40 plus edible flowers (and how to use them)

You don’t often think of grandma’s flower garden as a good place to harvest your lunch, but there are a surprising number of tasty edibles growing in most perennial flower beds.

Beyond edible flowers, many (but not all) of these plants also have edible leaves, stems, and tubers too.  Once you learn that common many common garden flowers are edible, you’ll never look at those formal flower plantings the same way.

A few years ago a friend of mine asked me to write an excerpt for her book, Gardening Like a Ninja: A Guide to Sneaking Delicious Edibles into Your Landscape.  My first thought was, why on earth would you have to sneak anything in?  There are plenty of edible landscape plants in just about any yard, provided you know where to look.

The trick is, I didn’t always know where to look.  Years ago, when we first moved to our homestead, our plan was to establish as many perennial edibles as possible.  Our first step in establishing an edible landscape was to take stock of our foundation.

Taking a look at the plantings that already exist on your property, we learned that many of them were, in fact, tasty edibles, they’re just not the same ones you’d find in the grocery store.  Hostas and peonies, for example, are both considered delicacies in Japan.  I’d already read about those years ago, but I knew there must be more tasty edibles lurking in our yard already.

Quickly researching other established plants on our land led me to find tasty uses for catmint, roses, crabapples, black locust blossoms, daylilies, hibiscus, sumac, impatiens, linden trees, violets, lilacs, and tulips.  Many of these plants were grown for their showy blooms, but those also happen to be edible flowers.

Beyond their edible flowers, many of them also have edible shoots, leaves, and tubers too.  That means these simple flower garden plants not only offer tasty edible blossoms to top salads and flavor drinks, but they may also provide more substantial nutrition too.

Knowing our land was also the first step in taking ownership of what was ours.  Somehow, knowing every bush and tree in the yard by name helped us find a connection to our plants and the world around us that I can’t imagine we’d have achieved otherwise.  Strange as it may seem, walking into the yard and picking fresh violets and other edible flowers for a dinner salad with guests not only impressed my company but also helped make my house feel a lot more like a home.

Knowing that plants in your existing perennial beds are edible is also handy in other ways, especially if you’re a parent.

When I was a small child, I ate a significant portion of one of our hedge bushes, and my mom was quite concerned.  She always thought that bush smelled funny, and must be toxic.  After I’d eaten it, she searched high and low to identify it to make sure I’d be ok, only to find out that the strange hedge was actually a rosemary bush in bloom…

List of Edible Flowers

If you’re just looking for a quick list, here’s a quick list of edible flowers below.  If you’re looking for some tasty recipes for using each flower, or wondering how they taste, read on my friends.

• Angelica
• Anise Hyssop
• Bachelors Buttons
• Bee Balm
• Begonia
• Borage
• Black Locust
• Calendula
• Carnations
• Chamomile
• Chickory
• Chives (and other alliums)
• Chrysanthemum
• Clover
• Daisy
• Dame’s Rocket
• Dandelions
• Daylilies
• Elderflower
• Fireweed
• Forsythia
• Fruit Blossoms (Apple, pear, plum, citrus, etc)
• Hibiscus
• Hollyhock
• Honeysuckle
• Hostas
• Lavender
• Lilac
• Linden
• Marshmallow
• Meadowsweet
• Milkweed
• Nasturtium
• Peonies
• Phlox
• Rose
• Scented Geraniums
• Sunflowers
• Tulips
• Violets

Angelica 

An old school flower garden favorite, Angelica has been grown and eaten since the middle ages.  The beautiful flowers are themselves edible, and you can eat them right out in the garden.

How does angelica taste?  Floral, with hints of anise and carrot, along with a bit of mild bitterness.

The flower stalks are often candied, and it was a popular confection in the dark ages in Europe.  According to Hank Shaw at Honest Food, here’s how to make candied angelica:

“First, you need to know what candied angelica is. It is a very old form of candy. Flavor and structure comes from the herb stems, sweetness from cane sugar. The stems are blanched, then soaked in heavy syrup, boiled in that syrup, soaked again — several times — until they turn translucent. You then dry the stems a bit and roll them in caster sugar.”

Angelica is also a medicinal flower, and it was revered as the “herb of angels” historically.  According to WebMD, Angelica is used to treat heartburn, flatulence, loss of appetite, bed wetting, arthritis, stroke, dementia, circulation problems, anxiety, fever, and insomnia. 

Quite the list!  They also note that it was used historically to “bring the menses,” so don’t eat it if you’re pregnant.

