Edible Flowers

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated June 26, 2024)

I remember sucking nectar from Honeysuckle when I was a little girl, but I do not recall eating the flower. And I occasionally eat the parsley that accompanies my meal at our local steak house, because my mother always told me that parsley freshens your breath. But parsley is an herb, and not a flower. Did you know that people have eaten flowers for thousands of years? In fact, recipes dating to 140 B.C. cite flowers as part of traditional food. The Romans used rose petals and violet blooms in their foods, while the French used carnation petals in their Chartreuse liqueur. Some of those recipes have been improved upon and you can still find stuffed squash blossoms in fine Italian restaurants. And the Old Testament of the Bible speaks of Dandelions used as a bitter herb.

While I don't recommend that you go pluck flower blooms and Dandelion blossoms out of your yard and serve them to your family for dinner, you can peruse a list of edible flowers and then research how best to incorporate them into a recipe. Here are some familiar flowers and the parts that are considered edible:

  • Honeysuckle—nectar and flower.
  • Chamomile—flower heads.
  • Roses—petals (but remove the bases).
  • Violets—flowers.
  • Chrysanthemum—petals.
  • Tulips—petals.
  • Daylilies—petals and the flower buds.
  • Pansies—petals.
  • Lavender—petals.

If you are allergy prone, then you should never eat flowers. Never place an inedible flower onto someone's plate even as a garnish! A person might think that anything placed on the plate is edible. Here are just a few of the more common flowers that are poisonous: Crocus, Azalea, Bloodroot, Buttercup, Caladium, Calla Lily, Chinaberry, Daffodil, Nightshade, Clematis, Four O'clock, Foxglove, Horse Chestnut, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Iris, Ivy, Jack-in-the Pulpit, Jasmine, Jonquil, Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Mistletoe, Morning Glory, Periwinkle, Potato, Sweet Pea, and Wisteria.

It's wise to consult reputable resources online, at your library, or your local cooperative extension office to find out how best to use edible flowers. Always wash flowers thoroughly since some may contain harmful pesticides.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Cleaning a Cedar Fence

While you cannot restore cedar fencing to its original color, you can remove black stains caused by tannins, mold, and ...

Discover More

Making Cosmetics Last Longer

If you have oily skin and wash your face with bath soap such as Zest, the soap will initially dry your skin. Once the ...

Discover More

Creating an Energy-Efficient Home

If you stop to think about it, there are plenty of ways to improve your home to make it more energy-efficient. While some ...

Discover More
More Gardening Tips

Beautiful Spring Flowers

If you want to grow gorgeous flowers in early spring, you'll need to start planting bulbs the fall before. Plant your ...

Discover More

Tips for Taking Cuttings

Plant cutting is a great way to get new plants out of your old ones. Hang your cuttings in a bag of soil to protect them ...

Discover More

Working with Bulbs and Bulbils

Instead of spending tons of money on new bulbs to replenish your garden every year, you can harvest what you need to grow ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 - 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)