I love including edible flowers in the garden. The best part? Whether you have a large growing space or a tiny balcony, it’s easy to incorporate delicious blooms into your green space. The flowers listed below have unique flavors, textures, and vibrant colors, all of which are sure to enhance your next meal or drink!
Edible flowers: A visual guide
Here are some of the most popular flowers that you can eat, too!
And, if you want to learn more, read my article: What is a forage garden? Creating a garden that feeds you.
How to use edible flowers?
Many flowers can be used as a base for simple syrups in cocktails or mocktails, in teas, or frozen in ice cubes to add visual interest to your drinks. They are also great for infused lemonades and iced teas!
For cooking, they are easiest used in salads to add a pop of color. You might also consider adding them as garnish to appetizers like canapés, toasts, or on breads.
Edible flowers also make great additions to baked goods, whether they are infused into sugars, syrups, or whipped creams, or candied for garnishes. They also look stunning when added to cakes and pastries.
For specific examples of how to use each, see the post below.
15 Popular edible flowers
Not all flowers are created equal in the kitchen. Uncover the most popular edible flowers, each with its distinct flavor profile and culinary use. Below you will find a short description of each flower, how it tastes, and an idea for both a drink and a food item. Plus, learn when to grow and harvest each one!
1. Roses
These are hands-down one of my favorites for baking and drinks. They are both delicate and fragrant, blooming in late spring to early summer.
Rose flavor: Delicate and slightly sweet.
Drink: Rosehip tea.
Baking: Quick rose jam for pastries and desserts
2. Daylilies
Resilient and vibrant, daylilies grace gardens in early to mid-summer, showcasing a variety of hues. Harvest the buds before fully opening for optimal flavor.
Daylily flavor: Mildly sweet with a slight crunch.
Drink: Add the blooms to fresh iced tea for a pop of color.
Cooking: Daylily fritters recipe (beer batter). Or, sauté them in garlic butter!
3. Lilacs
Lilacs are stunning and fragrant, blooming in late spring to early summer. They are ready to harvest when the flowers are fully open.
Lilac flavor: Floral and slightly sweet.
Drink: Quick & Easy lilac lemonade.
Baking: Lilac infused sugar or whipped cream for desserts.
4. Dandelions
A common weed that blooms in the spring. You can use the entire plant in cooking, but harvest flowers before they turn into seed heads.
Dandelion flower flavor: Mildly sweet (syrups and jellies are nick-named poor man’s honey for a reason!)
Drink: Dandelion wine.
Baking: Dandelion jelly recipe
5. Nasturtiums
These vibrant and peppery flowers thrive in the summer heat. Harvest leaves and blossoms during their growing season.
Nasturtium flavor: Peppery and slightly tangy.
Drink: Nasturtium-infused gin cocktail
Cooking: Nasturtium pesto pasta. Or, add blooms to salads for a pop of color and spice.
6. Violets
These small and delicate little flowers bloom in the early spring. Harvest the flowers when they first open.
Violet flavor: Sweet with a hint of grassiness.
Drink: Violet syrup in iced tea, sodas, or cocktails.
Baking: Make candied violets to add to pastries and desserts or a quick jelly.
7. Lavender
Fragrant and aromatic, lavender blooms in late spring to early summer. Harvest when flowers are fully open.
Lavender flavor: Floral.
Drink: Lavender lemonade.
Baking: Lavender-infused shortbread cookies.
8. Squash blossoms
Male squash blossoms can be used in the summertime once they are fully open. I like to hand-pollinate first, and make sure to leave the female flowers intact.
Squash blossom flavor: Mildly sweet with a hint of squash flavor.
Cooking: Stuffed squash blossoms with ricotta and herbs (use my recipe for daylily fritters!).
9. Sunflowers
More than just the seeds are edible on these beautiful blooms! They bloom in the late summer and petals should be harvested once fully opened.
Sunflower flavor: Bitter with a nutty undertone.
Drink: Sunflower tea (blended with other edible flowers).
Cooking: Sunflower petal pesto.
10. Pansies
These beautiful multi-colored flowers bloom in early spring to early summer. Harvest when fully open.
Pansy flavor: Mildly grassy and slightly sweet.
Drink: Pansy gin cocktail.
