Edible flowers like daylily, lilac, rose, chives, and sunflower turn ordinary dishes into colorful, gourmet experiences.
Many flowers are not only beautiful. They can also be edible, adding flavor, texture, and color to salads, soups, pasta, desserts, or drinks. There is a wide range of colors, forms, and sizes of edible flowers. Gardeners often grow many as annuals in garden beds, raised beds, and patio containers for their ease of cultivation.
Edible flowers are an excellent way to add color, flavor, and excitement to many dishes. It is most rewarding to pick them right from your garden.
From the peppery zest of nasturtiums to the subtle sweetness of violets, these natural garnishes offer a spectrum of tastes, colors, and textures to elevate culinary creations. Marigolds and pansies bring vibrant hues to salads and desserts, while lavender and chamomile infuse teas and baked goods with soothing aromas. Roses, with their classic elegance, impart a delicate flavor to syrups and jams. Including chive blossoms, calendula, and borage not only diversifies the garden’s palette but also introduces a range of herbal and cucumber-like tastes to the table. Embracing edible flowers encourages a garden-to-plate lifestyle, promoting sustainability and the exploration of unique culinary landscapes.
Borage, also known as starflower, is an annual plant with bright blue, star-shaped blooms that appear from early summer to early fall. The plant has soft, fuzzy leaves and grows well in sunny garden spots, making it an easy addition to a variety of garden settings.
Edible Parts: Both flowers and leaves are edible, though the leaves’ fuzziness may be off-putting to some when raw.
Taste: Fresh, crisp cucumber flavor with mild sweetness.
Uses: Borage is a popular garnish for salads and cocktails, adding a refreshing taste and eye-catching color. Its fuzzy leaves add a refreshing touch to cold drinks or salads, while borage flowers freeze beautifully in ice cubes for summer beverages. Brewed as tea, the leaves offer diuretic benefits. Besides culinary uses, borage is beneficial in the garden for attracting pollinators like bees, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting neighboring plants.
Bee balm, or wild bergamot, is a clump-forming perennial boasting vibrant, spiky flowers in shades of red, pink, or purple. Blooming for about eight weeks in late spring to mid-fall, they attract scores of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Bee balm’s vibrant color pairs beautifully with its lance-shaped, deep green leaves, which are both fragrant and edible.
Edible Parts: Flowers and leaves.
Taste: Citrus and mint, with a hint of spice.
Uses: Bee balm flowers brighten and add flavor to salads, drinks, and desserts. Bee balm flowers commonly brew into teas or serve as garnishes, adding a refreshing, citrusy touch. The leaves enrich herbal teas and are ideal additions to salads or cooked dishes, bringing a unique minty flavor.
Calendula, commonly called Pot Marigold, is a hardy annual that produces bright, daisy-like flowers with edible petals. Blooming from spring through fall, it’s one of the most versatile flowers to grow, valued for its medicinal, culinary, and ornamental uses.
Edible Parts: The flower petals are the primary edible part, adding color and flavor to culinary dishes, while the green parts of the flower are generally avoided due to bitterness.
Taste: Slightly bitter, with peppery and tangy undertones.
Uses: Sprinkle calendula petals on soups, pasta, and salads for a colorful, mild, peppery flavor. For centuries, chefs have used its petals as a saffron substitute to give dishes a yellow tint. In herbal remedies, calendula is a key ingredient in skin creams and teas, valued for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. For the best taste, remove the petals from the bitter calyx before use. Calendula thrives in sunny borders and containers, attracting pollinators and enhancing garden vibrancy.
Camellia is a popular evergreen shrub, prized for its glossy green leaves and exquisite, rose-like blooms that range from white to shades of pink and red. Camellias bloom from late fall to early spring, adding elegance and longevity to gardens, especially when grown in shaded, acidic soils.
Edible Parts: Petals of camellia japonica, sassanqua, and hybrids are edible. The leaves of camellia sinensis (tea plant) are used for caffeinated teas. Camellia sinensis is probably the most widely grown Camellia in the world.
