Why You Should Add Dried Flowers To Your Tea

Drinking a piping hot cup of tea in the morning, right before bed, or curled up with a good book on a chilly day can be one of life's small and simple luxuries. Most tea-lovers have perfected their brewing methods to get the most flavor from their favorite types of tea. However, if you aren't much of a tea drinker, there are various tasty additions like honey or vanilla extract you can mix into your tea to improve the taste. Infusing your brew with dried flowers such as dandelion root and hibiscus is another refreshing way to add a burst of floral flavor to your tea while experiencing its numerous health benefits. Plus, it will make you feel downright fancy.

Flowers have been added to tea for centuries for their medicinal properties and creating an eye-catching presentation, making it all the more enticing to try (via Dominion Tea). "Flower petals have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; their essential oils improve complexion and help soothe the mood," explains Feng Ye, the founder of Sage Collective on Martha Stewart. You can combine your choice of colorful petals with green, white, or black tea to combine aromatic flavors (via Yang's Nourishing Kitchen), or brew them with pure water to taste the floral notes more fully. Use a glass teapot to see the colors mix as you take your first sip, and you've created a beautiful moment for yourself to enjoy.

You can buy food-grade flowers to create your herbal tea blend, or if you have a green thumb, plant and grow your own to ensure they are free of any chemical treatment. According to artful tea, some of the best floral teas can be made from dried jasmine, lavender, hibiscus, chamomile, and rose petals. Each offers unique healing properties when infused into a tea, and it's easy to make your own at home. Simply dry them thoroughly in the sun or with a food dehydrator before steeping. Per Rosie Loves Tea, if you'd rather not wait for your flowers to completely dry, you can dry them quickly in an oven for 2 to 3 hours on its lowest setting.

Whether you're looking to enhance your tea with a mild, delicate sprinkling of rosebuds or try the potent taste of the fragrant osmanthus flower, using dried flowers in your tea just hits differently. Per The Qi, a soothing cup of floral tea is packed with nourishing vitamins and can cleanse toxins in your body, so your immune system is sure to thank you.