Want to add something beautiful and edible to your home flower or vegetable garden? Well, edible flowers may be just what you’re looking for! These fun and beautiful blooms are lovely to the eye and tasty in the kitchen as well. Check out all of the wonderful edible flowers you can grow in your garden at home.
Edible Blooms in the Garden
There are several edible flowers that you can grow in the garden, and they can be used in salads, beverages, as a flavoring, or garnish. They also make an impressive addition to any meal, especially for a dinner party or a special dinner with friends or family.
Each edible flower has its own unique flavor and is safe for eating as long as pesticides have not been used on the plant. For natural and safe pesticides, check out my post on Natural Pest Control methods.
For the best flavor, harvest flowers soon after the bloom opens.
This post may contain affiliate links, which simply means I may earn a commission off of links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!
11 Popular edible flowers
Alliums
Garlic, leeks and chives are members of the allium family. The plants not only produce a pungent aroma and taste, the tall stems produce an edible flower cluster. Snip off the stem to release the tiny florets, and use them as a flavorful garnish on salad, soups, and other dishes. (Learn How to Grow Garlic at Home here!)
Anise Hyssop
The florets have the same flavor as anise (think licorice). Add them to any sweet or savory recipe, or to garnish a cheese platter or charcuterie board.
Bee Balm
A member of the mint family, bee balm has a strong minty flavor and scent. Bee balm is used to make tea, jams, salads or in cooked recipes. It’s also a favorite of pollinators! Check out this post from Practical Self Reliance on other uses for Bee Balm.
Calendula
This is an easy to grow flower that will add a pop of color to a green salad. The plant produces blooms in pink, yellow, orange, and red, and the petals can be separated and sprinkled on top of a salad.
Daylily
A spring time favorite, the buds and flowers of daylily have a flavor that tastes much like asparagus. These edible flowers can be used in stir fry, as a garnish or stuffed and fried. Try this recipe from PBS food on how to make daylily fritters!
Honeysuckle
As you might guess, honeysuckle blooms have the flavor of honey. Add these summertime favorite blooms to salads or beverages for a touch of sweetness. A little honeysuckle lemonade is a delightful treat!
Marigolds
I remember seeing marigolds being eaten for the first time when I watched the movie Monsoon Wedding many years ago. The blooms of marigolds have a citrus flavor and will add a punch of color and flavor to beverages, salads or fish dishes. (They are also a wonderful pest repellent for the garden, and you can see my suggestions for flowers for the vegetable garden here.)
Mint
All flowers in the mint family are edible. Try adding lemon balm, peppermint or spearmint to cup of hot tea or glass of iced tea. Freeze mint leaves in ice cubes to use to cool and flavor water, and like many other herbs, they make a delicious simple syrup for beverages! (And here are some helpful tips on growing mint.)
Nasturtiums
These are one of my favorite blooms to have in the garden each year! Both the leaves and blooms of nasturtiums are edible. The plant has a peppery taste and is great for use in salads or as a garnish or eating straight out of the garden!
Pansies
These happy-looking blooms have a wintergreen flavor and are great to use as a beverage flavor enhancer. Freeze blooms in ice cubes to add refreshing coolness to any beverage.
Squash Blossoms
Squash blossoms are large, bright yellow and have a mild flavor. In an Italian classic from Christina’s Cucina, they are stuffed with soft cheese, rolled in Panko bread crumbs, and deep fried. What could possibly sound unappealing about that? (Click here for a complete guide on how to grow squash and zucchini.)
Try new edible blooms
While you may not be able to incorporate all of these edible flowers in your flower beds or vegetable garden, consider one or two for the upcoming season. It’s always a good idea to try new things.
Want to get your garden planning off on the right foot? Grab my Complete Garden Planner to ensure you’re getting everything you want and need in your garden space!
Edible Flower FAQ’s
- How do you know if a flower is edible? Other than the list above, research a flower before eating it. There are plenty of toxic plants out there, and you don’t want to risk it. Do a web search of the plant and use a reliable source of info to find out if that particular bloom is edible.
- How do you care for edible flowers? Keep them free of pesticides and be on the lookout for any diseases or pest damage. Harvest the blooms early on, and use clean shears to trim off the blooms instead of pulling on the plant.
- Can you buy edible flowers? Yes, in some cases you can find edible blooms at your local farmer’s market or natural food store.