Explore The Beauty of Edible Flowers
Discover safe edible flowers, delicious recipes, and simple growing tips. Bring more colour, flavour and joy to your kitchen and garden.
Explore The Beauty of Edible Flowers
Discover safe edible flowers, delicious recipes, and simple growing tips. Bring more colour, flavour and joy to your kitchen and garden.
Explore what’s possible
safe to eat
Safe Flowers
Know which flowers are safe to eat and how to use them.
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COOK & CREATE
Flowers for Cakes
Beautiful edible flowers can turn a simple cake into something truly special.
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Cocktail garnishes
Cocktail garnishes
Edible flowers transform simple drinks into something beautiful.
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My Lifelong Love of Flowers
I have spent many years growing, experimenting with and enjoying edible flowers. Here I will share with you what I’ve learned to help you grow edible flowers also. With lots of tips of what to grow, how to decorate and to choose how enjoy them.
READ ANNIE’S STORY →
EASY FLOWERS TO GROW
Easy Flowers to Grow
Beautiful flowers don’t have to be difficult. These favourites are easy to grow and quick to reward you with colour.
EASY FLOWERS TO GROW
Easy Flowers to Grow
Beautiful flowers don’t have to be difficult. These favourites are easy to grow and quick to reward you with colour.
Violas →
Nasturtiums →
Calendula →
Perennials →
Climbers →
Latest Articles
Inspiration, ideas and knowledge from the world of edible flowers
FEATURED STORY
DRINKS WITH FLOWERS
White Negroni Cocktail with Edible Flowers
A floral twist on a classic. This Wjite Negroni is elegant, refreshing and finished with edible flowers that make every sip a delight.
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DRINKS WITH FLOWERS
Butterfly Pea Flower
A Mesmerizing Edible Flower
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DRINKS WITH FLOWERS
Growing Bee Balm
A Mesmerizing Edible Flower
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MORE TO EXPLORE
Recipes, growing guides and floral inspiration. Look closer into the world of edible flowers.
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FEATURED STORY
DRINKS WITH FLOWERS
White Negroni Cocktail with Edible Flowers
A floral twist on a classic. This White Negroni is elegant, refreshing and finished with edible flowers that make every sip a delight.
Read Article →
GROW & ENJOY
Butterfly Pea Flower
A Mesmerizing Edible Flower
Read Article →
GROW & ENJOY
Growing Bee Balm
Grow a bee friendly garden.
Read Article →
MORE TO EXPLORE
Recipes, growing guides and floral inspiration. Look closer into the world of edible flowers.
Explore All Articles →
" When you see a flower on your plate it brings a delight and joy that other garnishes don’t " - Annie
" When you see a flower on your plate it brings a delight and joy that other garnishes don’t " - Annie
Eyebrow
The Charm of Viola Flowers
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ANNIE'S NOTE
Violas are one of my go-to flowers – pretty, versatile and always a joy to have in the garden
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Good Food Brighter Days
Good Food brighter days
Edible beauty Everyday
FEATURE STORY
A Summer Table With Nasturtiums
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Explore the Story →
Bright peppery petals bring colour and character to salads, tarts and simple summer platters.
What Flowers are Edible?
The list of flowers you can eat is really quite extensive. I will guess that many of you already grow some and didn’t realise that they are edible.
I will add in a caveat about the edibility of flowers though. It’s important to only use flowers that you know have been grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals. For this reason, it’s a great solution if you can grow them yourself
I must give you a quick word of warning, don’t use flowers sold at supermarkets or general florists as most will have been grown using chemicals and pesticides that you don’t want in your body.
Also, be careful picking flowers from roadsides that are exposed to vehicle fumes as they could be contaminated with toxic substances.
Where Can I Buy Edible Flowers
If you can’t grow the edible flowers yourself, there are an increasing number of organic edible flower farmers that grow blooms specifically for the plate and many take online orders.
More and more speciality retail outlets are also stocking flowers you can eat.
Also go to your local farmers markets, or local produce suppliers, you may find some edible flowers there.
Other places to look would be Facebook or Instagram – these are good places where local farmers and growers will often advertise.
Growing Flowers You Can Eat
It’s really important not to eat flowers that haven’t been grown organically. This is for the obvious reason of not wanting to add unwanted chemicals to our diet!
So, the easiest thing to do is to grow your own edible flowers!
If you have a garden, you can have such fun growing flowers you can eat!
Growing Flowers You Can Eat in Pots or Containers
If you don’t have a garden, then grow some edible flowers in your courtyard or on the balcony.