Taste: Camellia petals offer a mild, slightly sweet floral flavor, while Camellia sinensis leaves range from grassy and fresh (green tea) to earthy and robust (black tea).
Uses: Camellia petals add a decorative, subtle flavor to salads and drinks. The leaves of Camellia sinensis are dried and processed into teas like green, black, and oolong, cherished for their antioxidants and flavor profiles, essential in both traditional and modern tea culture.
Dianthus, encompassing carnations, pinks, and sweet williams, showcases spicy, clove-scented flowers that bloom in shades of pink, red, and white, bringing charm to cottage gardens.
Edible Parts: Use only the flower petals, removing the bitter white base to enhance spice and color in dishes.
Taste: Sweet, with a spicy clove or nutmeg hint.
Uses: Crystallize dianthus petals with sugar to adorn cakes and desserts, or sprinkle them fresh over salads for a spicy, colorful touch. Since the 17th century, carnation petals have flavored the French liqueur Chartreuse. The entire flower also serves as a cocktail garnish, pairing wonderfully with sweet dishes. For culinary use, remove the bitter white base of each petal. Dianthus flowers attract butterflies and make a colorful addition to garden beds and rock gardens, thriving best in well-drained, sunny locations.
Chamomile is a gentle annual or perennial herb with delicate, daisy-like flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. There are two primary types: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), both valued for their calming properties and easy growth.
Edible Parts: The flowers are edible, either fresh or dried.
Taste: Sweet, with a light apple aroma.
Uses: Chamomile flowers commonly flavor teas, prized for their relaxing effects and pleasant, apple-like taste. Fresh or dried, they add a subtle floral sweetness to desserts, jams, and jellies. Chamomile tea or iced tea is a traditional remedy for insomnia and digestive issues. Chamomile also offers a gentle, apple-like flavor in cocktails. In the garden, chamomile attracts beneficial insects, making it a good companion plant for vegetables. It thrives in sunny, well-drained areas and can be grown in garden beds or containers.
People have used chives in cooking for over 5000 years, cultivating them for their ornamental value in flower gardens and traditional medicinal properties. Chives are a bulbous perennial herb in the onion family, easily recognized by their hollow green stems and spherical clusters of purple flowers. Both the leaves and flowers are edible, offering a mild, onion-like flavor that enhances many dishes.
Edible Parts: Both the leaves and flowers are edible.
Taste: Mild onion flavor with a slight herbal sweetness.
Uses: Use the flowers and leaves fresh in salads, soups, and savory dishes to add a mild, oniony flavor that complements various tastes. Separate the purple flowers into small florets to garnish dishes beautifully. Chives attract bees and other pollinators while helping deter damaging insects such as Japanese beetles, making them a valuable addition to herb and vegetable gardens. Chives grow best in full sun with well-drained soil, and they return each spring, making them a low-maintenance, flavorful herb.
Cornflower, or Bachelor’s Button, is an annual flower known for its striking blue petals. Often found in wildflower mixes, it’s easy to grow and adds charm to gardens and borders with its bright blooms. It thrives in sunny locations with well-drained soil, reaching about 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall.
Edible Parts: Flower petals are the primary edible part, adding vibrant color to dishes.
Taste: Mild, slightly spicy, and clove-like flavor.
Uses: Cornflower petals garnish salads and desserts, adding vibrant color and a subtle flavor. They mix beautifully into herbal teas, enhancing aesthetic appeal and visual contrast. Frozen in ice cubes, cornflowers create a pop of blue in iced drinks or cocktails, making summer beverages visually striking and refreshing.
Courgette, or zucchini, is a popular summer squash with edible flowers and fruits. The large, bright orange-yellow blossoms are a treat for gardeners and chefs.
Edible Parts: Both the male and female flowers are edible; the female flowers contain the immature zucchini.
Taste: Mild and slightly sweet, with a hint of squash flavor.
