A Guide to Commonly Available Edible Flowers

Dozens of common garden plants produce edible flowers; check out this guide for tips on harvesting and using them in your kitchen.

By Randel A. Agrella

Summer 2016

Gladiola

Learn more about common edible flowers in the article An Introduction to Edible Flowers.

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Plant Name	Botanical Name	Flower Color	Bloom Period	Taste	Fragrance	Comments & Hints
Angelica	Angelica achangelica	Lavender to rose	Spring-blooming biennial	Strong anise, sweet, licorice		Candies and compotes
Anise hyssop	Agastache foeniculum	Lavender	July to frost	Strong anise, sweet, licorice		Makes an excellent tea base
Apple or crabapple	Malus spp.	White to pink	May	Slightly floral to sour	Sweet floral	Petals may be candied. Seeds are poisonous
Artichoke	Cynara scolymus	Immature head: green	Fall	Artichoke
Arugula, Rocket	Eruca vesicaria	White	May to frost	Nutty, smoke, less piquant than leaves		Salad green. Cream-colored petals with delicate burgundy veining are very pretty
Bachelor's Button	Centaurea cyanus	White to pink, red, blue purple	Early summer	Grassy		Discard the bitter calyx
Basil	Ocimum basilicum	White to pale pink	July to frost	Milder than leaves, spicy
Bergamot, bee balm, Oswego tea	Monarda didyma	Red, pink, white, lavender	July to August	Tea-like, more aromatic than leaves	Sweet, perfumed
Borage	Boraga officinalis	Blue, purple to lavender	June to July	Mild cucumber		Use as garnish; may be candied
Broccoli, cauliflower	Brassica spp.	Buds: blue-green; yellow flower, white buds in cauliflower	June to August	Broccoli
Burnet	Poterium sanguisorba	Red	July to August	Cucumber		Salad herb. Flowers are red-brown somewhat complex and striking-looking
Calendula, pot marigold	Calendula officinalis	Yellow, gold/orange	June to August	Tangy and peppery, sometimes bitter		Ornamental. Dries well. Inexpensive saffron substitute, adds color to rice dishes. Use in scrambled eggs
Chervil	Anthriscus cerefolium	White	May to June	Parsley-like, hint of citrus, anise or tarragon
Chicory	Cichorium intybus	Blue to lavender	July to frost	Pleasant, mild-bitter similar to endive		Buds sometimes pickled in place of capers
Chive	Allium schoenoprasum	Lavender, red to purple	May to June	Onion, strong	Onion	Separate florets to serve
Chrysanthemum	Dendrathema x grandiflorum	Red, yellow, pink, orange, purple, white	August to October	Varieties differ, strong to bitter, peppery	Pungent	Tea
Coriander	Coriandrum sativum	White	June to frost	Like leaf but milder	Fragrant	Herb
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Yellow	May to June; fall	Sweet and honey-like, sometimes bitter		Eat cooked only
Daylily	Hemerocallis fulva	Tawny orange	June to July	Cooked, combination of asparagus/zucchini		All parts are edible
Carnation, pinks	Dianthus spp.	Pink, white and red	June to August	Spicy, sweet or clove-like	Some varieties are spicier
Dill	Anethum graveolens	Yellow	June to frost	Stronger than leaves	Dill
English daisy	Bellis perennis	White to purple petals	April to September	Mild to bitter		Use as garnish or in salads
Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	Pale yellow	July to August	Licorice, milder than leaves, sweet
Fuchsia	Fuchsia spp.	Purples, red	Late spring to frost			Very vibrant colors, exotic appearance
Garden chrysanthemum, shungiku	Chrysanthemum coronarium	Yellow to white	August to October	Mild		Try including immature buds in stir-fry, use whole flowers as garnish
Garden pea	Pisum sativum	White, tinged pink	May to June	Raw peas		Vegetable
Garden sage	Salvia officinalis	Blue, purple, white, pink	May to July	Flowery sage, slightly musky		Herb
Garlic chive	Allium tuberosum	White	August to frost	Onion, strong	Onion	Separate florets to serve
Gladiolus	Gladiolus spp.	Various except true blue	6-8 weeks after planting	Bland, lettuce-like		Best stuffed, as a container for dips or spreads, or garnish. Comes in many shades and color combinations
Hibiscus, China rose, rose-of-China	Hibiscus rosa-sinensis	Orange, red or purplish red	Late summer	Citrus/cranberry flavor		Subtropical tree but may be grown indoors. Used in many tea flavorings
Hollyhock	Alcea rosea	Various	July to frost	Little, slightly bitter		Main value is their color. Best as a garnish or container for dip
Honeysuckle	Lonicera spp.	Usually pale yellow to white	Spring-summer	Sweet nectar	Sweet fragrance	Makes a delicate garnish. Avoid the toxic berries
Hyssop	Hyssopus officinalis	Blue, pink, white	July to October	Bitter; similar to tonic		Used to flavor chartreuse, a liqueur; strong flavor
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia	Lavender, purple, pink, white	June to early August	Highly perfumed, sweet	Floral	Used in sugars, custards, honeys, cakes, waters and vinegars. Add petals to salads, baked goods, ice cream. Use in savory dishes as well, or as a garnish