We don’t grow angelica in the garden, but I found a wild patch next to our favorite summertime swimming hole last year.  This summer, I’m excited about harvesting some of our own and trying out these angelica recipes:

• Angelica Creme Fraiche (Angelica Cultured in Goats Milk) ~ Forager Chef
• Angelica Seed Pound Cake ~ Forager Chef
• Rhubarb Compote with Angelica & Dried Cherries ~ Forager Chef
• Rhubarb and Angelica Jam ~ Saveur

Anise Hyssop

A favorite of the bees, Anise Hyssop has a wonderful scent that fills the garden in midsummer.  The flowers and leaves have a delicate black licorice flavor that’s pleasant but not overwhelming.  They’re tasty fresh, or you can add anise hyssop blossoms to baked goods as well.  Try any of these anise hyssop recipes:

• Anise Hyssop Woopie Pies ~ Homespun Seasonal Living
• Anise Hyssop Gumdrops ~ Homespun Seasonal Living
• Anise Hyssop Ice Tea ~ Taste Cooking

Still looking for more ideas?  Here’s a list of things to do with Anise Hyssop.  My favorite use?  Just leaving it be and watching the bumble bees work the beautiful fragrant flowers in the summertime…

Bachelor’s Buttons

Also known as cornflower, bachelors buttons are bright blue edible flowers with a mild grassy flavor.

While the flower petals are a tasty edible, the green parts are much less pleasant.  Carefully remove the green sepals around the flower to avoid their bitter taste.  

Bee Balm

One of the most carefree flowers we grow, bee balm grows like a weed in our soils.  The bright red blooms attract hummingbirds in the summer, and I’ve actually seen groups of them fight over the sweet nectar.  If you’ve never seen hummingbirds battle, it’s quite a sight, and those tiny delicate birds can really dish it out when competing for bee balm.

Bee balm flowers are also medicinal, with antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties.  They’re commonly used to treat colds, flu, coughs, digestive upset, bloating, nausea and menstrual cramps.  Typically, they’re used in salves to treat stings, scrapes and rashes.

Beyond that, bee balm blossoms are also a nervine that calms the whole nervous system during periods of stress and anxiety.  That makes them the perfect summertime addition to cool drinks when you have way too much on your busy summer schedule.

There are dozens of ways to use bee balm, from teas to salves and herbal steams, but they’re also wonderful eaten simply as salad toppers or in a simple floral jelly.

Begonia

With a bright citrus taste and a hint of sour, begonias are a flavorful edible flower that’s quite versatile.  They can be eaten alongside savory or sweet dishes equally well.  Eat the weeds notes that begonia blossoms and leaves are tasty raw, and that the stalks can be cooked like rhubarb.  

Try any of these begonia recipes:

• Strawberry Begonia Salad ~ Sunset Magazine
• Begonia Flower Vinegar ~ PBS
• Begonia Fritters ~ Funny How Flowers Do That
• Begonia Cocktails ~Funny How Flowers Do That
• Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Begonias ~ Funny How Flowers Do That
• Grilled Sea Bass with Citrus Begonia Dressing ~ Funny How Flowers Do That
• Pistachio and Lemon Cream Tart with Sugared Begonias ~ Funny How Flowers Do That

Borage

With a flavor reminiscent of fresh cucumbers, borage flowers are often added to cool summertime drinks.  While the edible flowers tend to get all the attention, borage leaves are also edible and make a lovely green salad.  The greens can also be served cooked, and added to anything in place of spinach.  

Hank Shaw has a pretty thorough guide to cooking borage.  Here are a few more borage recipes to keep you cooking:

• Borage Ravioli ~ Saveur
• Blackberry Borage Fool ~ Epicurious
• Borage Party Spread Appetizers ~ Taste of Home
• Borage Soup ~ The Seasonal Table

Black Locust

In the late spring and early summer, our black locust trees are covered with fragrant white blossoms.  For about 2 to 3 weeks each year, you can smell them from many yards away.  You can also “hear” them, as the trees attract so many bees that they seem to hum when in bloom.

The bees know where the good stuff is, and if you can manage it, pick a few of the edible blossoms to make black locust fritters!  While that’s the most popular way to enjoy these fragrant edible flowers, there are also a few more black locust recipes you should try:

• Black Locust Flower Syrup ~ Nature on the Shelf 
• Black Locust and Ricotta Crostini with Wild Mint ~ Foraged Foodie
• Black Locust Flower Jelly ~ Three Foragers
• White Wine and Locust Flower Jelly ~ Indiana Public Media
• Baked Salmon in Locust Blossom Cream Sauce ~ Northern Woodlands
• Locust Flower Sorbet ~ Backyard Forager

Calendula

The beautiful orange/yellow flowers of calendula make a beautiful annual in the flower garden, and their bright edible flower petals add color to all manner of dishes.  For the most part, they add bright colors to recipes, but not a lot of flavor.  They’re used to create these bright natural herbal cupcake sprinkles, and the petals are beautiful in these Calendula and thyme shortbread cookies.

A well-known herbal medicinal, calendula is often used topically to treat skin issues.  We use a calendula infused oil on burns, but it’s also anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and astringent.  This makes it the perfect choice for an all-purpose calendula salve.  

Beyond its external uses, calendula is also used internally to treat muscle spasms, sore throat, menstrual cramps and stomach complaints (source).

Calendula flower is used to prevent muscle spasms, start menstrual periods, and reduce fever. It is also used for treating sore throat and mouth, menstrual cramps, cancer, and stomach and duodenal ulcers. Calendula has also been used for measles, smallpox, and jaundice.

Looking for more inspiration?  Here are 10 things to make with calendula flowers.