Uses: Courgette flowers make a delicious appetizer when stuffed with cheese and herbs, then battered and fried. They add fresh flavor to salads, can be sautéed with garlic, or used as a garnish for savory dishes, bringing a light texture and vibrant visual appeal to culinary creations.
Also known as edible chrysanthemum, crown daisy or garland chrysanthemum is an annual or short-lived perennial flowering plant native to the Mediterranean region. It has bright yellow or white blooms from late spring to early autumn and leafy green foliage. This plant is a popular culinary flower in Asia.
Edible Parts: Both the leaves and flowers are edible.
Taste: Slightly bitter with a peppery, floral undertone.
Uses: Chrysanthemum petals add flavor to soups, stews, and stir-fries in Asian cuisine. Blanching them for salads or brewing them into a distinctively flavored tea are also popular uses. Young leaves are enjoyed as a fresh, peppery herb in various dishes.
Dahlia is a striking tuberous perennial known for its bold, colorful blooms that appear from midsummer to fall. Ranging from petite pompoms to grand dinner plate flowers, dahlias come in various forms and shades, adding drama and charm to any garden. They’re also beloved by pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies with their vivid colors and abundant petals.
Edible Parts: Dahlia petals and tubers are edible.
Taste: The petals have a mild, crisp flavor, while the tubers vary from apple to radish-like, depending on the variety.
Uses: Dahlia petals make beautiful, edible garnishes for salads, desserts, and drinks, offering a subtle crunch and color. The tubers, often likened to potatoes, are delicious roasted, sautéed, or sliced thin for salads. With their unique texture and flavor, dahlias offer both culinary versatility and visual appeal in the kitchen and garden.
Daylilies are perennial plants that produce trumpet-shaped flowers in various colors. While daylilies are edible, not all lilies are safe to eat. Do not confuse daylilies with tiger lilies or commercial lily varieties, as some may be toxic. Make sure you have correctly identified the plant before eating it.
Edible Parts: The entire plant is edible, including shoots, buds, flowers, and tubers.
Taste: A mix of asparagus, zucchini, and peas.
Uses: Use daylily flowers as vibrant salad toppers, stir-fry the buds, or add them to soups for a unique taste. Cook young shoots like asparagus and boil or roast the tubers like potatoes. Stuff daylily blossoms with cheese and herbs for a flavorful treat. Be cautious not to confuse daylilies with other potentially toxic lilies. Thriving in sunny borders, daylilies adapt well to various soil conditions.
Freesia is a perennial bulb known for its delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, pink, and purple. This fragrant plant is popular in gardens and floral arrangements, often adding a graceful and colorful display from late winter to spring.
Edible Parts: The flowers are edible, though they are typically used sparingly due to their strong fragrance.
Taste: Lightly sweet and floral, with a subtle, grassy undertone.
Uses: Freesia flowers are most commonly used to enhance salads, desserts, and beverages with a mild floral note and attractive color. Due to their fragrance, they are ideal for garnishing special dishes, bringing a hint of elegance and fragrance to culinary creations.
Gardenia is an evergreen shrub prized for its fragrant white flowers and glossy green leaves. Blooming from late spring to summer, it’s a popular choice for warm-climate gardens or container planting.
Edible Parts: The flower petals are edible when used sparingly, as the flavor is intense.
Taste: Strongly fragrant with a mildly bitter, floral taste.
Uses: Gardenia petals flavor teas and infuse syrups, adding a subtle floral note. In Chinese cuisine, they create a natural yellow dye for rice dishes. The flowers are also candied or used as dessert garnishes, enhancing syrups and infusions with their delicate aroma.
Chinese Hibiscus, or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, showcases large, vibrant blooms in shades from red and pink to yellow and white, prized for both beauty and health benefits, especially in traditional Chinese medicine.
Edible Parts: Enjoy both the flowers and leaves.
Taste: Mild with cranberry-citrus undertones.