Lemon	Citrus limon	White	Varies with variety	Citrus, slightly bitter	Sweet floral	Subtropical tree but ma be grown indoors
Lemon balm	Melissa officinalis	Creamy white	July to August	Lemony, sweet	Lemon	Herb
Lemon verbena	Lippia citriodora	White	August to September		Lemon	Dessert, seafood, as a tea
Lilac	Syringa vulgaris	White, pink, purple, lilac	April to May	Perfume, slightly bitter to lemony	Lilac	Flavor varies markedly from one variety to another. Candies well
Lovage	Levisticum officinale	Yellow, white	August	Mild celery		Herb
Marjoram	Origanum majorana	Pale pink	June to August	Spicy, sweet		Herb
Mint	Mentha spp.	Lavender, pink to white	July to September	Minty, milder than leaves	Fresh, minty	Herb
Mustard	Brassica spp.	Yellow	April to May	Mustard, hot		Salad garnish. Watch for allergies
Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus	Red, orange, yellow, white	July to August	Watercress-flavored, slightly sweet to peppery		Paler flowers tend to taste milder. Whole or diced in salads. Stuff with mousse, mascarpone or crèma fraîche for an appetizer
Okra, gumbo	Abelmoschus aesculentus	Yellow, red	Mid-summer to frost	Mild, sweet and slightly mucilaginous
Orange	Citrus sinensis	White	Varies	Citrus, sweet/strong	Perfume, sweet	Subtropical tree but may be grown indoors
Oregano	Origanum spp.	White	June to August	Spicy, pungent-like leaves		Herb
Oxeye daisy	Chrysanthemum leucanthemum	White/yellow center	April to August	Mild		Use as garnish or in salad
Pansy, Johnny jump-up	Viola x wittrockiana, Viola tricolor	Violet, white, pink, yellow, multi-colored	May to July	Mild, tart, slightly wintergreen-flavored	Sometimes very pronounced sweet fragrance	Use in fruit dishes, salads, pastas and drinks. Top crackers with cream cheese. May be served whole
Pineapple sage	Salvia elegans	Scarlet	September	Pineapple/sage overtones		Herb
Plum	Prunus spp.	Pink to white	April to May	Mild, like flower nectar	Sweet	Petals candy well. Pits of mature fruit are poisonous
Radish	Raphanus sativus	White, pink, yellow	One month after planting	Spicy, sharp and peppery		Over-mature radish root yield blooms
Red clover	Trifolium pratense	Pink, lilac	June to September	Hay	Hay	Scatter florets on salad
Redbud	Cercis canadensis	Pink	April	Beanlike to tart apple		Native tree to Eastern U.S.
Roman chamomile	Anthemis nobilis	White petals; yellow center	Late June to frost	Sweet apple flavor		Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile; drink no more than one cup of tea per day
Rose	Rosa spp.	White, pink, yellow, red, orange	May to June, September	Highly perfumed; sweet to bitter	Rose	Remove sour petal base. Infuse into water or vinegar. Distill into oil or syrups. Float petals in drinks or strew on desserts
Rose-of-Sharon	Hibiscus syriacus	Red, white, purple, violet	July to August	Mild, nutty		Shrub
Roselle	Hibiscus sabdariffa	Red, varies		Tart and fruity		Makes a citrus-like tea
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis	Pale blue, dark blue, pink, white	Depends on cultivar	Mild rosemary	Delicate	Use raw as a garnish
Safflower, American safflower, false saffron	Carthamus tinctorius	Yellow to deep red	August	Bitter flavor		May impart yellow color to cooked foods
Saffron	Crocus sativus	Lavender-purple	September to October	Bitter, aromatic	Complex	Used for color and flavor. Use only the 3 threadlike stigmas produced per flower
Scarlet runner bean	Phaseolus coccineus	Bright orange to scarlet or white	July to August	Raw bean but milder		Vegetable. Flower crunchy; use in salad
Scented geranium	Pelargonium spp.	White, red, pink, purple	Varies	Like variety selected, e.g., rose, lemon; varies	Mild	Ornamental
Signet marigold	Tagetes tenuifolia	White, gold, yellow, red	May to September	Citrus; milder than T. erecta		Ornamental
Squash or pumpkin	Cucurbita spp.	Orange, yellow	July to August	Mild, raw squash	Slightly floral	Stuff whole blooms, or batter and fry. Slice crosswise for a bizarre and spectacular garnish
Summer savory	Satureja hortensis	Pink	July to August	Mildly peppery, spicy		Herb
Thyme	Thymus spp.	Pink, purple, white	July to August	Milder than leaves		Herb. Most creeping thymes have little flavor
Violet	Viola odorata	Violet, pink, white	April to May	Sweet	Sweet, floral	Use as a garnish, in salads. Candies well
Winter savory	Satureja montana	Pale blue to purple	July to August	Mildly peppery, spicy		Herb
Yucca	Yucca filamentosa	Creamy white with purple tinge	July	Hint of artichoke, slightly bitter		Ornamental

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A Guide to Commonly Available Edible Flowers

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