15 Flowers You Can Eat

Spring is so beautiful. There are flowers everywhere we look. 

Did you know you can actually eat many flowers?

Here is a list of 15 beautiful flowers that would make a great addition to your delicious dishes.

Calendula / marigold

The petals of these flowers are edible and have a peppery, spicy taste.  They add vibrant color to any dish.

Borage

These are lovely blue-purple flowers that have a mild taste like cucumber.

Anise hyssop

Flowers and leaves of this plant are edible and have a subtle licorice flavor.

Allium

The allium family includes plants such as garlic, chives and leeks. All the blossoms from this family are flavorful and edible.

Chrysanthemum

Mums come in a wide range of colors and flavors, mostly a peppery flavor. Only the petals of these flowers should be eaten.

Cilantro

Cilantro flowers share the same flavor as the leaves and are best eaten fresh, not cooked.

Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)

Citrus flowers are very sweet and have a lovely but strong scent. They should be used sparingly to jazz up a dish.

Fennel

The beautiful bursting yellow fennel flowers have a subtle licorice flavor similar to the leaves.

The delicious hibiscus doughnuts from Dough!

Hibiscus

Hibiscus flowers are used throughout tropical regions mostly as a tea. The flower has a tart cranberry flavor.

Johnny Jump-Up

These flowers are cute and delicious. They have a subtle mint flavor and are a great addition to many dishes.

Lavender ice cream- yum!

Lavender

Lavender flowers, as the leaves, have a lovely sweet, spicy taste. They have a calming scent and can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

Mint

Mint flowers are minty! Add pretty fresh taste to any treat.

Nasturtium

These flowers are bright and are brilliant in a dish. They are very flavorful with a spicy pepper taste.

Pansy

The petals of the pansy have a very subtle taste but the whole flower can be eaten for a bit more flavor. The colorful flowers make a great edible decoration for many treats or salads.

Squash and pumpkin

Squash blossoms have a mild squash flavor and are great for stuffing.

Before you go snipping flowers all over town..

It is best to eat only flowers of plants that you have grown. Flowers from a florist or found elsewhere may have been treated with pesticides, which you do not want to be eating.

Before eating flowers, the plant should be checked for signs of disease or insect damage. Flowers from these plants should not be eaten.

The pistil and stamen, the male and female parts in the center of the flowers, should be removed before eating.

Clean flowers with warm water and then dip in ice water the restore crispness.

Check out some great edible flower recipes here!

Warning- Not all flowers are edible and some flowers are poisonous! Some plants with edible flowers may have other poisonous parts and vice versa. Always research before eating! 

For a list of more edible flowers and some that are toxic check out this site.