Uses: Steep hibiscus flowers in tea for a refreshing, vitamin C-rich drink popular worldwide. Their mild tartness complements both sweet and savory dishes, making hibiscus versatile for marinades, jams, and salads. Dried petals enhance tea blends and add color and tartness to desserts. Hibiscus flowers also make a lovely cocktail garnish. Beyond culinary applications, hibiscus extracts offer potential health benefits, including support for cardiovascular health.
Hollyhocks are tall biennials or short-lived perennial plants with showy, funnel-shaped flowers that bloom from early to late summer in a range of colors, including red, pink, and white. They are a classic addition to cottage gardens.
Edible Parts: The flowers and leaves are edible.
Taste: Mild and slightly sweet, with a mucilaginous texture.
Uses: Hollyhock flowers garnish salads, desserts, and drinks, adding a touch of elegance. Crystallized, they provide decorative flair on pastries. The leaves make a soothing herbal tea and, when cooked, add a natural thickening quality similar to okra.
Honeysuckle climbs gracefully, displaying sweetly scented white, yellow, and red flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds. Often grown on trellises or fences, these tubular blooms enhance gardens with their charm.
Edible Parts: Only the flowers are edible; avoid the berries, as they are toxic.
Taste: Sweet and floral, with a honey-like flavor.
Uses: Honeysuckle flowers infuse syrups, teas, and desserts with a fragrant sweetness. They create a delightful cordial, serve as charming garnishes for drinks and salads, and add natural sweetness to honey and floral ice cubes.
Hyssop forms a semi-evergreen subshrub with small, fragrant, tubular flowers in shades of deep blue to violet. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, it brings extended color and functionality to the garden, prized for both medicinal and culinary applications.
Edible Parts: Both flowers and leaves are edible.
Taste: Minty and slightly bitter, with a hint of licorice.
Uses: Hyssop flowers lend a minty, mildly bitter note to salads, teas, and liqueurs. The leaves, with their intense flavor, are best used sparingly in savory dishes or herb blends. Hyssop also makes a popular addition to herbal teas, valued for its soothing qualities.
Jasmine grows as a vining plant with small, fragrant white flowers that bloom in clusters, highly prized for their delightful scent. This versatile plant thrives in warm, sunny gardens or containers.
Edible Parts: The flowers are edible, mainly valued for their fragrance rather than flavor.
Taste: Mildly floral and sweet.
Uses: Jasmine flowers are commonly infused into teas and iced teas, imparting a delicate aroma. They also flavor desserts, syrups, and jellies, adding a gentle floral note to baked goods. Jasmine-infused syrups are particularly popular in cocktails and desserts, offering a fragrant, elegant touch.
Lavender, renowned for its soothing fragrance and striking purple blooms, is also celebrated as a culinary delight. This Mediterranean native shrub thrives in sunny, well-drained gardens, where it adds beauty and fragrance.
Edible Parts: The flowers and buds are edible.
Taste: Lightly floral, with hints of mint and rosemary.
Uses: Lavender’s versatility makes it popular in culinary, aromatic, and therapeutic applications. Its delicate flavor enhances desserts like cookies, cakes, and ice creams. Lavender buds are also used to infuse honey, syrups, and lemonade, while dried flowers create soothing teas and iced teas. Lavender adds a mild floral taste with hints of mint and rosemary in cocktails. In savory dishes, a small amount of lavender adds a unique twist to roasted meats and vegetables. Lavender oil is often used in aromatherapy for relaxation, and the dried flowers add a pleasant scent to linen sachets, enhancing both home and culinary experiences.
Hardy and vigorous, lilacs are spring-blooming shrubs that produce clusters of richly scented flowers, primarily in shades of purple, pink, and white. Their vibrant colors and strong fragrance make lilacs a favorite in many temperate gardens.
Edible Parts: The flowers are edible, especially when used as a garnish, but may have varying flavors depending on the cultivar.
Taste: Delicate, slightly bitter, with a lemony-floral hint.
