Identifying Edible Flowers & Interesting Facts about them (with pictures)
Edible flowers are a fantastic way to add more flavor, texture and color to your life and dishes. They are often used as a creative and innovative ingredient in the world of cuisine, providing an interesting twist on everyday dishes.
In this article, you’ll discover a variety of edible flowers to look out for, along with some interesting facts about flowers that make them both beautiful and useful. You’ll learn:
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what edible flowers are,
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how edible flower plants look and taste,
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tips on how to grow them,
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a curated selection of edible flowers,
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how to use them in cooking,
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and what nutritional benefits they offer.
1. What are edible flowers?
Edible flowers are a delightful part of a plant's life cycle. Sproutling plants progress through their development stages - sprouts, then microgreens and baby leaves then after the true leave stage appearance, we can expect edible flowers to show up.
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2. How edible flowers look and taste?
Not only do edible flower plants add flavor and texture, but they do so with beautiful pigments that vary between shades of blues, purples, reds, yellows, and oranges depending on the variety being used. This makes them perfect for adding visual appeal too! The presence of intense colors in your dishes will not only make it look beautiful but will potentially draw more attention towards it than other dishes around it on the table too! Their taste depends from the variety they came from. Fun fact flowers usually taste similar to their microgreens phased greens, for example flowers of Nasturtium are spicy- sour.
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3. Tips how to grow edible flowers?
When producing edible flowers it’s good to prune fresh flowers from the beginning of the flowering stage. It will stimulate the plant to produce more flowers than expected. When you don’t know what to do with your massive production of fresh flowers it’s good to cut all flowers and keep them in the fridge or dry them to use later in winter. It will also give your plants an order to produce more fresh flowers for your next week's needs.
4. List of edible flowers with pictures
Since people first recognized the edibility of flowers, they’ve been used for centuries in food, medicine, and decoration. Today, you can find a wide variety of blooms that are both beautiful and tasty. To help you get started, we’ve prepared a list of edible flowers with pictures, beginning with some of the most easily recognizable and commonly used varieties.
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Garlic
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These edible leaves are one of the most popular greens available today which has edible flowers. Beautiful violet balls have a mild garlic flavor and can be added to salads or used as garnish for dishes.
Please find below other types of edible flowers selected by us:
Tastes like raw, green cabbage and its tiny, violet flowers taste the same. When you give it lots of TLC (Total loving care) during cultivation it will produce literally hundreds of little flowers. All parts of that plant are edible. Leaves have small needles: that give specific texture for Borage, is commonly used for honey production and its seeds are used for production of Borage Oil, which is very popular in cosmetics.
Is an edible plant with a unique blend of beauty and flavor. Tagete's soft orange flowers make for an eye-catching addition to any garden, while its serrated leaves add texture and subtle citrus notes when eaten!
Called from latin language Calendula officinalis. With its yellow petals, it’s a pure edible wildflower commonly used.
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Nasturtiums
Nasturtium’s varieties literally grow like crazy- very fast, easy and gives an abundant harvest. With a bright splash of colors of the flowers from yellow-orange to fiery reds this edible flower is perfect to be used as a spectacular decoration to any drink, by freezing it in the ice cubes.
All Nasturtiums love slightly lower temperatures and higher humidity. They produce lots of edible leaves and lots of edible flowers. You can prune them all, leaving only two small leaves and after 2 weeks they will look like new.
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Nasturtium Tom Thumb, Tom Thumb Alaska and Empress of India
Type called Tom Thumb has features mixed colors with light green foliage while its sister in variety Tom Thumb Alaska has light green to white marbled mix of leaves and salmon-colored to gold flowers. The popular variety of Nasturtium - Empress of India has foliage colors ranging from deep blue to near purple and scarlet flowers.
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Lastly Nasturtium- King Theodore
Provides a unique hue on its leaves with touches of purple giving it a royal look with bright mahogany red flowers.
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Violas
Violas are an incredibly popular plant for chefs across the world, who value its delicate flavor. Growing violas requires attention, because they don't tolerate high temperatures well, so extra caution should be taken when caring for them. Easy to grow over winter to have them ready for spring.
With flowers consisted of yellow base and white to yellow petals. If you want to know more about it, check the Shungiku product description.
