Roses For Your Health!

Save your rose petals!

Any rose petal can be used as long as it is not sprayed with chemicals. Yes, the pink, red, purple, yellow, gold, white and orange petals from your rose bushes have lots of medicinal and culinary uses.

There are hundreds of ways to use rose petals. Start by eating them! Chop up your fresh rose petals and put them on your sandwiches and in your salads.

Rose petals are high in vitamin C and iron. They are full of bioflavonoids which mean they help to strengthen circulation and tonify the cardiovascular system.

Roses are known for their ability to nourish the heart and lift the spirit. They are soothing, calming and help to regulate menstruation. Rose petals are also cooling and can be put in teas and drinks when you feel overheated.

A cup of rose petal tea can help to calm the nerves, fight off a sore throat or cold, open the heart and calm the mind. Rose petal tea can also be used as a mouthwash to help resolve bleeding gums, inflammation and ulcerations in the mouth.

Not only can you drink rose petal tea, you can put it in a foot basin and soak your feet in the rose petal tea to draw excessive heat from the body.

The rose tea footbath helps relieve heat and inflammation associated with rashes, sun exposure and hot arthritic joints. It can help soothe irritability and anger and has a restorative effect on the nervous system.

As you can see, this time honored flower is a medicine chest in itself!

For more drinks including the delicious Rose Cooler, check out the herbal drink recipes in The Herbal Kitchen.

Print Recipe

Rose Petal Tea

Author: Kami McBride

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp fresh or dried rose petals

Instructions

• Put roses and water into a pot.
• Turn the stove on low for ten minutes with the lid on the pot.
• Turn off the heat and let sit for one half hour.
• Strain the petals from the water and you now have rose petal tea!
• Add the tea to some lemonade, soda water or just add a little honey to the tea to sweeten it.