Baking: Pansy salad or use as a garnish on top of shortbread cookies.
11. Dianthus (Carnations)
Ruffled and vibrant, dianthus blooms in late spring to early summer. Harvest flowers when fully open.
Carnation flavor: Spicy and clove-like.
Drink: Create a simple syrup for a cocktail base.
Cooking/Baking: Add to salads or candy them to add to desserts.
12. Marigolds
Bold and colorful, marigolds bloom from spring to fall. Harvest petals throughout the growing season.
Marigold flavor: Peppery and citrusy.
Drink: Marigold-infused margarita.
Cooking: Add to a citrus salad.
13. Chamomile
Dainty and resembling tiny daisies, chamomile flowers bloom in early summer. Harvest when petals are fully open.
Chamomile flavor: Mildly sweet and apple-like.
Drink: Chamomile tea with honey.
Baking: Chamomile-infused honey glaze for desserts..
14. Calendula
These bright and sunny flowers bloom from spring to fall. Harvest petals throughout the growing season.
Calendula flavor: Mildly tangy and peppery.
Drink: Calendula-infused herbal tea.
Cooking: Calendula-infused butter for savory dishes.
15. Dahlias
The flower that inspired this blog! They are large, showy flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall. Harvest dahlias in late summer to early fall when the flowers are fully open, and the petals are vibrant.
Carnation flavor: Dahlias have a mild, earthy flavor with a slightly bitter undertone.
Drink: Create a dahlia-infused simple syrup to add a floral twist to cocktails or mocktails.
Cooking: Garnish salads with dahlia petals for a visually stunning and edible addition.
Planting schedule for edible flowers
Ready to add these delicious flowers to your garden? Here is a planting schedule for the 15 edible flowers listed above. *Please note: This was developed for planting in zones 4-6, which is the planting zone for the Okanagan Valley.
Seed harvesting tips
- Rose: Collect rose hips in late fall after the first frost. Extract seeds from the hips and dry them before storage. Rose seeds can be stored for up to 2 years.
- Marigold: Allow the flower heads to dry on the plant. Collect seeds when they are fully dry, store in a cool, dark place, and they can last for 2-3 years.
- Chamomile: Harvest chamomile flowers when fully bloomed. Allow them to dry completely on the plant before collecting seeds. Chamomile seeds remain viable for about 2 years.
- Lavender: Harvest lavender flowers when they are fully open. Remove seeds from the dried flower heads and store in a cool, dark place. Lavender seeds can last for several years.
- Calendula: Allow the calendula flowers to fully mature and dry on the plant. Collect seeds and store them in a cool, dry place. Calendula seeds can remain viable for up to 5 years.
FAQs about edible flowers
What flowers are edible?
There are tons of edible flowers, but here are 15 of the most popular: Roses, daylilies, lilacs, dandelions, nasturtiums, violets, lavender, squash blossoms, sunflowers, pansies, carnations, marigolds, chamomile, calendula, and dahlias.
Can all edible flowers be eaten?
Not all flowers are edible, and even when they are, not all of their parts are safe to consume. Be sure to research each flower before introducing it into your cooking, and to be certain of how to safely prepare and consume it.
Can flowers be eaten raw?
Many edible flowers are delicious raw! Their unique flavors are great for fresh dishes like salads and canapés. Or, you can also add flowers into your cooking and baking.
What are the easiest edible flowers to grow for beginners?
Marigolds, daylilies, pansies, and nasturtiums are excellent choices for beginners due to their hardiness and versatility.
Conclusion
Incorporating edible flowers into your garden not only adds a burst of vibrant colors but also introduces a world of unique flavors and textures to elevate your culinary experiences. Whether you have a spacious garden or a small balcony, these delightful blooms offer versatility and charm. From delicate roses to peppery nasturtiums, each flower listed brings its own distinct profile to enhance your meals and beverages.
The visual guide provided offers a comprehensive look at 15 popular edible flowers, detailing their flavors and suggesting creative ways to use them in both drinks and dishes. From floral-infused teas and lemonades to stunning garnishes for salads and desserts, the possibilities are as diverse as the flowers themselves.
We would love to see how you use these edible flowers in your own kitchen!
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Thank you for reading. ♡