5. Are edible flowers healthy?
Edible flowers are not only a beautiful addition to any dish, but they also offer a surprising range of health benefits. Among the most interesting facts about flowers is that many of them are rich in essential nutrients—making them much more than just decoration.
They’re packed with vitamins like A and C, as well as other valuable nutrients such as riboflavins, niacin, and minerals like calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), potassium (K), and phosphorus (P). On top of that, edible flowers are full of antioxidants, which help protect your cells from oxidative damage. Low in calories and carbs, they’re a light yet nourishing way to enhance meals both visually and nutritionally.
6. Edible flowers for Kids
Edible flowers can be a fun and magical way to get kids interested in nature, gardening, and healthy eating. Their bright colors, unique shapes, and gentle flavors make them perfect for little hands and curious minds. Kids love discovering fun facts about flowers—like how nasturtiums have a spicy kick, or how borage flowers look like tiny blue stars. You can even create a simple picture list of edible flowers together, so they can learn to recognize and safely enjoy them.
Flowers like violas, pansies, and marigolds are great kid-friendly options with mild flavors and lots of visual appeal. Try decorating cookies with petals, freezing flowers into ice cubes for drinks, or just picking a few blooms from the garden to explore their colors and scents. It’s not only tasty—it’s a hands-on way to learn about plants and enjoy some creative time together.
7. How to use edible flowers?
Edible flowers can be eaten and used in numerous ways to enhance the taste and presentation of food. They can be added to salads, used in garnishes, integrated into drinks such as cocktails or party punches, baked into desserts like cakes and muffins, served as an accompaniment to main courses such as fish or chicken dishes, made into jellies or jams for preserves, dehydrated for long-term storage and even used as part of a decorative topping on ice cream! As you see edible flowers may be eaten in many ways!
PRO TIP (edible flowers frozen ice-cubes): Pour with water and freeze the edible flower in an ice cube and add it to the favorite drink to make it even more special! Can edible flowers be frozen? - You will ask. Above described option is the only possible one. Do not try to freeze them by itself because they have delicate parts and after defreezing they will fall apart.
8. Popular facts and myths about edible flowers
Edible flowers are surrounded by a mix of tradition, curiosity, and sometimes a few misconceptions. Below we’ve gathered some of the most interesting facts about flowers that you can eat—plus a few common myths that deserve a second look.
🌸 Fact: Not all flowers are safe to eat
One of the most important facts about flowers is that not every beautiful bloom is edible. While many edible flower plants are safe and even nutritious, others can be toxic or cause allergic reactions. Always refer to a verified list of edible flowers with pictures before trying anything new. When in doubt—don’t eat it!
❌ Myth: Edible flowers have no nutritional value
This is false! Many edible flowers are actually rich in vitamins (like A and C), antioxidants, and minerals. They may not replace vegetables in your diet, but they do add more than just color. For example, calendula petals are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and borage flowers contain trace minerals and omega-6 fatty acids.
🌺 Fact: Flowers have been used in cooking for centuries
Using flowers in the kitchen isn’t a modern trend—it dates back to ancient times. Edible flowers were popular in Roman, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Even Shakespeare mentioned violets and primroses in his plays as edible delicacies. This historical use is proof that flower-based dishes have deep cultural roots.
❌ Myth: If it’s organic, it’s automatically edible
Even organically grown flowers can be unsafe to eat if they’re not from an edible flower plant variety. Some garden favorites like daffodils or foxglove are highly toxic—even if no chemicals were used in their cultivation. Always choose flowers specifically labeled for consumption.
🌹 Fun fact: Some flowers change flavor during the day
Here’s one of those lesser-known fun facts flowers lovers enjoy: certain blooms, like nasturtiums, can taste slightly sweeter in the morning and spicier in the afternoon due to changes in temperature and sun exposure. That’s part of what makes growing and tasting them such a sensory adventure.
9. Conclusion
Edible flowers are a great way to add flavor, aroma, color and texture to any dish. They can be used as an alternative to traditional vegetables or herbs in salads or main dishes. Whether you’re looking for something creative to impress your dinner guests with or just want some extra nutrition in your meals, edible flowers are the perfect ingredient! With so many varieties available and such a wide range of flavors and colors, there's sure to be something that appeals to everyone. Try adding edible flowers into your cooking today – it might just become one of your favorite ingredients!
Colorful growing,
Caroline