Uses: Lilac flowers enhance salads, desserts, and syrups with visual appeal and a subtle floral taste. Crystallize them for cake decorations or infuse them into simple syrups or lemonades. Their renowned fragrance works well in homemade floral waters or for scenting linens. Though flavor strength varies by variety, lilacs bring a unique aromatic element to culinary and decorative uses, adding versatility to any garden.
Linden trees, with heart-shaped leaves and creamy flowers, bloom from late spring to early summer, prized for both their ornamental beauty and the aromatic, health-promoting qualities of their blooms.
Edible Parts: Both flowers and young leaves are edible.
Taste: Sweet and honey-like.
Uses: Brew linden flowers into a soothing tea, popular for easing colds and coughs, and promoting relaxation. Known for its gentle flavor, linden tea is often enjoyed with honey for added sweetness and health benefits. Linden flowers also attract bees, leading to a fragrant honey prized by beekeepers. Besides their flowers, linden leaves have a tender, lettuce-like taste and can be added to salads or used as sandwich greens. The edible flowers and leaves make linden a practical addition to both gardens and kitchens.
Magnolia is a deciduous or evergreen tree with large, showy flowers that bloom in spring. The blossoms, typically white, pink, or purple, create a striking display and a delightful fragrance in the garden. Magnolia trees are among the most spectacular and admired flowering trees.
Edible Parts: Magnolia petals are edible and frequently used in culinary applications.
Taste: Floral with gingery notes and a hint of spice.
Uses: Magnolia petals are pickled or used fresh in salads to bring a unique flavor. They can also be candied or infused into vinegar for a delicate floral touch. In traditional East Asian cuisine, magnolia petals are wrapped around rice or incorporated into savory dishes, enhancing them with a subtle fragrance.
Nasturtium is a popular trailing to upright annual plant that rewards you with months of round, peppery leaves, and bright, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of orange, red, and yellow. Their cheerful blooms add color and spiciness to summer gardens. Nasturtiums rank among the most common edible flowers.
Edible Parts: Flowers, leaves, and seed pods are all edible, each contributing a fresh, spicy flavor.
Taste: Sweet, peppery, with a watercress-like bite.
Uses: Nasturtium flowers and leaves add a fresh, zesty note to salads, sandwiches, and spreads. Their edible seed pods can be pickled and used as a caper substitute. Both the flowers and leaves make excellent garnishes for soups and platters, adding flavor as well as aesthetic appeal. As a companion plant, nasturtiums are beneficial in gardens, helping to repel pests naturally. They are also mosquito-repellent. Their culinary versatility and striking colors make nasturtiums a favorite for edible landscaping and gourmet dishes.
Peonies are perennial plants admired for their large, lush blooms in shades of pink, white, and red. These long-lived beauties bring elegance to both garden beds and cut flower arrangements, making them a standout choice for spring gardens. Peonies are among the best spring flowers to spruce up your garden.
Edible Parts: Only the flower petals are edible; avoid other parts due to toxicity.
Taste: Mildly floral with a subtle sweetness.
Uses: Peony petals add elegance as garnishes for salads and desserts. They can be infused into teas or syrups for a light floral essence. Additionally, peony petals can be preserved in sugar or made into jellies, imparting delicate flavor and a beautiful touch to culinary creations.
Signet marigolds are small, bushy plants with finely divided foliage and abundant, small, single-petaled flowers that emit a lemony fragrance. They bloom continuously through summer, creating a lush, bright display.
Edible Parts: The flower petals are edible, but leaves are generally used for their fragrance rather than culinary purposes.
Taste: Citrusy and slightly spicy.
Uses: Marigold petals add a citrusy note to salads, teas, cocktails, and dressings. Known as the “poor man’s saffron,” they can be dried and used as a substitute for saffron to impart color and a mild flavor to rice and soups. Their bright petals also enhance the appearance of desserts and cold drinks. Marigolds serve as natural pest deterrents in vegetable gardens, and their leaves and flowers release a fragrance when brushed against. The unique flavor and pest-repellent properties make signet marigolds a valuable addition to edible and decorative gardens.
