This deciduous, herbaceous plant with its striking red to pink flowers can be found primarily in moist meadows, in sparse deciduous forests and on forest edges. The carnation species is sometimes also grown in gardens because it looks very pretty, especially when combined with other carnations. What is little known, however, is that the leaves of the red carnation are edible.
Is the red carnation edible?
The red carnation is edible: its young leaves can be eaten in spring as part of salads or soups. However, they contain saponins, which can have irritating effects on the skin and stomach in sensitive people.
Using the red carnation
For centuries, the crushed seeds of the plant were used in folk medicine against snake bites, and the roots could be used to produce a soap-like substance that was actually used for cleaning. In some regions the young leaves of the red carnation were (and sometimes still are) harvested as part of salads or soups.
Red carnation contains saponins
However, these leaves contain saponins, which can have irritating effects on the skin and stomach in sensitive people. This also makes the leaves taste slightly bitter, which increases as the year progresses - the content of these bitter substances increases sharply as the year progresses. For this reason, it is advisable to only eat the young leaves in spring. Sensitive people as well as pregnant women and people with kidney problems or rheumatism should avoid drinking it.
Do not confuse red carnations with other carnations
But before you run into the garden and try fresh carnation leaves, you better first make sure whether it is actually the red carnation. Other carnations such as the puzzle carnation or the burning love are either not edible or do not taste particularly good. In addition to the red carnation, the white carnation (Silene latifolia) is also edible.
Tip
The flowers of the red and white carnation also look very pretty in a colorful summer salad - especially in combination with other colored edible flowers such as nasturtium, borage or evening primrose.
