Growing and Using Edible Flowers
You might be surprised how many of your favorite flowers are edible. If you want to add them to the menu, use these tips to help you grow, use, and enjoy them safely.
Table of contents
Edible Flower Growing Tips:
Most edible flowers are simple to grow if you understand the basics:
- Start with healthy soil and amend with compost.
- Most edible flowers need at least six hours of direct sun each day.
- Learn the specific needs of each flower and plant at the right time for your climate for the best success.
Get planting dates for your favorite crops with these visual planting guides for bulbs, vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers & vines.
The Perpetual Annual Flower Planting Calendar, available in my shop, helps you learn when to plant flowers in the low desert of Arizona and whether to plant seeds or transplants.
Popular Edible Flowers
(For growing tips, click on the edible flower name to visit my blog post about that flower.)
Some of the most popular edible flowers include violas, roses, borage blossoms, squash blossoms, nasturtiums, calendula petals (also known as pot marigolds), chamomile blossoms, daisies, lavender blooms/buds (not leaves), hibiscus petals/flowers (not leaves), elderberry blossoms/flowers (not leaves), and elderflower heads (not leaves).
Always verify that the exact species you are growing is edible before you eat it.
What do edible flowers taste like?
Many of these edible flowers have sweet or subtle flavors that can enhance the taste of different dishes like salads or desserts. Some of the most flavorful options include:
- Arugula (peppery; milder than the greens)
- Borage (cucumber-like)
- Calendula (spicy, peppery, bitter)
- Carnation (spicy, clove-like)
- Chamomile (sweet apple flavor)
- Chives (mild onion)
- Coriander flowers (cilantro)
- Cornflower (mildly spicy, clove-like)
- Dandelion (honey, sweet)
- Dill (mild dill)
- Elderberry (tart pineapple or blackberry flavor)
- French Marigold (citrus, bitter)
- Lavender (floral, strong flavor similar to rosemary)
- Nasturtium (peppery taste)
- Rose (floral, mildly sweet)
- Sage (mild sage)
- Squash blossoms (squash with a delicate sweetness like honeydew melon)
- Viola (floral with a mild mint or cinnamon)
How to Use Edible Flowers
Garnishing salads or desserts is just the beginning. You can also:
- Using borage in ice cubes
- Adding rose petals to tea
- Sprinkling violets over ice cream
- Adding calendula petals into soups
- Cooking cornflower blossoms in rice
- Freezing elderflower heads into popsicles
- Making squash blossom quesadillas
- Infusing simple syrup with lavender buds
- Making herbal jams with hibiscus petals and honey
As I enter the world of consuming edible flowers, I rely on others’ experiences and recipes to help me make the most of each flower’s flavors.
“The Edible Flower” by Erin Bunting and Jo Facer contains more than 50 edible flower recipes.
These tried-and-true recipes encourage me to be more adventurous in my quest to use more flowers in my cooking.
How to Harvest and Store Edible Flowers
The best time to harvest edible flowers is usually when the blooms are just beginning to open. This ensures they will be at their peak freshness and flavor when you consume them.
It’s also best to harvest edible flowers first thing in the morning when their moisture content is at its highest.
Once you harvest your edible flowers, you can store them in an airtight container, refrigerated, until ready to use them. Put edible flowers in an ice bath to cool them quickly and preserve their freshness.
Precautions To Be Aware Of When Using & Consuming Edible Flowers
A few simple precautions make edible flowers safer to enjoy:
- Introduce new flowers in small amounts in case of allergies or sensitivities.
- Only eat flowers you can positively identify as edible. When in doubt, do not eat it.
- Use flowers grown organically without pesticides or other chemicals.
- Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, roadsides, or unknown sources.
- Remember that sometimes only parts of the plant are edible (often just the petals).
When you learn which flowers are edible and how to use them, you begin to see your garden in a new way. Decorate a cake with pansy petals or infuse syrup with lavender, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
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