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15 Edible Flowers You Can Grow and Eat A Gardener’s Delicious Guide
Edible flowers add colour, flavour and a little magic to everyday food, and many are easy to grow at home. This gardener’s guide covers 15 edible flowers you can grow and eat, with flavour notes and how to use them.
Flavour guide
| Item | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Peppery | Nasturtium, chive blossom |
| Sweet or floral | Rose, viola, lavender |
| Cucumber-like | Borage |
| Citrus or tangy | Hibiscus, tagetes marigold |
| Mild | Squash blossom, sunflower petals |
Easy annuals
- Nasturtiums for peppery leaves and flowers.
- Calendula (pot marigold) for golden petals in rice and salads.
- Pansies for mild, pretty garnishes.
- Violas for cakes and drinks.
- Borage for cucumber-flavoured blue stars.
- Cornflowers for blue petals on salads.
- Sunflowers for petals and edible seeds.
- Signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) for citrusy petals.
Perennials and herbs
- Lavender for baking and syrups in small amounts.
- Chive blossoms for oniony salads and butters.
- Roses for petals in jams and teas.
- Bee balm (Monarda) for spicy, minty petals.
- Dianthus for clove-scented petals.
Warm-season
- Squash blossoms for stuffing and frying.
- Hibiscus (roselle) for tart, ruby-red tea.
Tip: Only eat flowers you have identified with certainty and grown yourself without pesticides, never eat flowers from florists, garden centres or roadsides, remove the bitter white base of rose petals, introduce new flowers in small amounts in case of allergies, and avoid edible flowers if pregnant unless a doctor says they are safe.
FAQ
Are all marigolds edible?
Calendula and signet marigolds are commonly eaten; check the exact species before eating any marigold.
When should I pick edible flowers?
In the cool morning after the dew dries, when flowers are fully open.
How do I store edible flowers?
In a damp paper towel in a sealed box in the fridge for a day or two.
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