Recipes for unusual leaves?

Hello permies! I have a few weird and wonderful plants in my garden that I am eyeing with a certain trepidation and wondering if the leaves can be used for anything?

Fuchsia arborescens - beautiful plant with gorgeous berries but can the leaves be eaten? I've read that fuschias aren't actually poisonous but not sure if that applies to arborescens?

Camellia sinensis/japonica - I know both these plants can be used for tea but i'm not actually sure if the leaves make good eating or can be used in foods?

English Lavender - I've heard that the leaves CAN be eaten but they always seem overly perfumy to me.

Cherry - I read that the leaves can be used as a medicinal tea, but also that it is extremely poisonous; anyone have any experience?

Chilean Guava - Beautiful little bush with tasty berries; I heard the leaves are also good for tea but can they be cooked or eaten raw? Are they worth using in such a way?

Love to hear your recipes and also heard about any other unusual and overlooked leaves that are surprisingly good in foods.

The only one I can comment on is the cherry. The leaves of wild cherry, if wilted, concentrate cyanide and sometimes livestock dies from eating them.

The bark of some cherries is used in tea / medicine.

The leaves of lavender are perfume.  That’s why they are liked.  They are good in baking.Lavender shortbread.

Thanks for the replies! I thought it was only the lavender flowers that are edible; the leaves are too? Are the better dried first? I imagine the texture is a bit strange.

M D Scott wrote:Thanks for the replies! I thought it was only the lavender flowers that are edible; the leaves are too? Are the better dried first? I imagine the texture is a bit strange.

It’s not a strange texture...it’s herbal. Everything about lavender is scented and lovely.

It’s like so many herbs..very usable

Monarda leaf...lovely fragrant for cooking or baking dry or fresh

Red Rasberry leaf..fragrant and subtle for cooking or tea; dry or fresh

A simple butter shortbread is a great vehicle for subtle flower/ leaf flavors.

Any leaf can be painted with melted chocolate; the leaf then peeled off to use the chocolate leaf.

There’s probably dozens more. Those just come to mind.

Great responses thanks for the messages I really appreciate that; love to hear anyone elses ideas

You can use lavender leaves and stems in place of rosemary in cooking, so for example as a rub, or putting a sprig in meat or a sauce and then removing it.  

My rosemary plants keep refusing to enjoy the wet and windy climate here, whereas the lavender survives, so I use it quite a lot like this. It isn't as perfumy as you might think when used this way :)