Anchusa – Small bright blue flowers just like Forget-me-Nots. Mid taste, used for garnish in salads.
Anise Hyssop – Mild licorice flavour. Use in fruit desserts and tea or as a garnish for iced tea
Apple Blossoms – They are lovely, fragrant, edible and delicate. Sometimes they don’t taste good but they’re ok to eat. The different species of trees would all taste different including each individual tree could taste different too.
Arugula – If your arugula blooms then it’s likely that the leaves are too strong to eat. But the little white flowers have a slight peppery taste and are flavourful on salads or on appetizers
Basil – This one should be obvious. The tiny white flowers can be used as seasoning and the whole blooming stalk can be used as a garnish for a drink or in soups and stews
Bee Balm (Monarda) – The red flowered variety of this plant is best for adding a pop of colour to salads. The flowers have a strong minty taste and are sometimes dried and added to tea.
Bean Blossoms – The bean flowers taste just like beans! The “runner” beans are the best. Used in salads and as a garnish. Use immediately after picking them, they wilt quickly.
Begonias – The petals of this flower are used as a garnish as in salads. They come in a variety of colours. They have a citrousy sour type of flavor. If your chose the tuberous type of Begonia then your will get more for your money since the flowers are bigger.
Borage – These flowers make a beautiful garnish on salads, fruit dishes, desserts and drinks as well. Remove the fuzzy green sepals if you plan to eat the flower
Calendula – Can be used freely on salads, savoury dishes and even desserts. It’s sometimes called the “poor man’s saffron” because of its orange and yellow petals ability to add vibrant colour to any dish being prepared
Carnations (Dianthus) – AKA Sweet Wiliam. Have a flavour similar to cloves. They make a nice edible garnish after the bitter “spur like” base is cut off
Chamomile – These flowers can be used on salads or in soups. It’s most recognizable because of chamomile tea. Can be used fresh or dry
Chives – Chive flowers look like little purple puff balls. They have a significant onion-y flavour. If you like onions you can eat them whole or the flower can be picked apart and scattered throughout a whole dish
Chrysanthemum – Only the flower petals of ordinary garden mums are edible. If you can find a plant labeled “edible chrysanthemums” also known as “Shungiku” which is a Chinese plant with bright yellow flowers. The flowers, stalks, and leaves of this plant can be eaten
Coriander – Used in Indian cooking as well as Latin cooking
Dandelion – Dandelion wine actually exists. I don’t know how it tastes but it’s available. Dandelions can be used in salads
Daylily – The flowers are sweet and are great sprinkled over top of a sala
Dill – The yellow flowers add a dill-y flavour to salads and dips
Elderflower – Used to make jams, syrups and cordials. It’s also possible to stir up a thin batter and make elder flower fritters
Fennel – Licorice flavoured, can be used on salads
Geranium – It has a range of scents and flavoured leaves including rose, lemon, apple and mint to name a few. Remove the bitter tasting white base of each pink petal before using it
Hawthorn – The blossoms are usually steeped in brandy or wine
Honeysuckle – It’s widely used in many salads and dishes. Pick them when they first open and they are still full of sweet nectar. You’ll see why the bees love this plant.
Impatiens – The petals and blooms are completely edible.
Jasmine – This one has a floral flavour and is used with other tea leaves in black tea. Can also be used in cooking
Lavender – Often used in teas and desserts. Individual flowers with the green part removed are good sprinkled over salad
Lilac – Salad garnish or fried in a light batter as a fritter
Marigold – This makes a colourful garnish, in salads and in cooking. The flavour is very variable and unpredictable.
Mimosa – Salad garnish or fried in a light batter as a fritter
Nasturtium – The vibrant flowers have mild peppery taste but sweetened by the nectar inside. Use on salads
Orange – Versatile and aromatic, used in jellies, syrups, cordials and fritters
Rose – Roses have been used for a variety of purposes for years. Used for syrups, sauces, puddings, vinegars, candy and more. They have a sweet taste. Older varieties are said to have the most flavour
Rosemary – This one is just plain delicious for many, many purposes. The leaves, stalks and flowers can all be used. The tiny blue flowers are pretty as a garnish, the leaves are great used for chicken, turkey, pork, steak, vegetables and more, I use it on just about everything! Use the stalks when boiling down the bones of chicken or turkey to flavour the broth
Sage – Very aromatic and delicious. This one is great on any poultry dish. The flowers can be purple, blue or red and make a beautiful garnish
Squash – The large bright yellow flowers can be simmered in soups and stews. Some people even stuff the blooms with cheese and other ingredients, then lightly batter them and fry in olive oil. They can be used on salads too.
Thyme – Also delicious, I use this one just the same as I use Sage and Rosemary. The leaves are very tiny but are full of flavour
Violet – closely related to violas, pansies, and Johnny jump ups. They are perfect for garnishing platters and food displays of all sorts. They can even be candied and used for cake decoration
There are plenty more edible flowers out there, this is just a partial list of the more common ones.
