Edible Flowers Guide

Flowers have formed part of our diet for thousands of years. Chinese cooks were experimenting with edible flowers as far back at 3,000 B.C.E. and the Romans used violets and roses in their food as well as lavender in sauces. The practice is still going strong today, with many restaurants using petals to add a unique flavour and appearance.

But it’s not just restaurant chefs who can use flowers in cooking. You’d be surprised at how many edible varieties you can find in your own garden. Here are some of the most popular edible blooms, and ideas for how to use them.

Before we get into what kinds of flowers might tickle your taste buds, a word on the flowers you should avoid. If you’re in any doubt as to whether or not a flower is edible – don’t eat it. It’s a simple rule of thumb, but effective. Also, if you have pollen allergies, you might want to avoid eating edible flowers altogether.



Here are a few other important tips:

• Don't pick faded, dusty, old or discoloured flowers in your garden (or when foraging) that are near a road or an area that animals use.
• Don't treat your edible flowers with pesticides. Instead, if you have problems with pests, cut the flower back and encourage regrowth instead.

10 poisonous flowers you should NEVER eat

1. Daffodil – Eating any part of a daffodil will cause distress due to the toxin, lycorine.
2. Poppy – Give these a wide berth as all poppies are poisonous.
3. Foxglove – These contain naturally-occurring poisons that affect the heart.
4. Oleander – The whole plant is highly-toxic – one of the most toxic garden plants in fact.
5. Clematis – Mild, but toxic, contact with clematis (mouth or skin) can cause irritation.
6. Bluebell – All parts of the bluebell contains toxic glycosides.
7. Rhododendron – Its toxins can impact heart rhythm and blood pressure.
8. Larkspur – Its toxic alkaloids are fast-acting and potentially life-threatening.
9. Hydrangea – The small amount of cyanide in Hydrangeas make them dangerous.
10. Lily-of-the-Valley – Pretty, but they contain convallatoxin, which should not be ingested.

Edible flowers are always best when picked fresh from the garden. They’ll taste even better if you can pick them early in the morning before they’ve had too much sun.

But if that’s not possible, don’t worry. Put them straight in the fridge (in a plastic container) and try to use them within a few days.

Wash and dry them gently by dipping them in a bowl of water and gently shaking. This should also help remove any bugs or bees that might have stowed away within the petals.

Speaking of the petals – these are the best parts of many edible flowers. So remove the heel at the base of the petal (it’s often bitter), as well as the stamens, pistil and calyx of larger flowers. Some, like pansies, however, you can eat whole.

Whilst this is an at a glance guide, the RHS have a great, in depth guide to edible flowers. Do check it out if you want to know more: Edible flowers / RHS Gardening