15 Edible Flowers You Can Grow for a Gourmet Garden
They'll add natural beauty to your dishes.
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Looking for a creative way to enhance your recipes? Edible flowers have been adding charm and flavor to dishes for centuries, spanning cultures from ancient Rome to India. They can decorate cakes, be eaten fresh on salads, frozen in ice cubes, minced for herb butters, or made into jams and teas. Edible flowers not only allow you to add color and beauty to dishes, but they also contain vitamins A and C. Research also suggests they may have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, too.
So, what are the types of flowers you can eat? Generally, the petals and whole flowers can be eaten, but remove the white base of each petal, stem, and interior part (such as the anthers and pistils) as these taste bitter. Also, avoid flowers picked from roadsides or obtained from garden centers, florists, or nurseries as these have often been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals. It's best to look for organic.
Or better yet, grow your own flowers to consume, especially since most are easy low-maintenance plants and look beautiful in your yard anyway! Here, you'll find the most common annual and perennial edible flowers that you can grow in your own garden. You'll be surprised at all the different things you can use them for. One easy and delicious suggestion? Try Ree Drummond's Butterfly Martini recipe that calls for an edible orchid. Even as a garnish, it adds such freshness!
Eat from your garden all season long:
Squash Blossoms
In some cuisines like Italian, squash blossoms are coveted delicacies because their harvest time is brief. The flowers can be fried, stuffed and baked, or added to pasta dishes and soups. Harvest the blossoms and use them in the same day. Of course, note that pulling off the blossom means the plant will not produce fruit!
Chamomile
Also called English daisy, the pretty little flowers of chamomile can be steeped to make a tea. It's not fussy and grows in most soils. Some types are annual while others are perennial, so read the plant description to know what kind you have. Note: If you're allergic to ragweed, you might want to avoid this plant, as it may affect you.
Calendula
Butterfly lovers, this plant is for you! Not only do the pollinators flock to these bright orange or golden annuals, but they'll add a nice bitter zest to salads. Also called pot marigolds, grow them from seeds in the cooler weather months, as they don’t like heat.
Rose
This classic garden staple has a range of flavors from sweet to spicy. In general, the darker the petal, the more intense the flavor is. Petals can be added to ice cubes or sprinkled on cakes and added to ice cream. Choose newer types that are more disease-resistant so you won't constantly battle powdery mildew.
Chive Blossoms
If you love the sharp bite of chives, then you'll love their round purple flowers, too. They've got an even more pungent oniony flavor! They're great on salads or placed on top of anything you love to sprinkle chives on like potatoes or soups. These perennials love full sun and can be purchased as seeds or plants.
Pansy and Violet
Both part of the genus Viola, both pansies and violet are beautiful little flowers with a delicate flavor. Use the petals or whole flowers to adorn cupcakes or add to salads. You can also candy violets or make a great tea with them. These are easy to grow and prefer cool weather.
Thyme
The thyme flowers have a milder flavor than the leaves and can be used in soups or salads. This perennial herb grows in almost any soil type and is drought resistant once established. This plant grows easily from seed and spreads rapidly as an attractive ground cover.
Mint
Many different flavors of mint exist ranging from peppermint to chocolate. The flowers and leaves can be added to teas, jellies, and sauces for lamb dishes. Mint is hardy, so it can be invasive. Instead of planting it in the ground, keep it in a pot to control the spread of this hardy herb.
Marigold
This type of marigold has a pleasant bitter tang, perfect for use in teas, salads, or as a substitute for tarragon. Remove the bitter white part at the end of petals before consuming. It’s one of the easiest annuals to grow with few diseases or pests.
Arugula
Arugula is a cool season green with a delightfully peppery flavor. However, when the temperatures rise, the plant "bolts," which mean that it flowers and eventually goes to seed. The leaves become too bitter once flowering begins, but the resulting peppery blossoms can be harvested and enjoyed in salads. Plant successive crops from seed a few weeks apart.
Lavender
Lavender's flowers have a lovely, intensely sweet flavor. Use them baked in scones, added to teas, candied for cakes, or to dress up salads. Lavender is a perennial, so choose a type that will grow in your USDA Hardiness Zone and enjoy it year after year.
Lovage
Lovage is an old-fashioned perennial herb that isn’t well-known, but it imparts a celery-like flavor to a variety of dishes. Use the leaves for tea, but add the flowers to salads or soups. Grow this from seeds as it may be difficult to find in plant form.
Borage
This little-known herb has edible leaves and beautiful blue flowers. Finely chop the leaves and add to salads for a light cucumber taste. They grow easily from seed and will reseed themselves for years in your garden.
Cilantro
You already know that the leaves of this hardy annual are edible. But the flowers also add a light citrus flavor to salads and Mexican cuisine. Plus, if you let some of the flowers go to seed, you can harvest the seeds, which are also known as the spice coriander.
Nasturtium
This beautiful annual comes in an array of colors, including hot pinks, bright oranges, and golds. They’re the most versatile of the edible flowers. The pretty circular leaves, flowers, and seeds (which can be used a substitute for capers!) all add a peppery kick to salads. They’re incredibly easy to grow from seed, but soak the seed overnight first to help it germinate more easily.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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