you know?

Its ripe capsules burst at the slightest touch: hence its name.