Verbena, pentas, pansies, scented geraniums, marigolds, and violets are a few of the many varieties that will very happily grow in a pot or container.
It’s also very satisfying popping out and picking a few blooms to decorate whatever you’re making.
I pick a small posy of flowers and sit them in my fridge during the summer to keep them fresh.
This reminds me to use them every time I open the fridge!
Best Ways to Harvest and Store Your Edible Flowers
Picking and storing your edible flowers is easy. You just need to be very gentle with them as some will bruise easily.
Pick only the best blooms and avoid those that are going over or too damaged to look good.
Smaller flowers are quite delicate so you will need to handle them carefully.
The flowers will keep in the fridge for a week or so if you follow a few guidelines set out below. Some more robust flowers may last longer before they will start to deteriorate but the best scenario is to use them straight away if possible.
Which Flowers Are Poisonous?
As you would know, not all flowers are edible and poisonous flowers are usually beautiful, but some are toxic.
I’m often asked “Is Alstroemeria edible?”. The answer is No, it isn’t ! It is one of my favorite vase flowers but is not one that is edible. Its on the list below!
Another question I’m often asked is “Is Pentas is edible”. Now this one is a yes!
It is really important that you do your own research into any flower before choosing to eat it or supplying it to other people. Some can be very toxic and so you will need to be aware of which flowers are safe to eat.
In practice, it usually takes a reasonable amount of ingestion to create severe sickness but it’s still not safe to have toxic flowers on your plate and are best avoided.
Give Your Food the Wow Factor by Garnishing with Edible Flowers
Even if you’re not the greatest and most creative cook, you can still make your food look as though it’s just come out of a fancy restaurant!
Your dish can look exquisite by simply placing a flower or adding some petals.
The options are endless. Here are some ideas on how you can use edible flowers for garnish
Create a Special Drinks Experience with Edible Flowers
Add a bit of decadence to your drinks by using flowers you can eat!
Cocktails and mocktails are renowned for being on the decadent side – and people love a bit of extra pizazz with the garnish.
There are many flowers that will compliment the flavor of spirits in a cocktail, as well as making a simple refreshing soft drink look appetizing and interesting.
I just love making floral ice cubes with little flowers suspended in the middle of the ice cube. These are easy to do and so very effective in both cocktails, mocktails or any refreshing drink.
Most small flowers look exquisite in ice and will create an enchanting touch to your drink, as the ice melts.
Make Enchanting Cakes Decorated with Edible Flowers
This has to be top of my list of favorite things to do with edible flowers!
I love baking and I love decorating cakes with edible flowers even more!
So many cake makers these days are using edible flowers to produce stunning visual effects on their cakes.
I received one of these cakes for my birthday and I was delighted!
It was decorated with vibrant pink cosmos and a variety of other flowers you can eat, such as miniature roses, dianthus and daisies. It was SO beautiful!
There are other options of using flowers for cakes, which will keep a bit longer than fresh flowers, like easy to make crystallized flowers.
What do Edible Flowers Taste like
Here is a guide on what do edible flowers taste like.
Edible flowers have a wide range of flavors, varying from spicy, sweet, tangy, pungent and bitter. So before using make sure you do a taste test!
Many flowers you can eat have a bland or subtle flavor and so can be used in most dishes. Others have a distinct aromatic flavor and so would only enhance certain savory dishes.
Nasturtiums have a complex favor which is spicy with a sweetness that comes from the nectar that the bees all love. These flowers tend to be used more for savory dishes and salads but I have seen them successfully used as garnish for cake platters.
Those lovely little pink chive flowers have a distinct oniony flavour and so also go well in savoury dishes where the flavour will give a subtle enhancement.
Flowers such as violas, violets or pentas do not have a strong taste and so can be used to decorate any dish.
Benefits of Eating Flowers
Apart from their visual appeal, many edible flowers have additional nutritious properties. Flowers such as roses, violets and calendulas are rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate and potassium.
Many flowers you can eat also have medicinal properties and are often used in natural remedies. Echinacea is well known for boosting immunity and Hibiscus also has high levels of flavonoids and nutrients. Flavonoids have powerful antioxidant properties which are used in helping with symptoms of inflammation, reducing blood pressure and improving heart health.
Although the nutritious value varies widely, it’s good to know that the flowers you are consuming do have a positive effect on your body (not only on your eyes!).
Edible flowers are a versatile and nutritious addition to your plate, which will add a burst of colour and in some cases flavour to your dish.