Garden Phlox is a perennial with sweetly scented, colorful blooms that appear in summer and last into fall. It’s a garden classic for borders, adding height and fragrance to landscapes. Not to be confused with the annual phlox, which is not edible.
Edible Parts: Only the flowers are edible.
Taste: Slightly spicy and sweet.
Uses: Use phlox flowers in fruit salads and as candied cake decorations, where their delicate flavor enhances both sweet and savory dishes. Phlox works beautifully in floral ice cubes or frozen desserts, adding charm to presentations. While not all phlox varieties are edible, Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) is safe for culinary use. Gardeners value it for its long bloom season and pollinator-friendly nature, bringing beauty to gardens and flavor to dishes.
Unsurpassed in beauty and fragrance, Roses are a key element of the summer garden. All roses are edible, but those with the sweetest fragrance will likely have the most flavor. And the flavor is more pronounced in the darker varieties.
Edible Parts: Both flower petals and rosehips are edible. Petals enhance dishes with floral flavor, especially when the bitter white base is removed. Harvest rosehips in late fall for use in teas, jams, and syrups.
Taste: Aromatic, floral, with notes of strawberries and green apples.
Uses: Use rose petals fresh in salads, as a garnish, or crystallized to decorate desserts. Create rose-infused beverages, jams, and jellies to capture their delicate aroma, while syrups and honeys benefit from their floral flavor. Make rose water and rose-infused oils for culinary and skincare uses. For optimal flavor, harvest roses early in the day before the sun reduces their fragrance, and remove the bitter white base from each petal.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are fast-growing annuals boasting huge, brilliant flowers with yellow petals surrounding a dark chocolate central disk. These showstoppers are edible from flower to leaf to root if grown organically.
Edible Parts: Almost every part is edible, including flower petals, leaves, buds, seeds, and stalks, each offering a different culinary use.
Taste: Bittersweet, with a nutty flavor.
Uses: Sunflower petals can be used in salads for color, while unopened buds are steamed like artichokes. Young leaves can be sautéed or used as salad greens, and the stalks offer a celery-like flavor. Sunflower seeds, the most popular edible part, are enjoyed roasted, raw, or used to produce sunflower oil. Sunflowers add a striking visual element to gardens and are also popular with pollinators, making them a versatile choice for food and decoration.
Invaluable for their winter, spring, or summer blooms, Violets and Pansies (Viola) are also the most popular edible flowers, adding beauty and flavor to dishes and drinks.
Edible Parts: Entire flowers, including leaves, are edible.
Taste: Sweet and lightly vegetal, with a honey-like note.
Uses: Violets and pansies are ideal for garnishing salads, desserts, and drinks. They can be candied for cake decorations or frozen in ice cubes to add elegance to cocktails. Entire flowers, including the leaves, are edible, making them versatile and easy to use in cooking. They can also be added to syrups and vinegars. Violets and pansies are popular in edible landscaping for their beauty and culinary appeal, enhancing dishes with both color and taste.
Plant Type | Annuals, Bulbs, Perennials, Shrubs |
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Genus | Tagetes, Syringa, Dianthus, Dahlia, Cucurbita, Viola, Rosa, Phlox, Tropaeolum, Jasminum, Paeonia, Hemerocallis, Helianthus, Gardenia, Freesia, Lonicera, Camellia, Alcea, Centaurea, Magnolia, Lavandula, Calendula |
Plant Type | Annuals, Bulbs, Perennials, Shrubs |
---|---|
Genus | Tagetes, Syringa, Dianthus, Dahlia, Cucurbita, Viola, Rosa, Phlox, Tropaeolum, Jasminum, Paeonia, Hemerocallis, Helianthus, Gardenia, Freesia, Lonicera, Camellia, Alcea, Centaurea, Magnolia, Lavandula, Calendula |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!