header-banner-edible_flowers.jpg
Earth First

How to Eat Edible Flowers

Do you also get hyped when discovering glossy flowers mixed into your fresh salad? Or do you feel extra excited when you spot a fancy flower drifting on your mocktail? Nature gives us such beauty. But wait a second, is this flower even edible!? *Carefully reaches for flower, puts on the edge of the glass, carries on sipping*

Décor or Delicious?

You probably have seen flowers in your salad before.1 What did you do? Did you eat them, or did you just remove them to the side thinking they were just for decoration?

We’ll explore with you how to distinguish edible from non-edible flowers.

Mm, Delicious: Oh, the Flowers You’ll Taste

Edible flowers add a special taste to a variety of dishes. This explains their wide use in salads, soups, cakes, ice-cubes, teas, jams, dressings and drinks.

The tasty bit of the flowers usually comes from the petals. You should avoid eating the stalk as it could contain unpleasurable juice or can be difficult to chew. And remember: if you are allergic to pollen make sure to remove pistils and stamens.1,4,5

The taste varies widely from flower to flower. Chamomile can taste like apples, Begonia has a sharp citrus flavour, Calendula’s aroma goes from peppery to bitter, Day lilies have a melon, cucumber-like taste and Nasturtium’s flavour is sweet and peppery.5

But which flowers are edible?

The location can already give you a clue. In restaurants and bars, you might be more certain that the flower on your dish is edible (as they abide to HACCP rules1). 

Unfortunately, there are no specific characteristics to determine the edibility of a flower.3 The only certainty is in the Latin or botanical name of the flower. Once you know the name, you can easily determine the possible hazards in botanical books.3 Naturally you can also search by the flowers’ commonly used English names, but Latin gives you more certainty.

So, best to go and consult a flower expert in your midst or rely on your own advanced flower power Sherlock skills.

Then which flowers aren’t edible?


Eating a Lily of the Valley can evoke vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea

But first, what is the worst that can happen when you eat an inedible flower?2,3

  • Possible poisoning
  • Allergic reactions
  • Creates oversensitivity to sunlight
  • Vomiting, stomachache, diarrhoea
  • Induce lower blood pressure
  • Effect heart rate, weakened pulse in wrist

Ok, so…not nice.

Wild Flowers

In the wilderness, it’s hard to spot non-edible flowers. You need to be extra careful, because the leaves and stems of flowers can be poisonous. Keep in mind: there are no specific characteristics that indicate poisonous flowers or plants.3 But there are a few signs that you can’t (and shouldn’t) eat certain flowers:

  1. A big no go are shiny, thick leaves2
  2. Stay away from umbrella-shaped flowers2
  3. If a flower gives you minor skin irritation, it might give you minor gut irritation. And you don’t want that, do you?2,6

Store-bought Flowers

Do not eat flowers in bouquets purchased from florists or garden centres—they might contain pesticides!4,5 Pesticides are generally used to keep the flowers from being damaged by weeds, insect plaques or microbial diseases carried by animals.7  

Finally, don’t be fooled by Instagram or Pinterest food images with flowers8. Aesthetically pleasing? Yes. But edible flower? Not really.

Below you will find lists with common edible and inedible flowers.1,5,6,8

So now you’re ready to decipher delicious from décor. And next time you see an edible flower, I dare you to try and taste it!

Give me a tryDo NOT eat me
Basil FlowerAster
BegoniaBishop's Weed
BorageBlanket Flower
Broccoli FlowerButtercup
CalendulaDaffodil
ChamomileDatura
ChicoryDill
ChivesDigitalis
CloverEnglish Yew
DandelionFleabane
Day lilyGiant Hogweed
DianthusHyacinth
East Indian CherryHydrangea
English DaisyIris
FennelLeadwort
HibiscusLily of the valley
HollyhockMistletoe
LavenderOleander
MarigoldRhododendron
MintWater hemlock
Nasturtium
Pansy
Primula
Rose
Squash Blossom
Violet
Zucchini Flower

Related articles

Most viewed

Earth First

Sustainability of Protein Sources | Ask the Expert

Jane Alice Liu,Prof Mikael Fogelholm

What are the best eco-friendly protein sources? How much protein should you be having every day? Is…

Earth First

Fuel made from food waste

Jane Alice Liu

Did you know you can convert food waste into fuel? In Sweden, biogas has been generated from food…

Earth First

Blockchain In Agriculture | Digitalising The Food System

Luke Cridland

Was this food ethically sourced? Was it made using sustainable practices? How did it get here? These…

Earth First

The Problem with Sustainability Labelling | Opinion

Dr Tony Benson

How can we choose the most sustainable food and drinks on the market?

Earth First

Plant Based Milk Alternatives: 5 Things To Consider

Katharina Kropshofer

We have heard about the environmental footprint of plant-based milk alternatives. Almond…

Earth First

Zero-Waste Restaurant | Lessons from FREA

David Urry,David J. Suchy

The amount of food waste produced by restaurants can be staggering – piles of unused food in…

Earth First

Calculating Food Expiry Dates

Keeren Flora

Food expiration dates help us to plan meals and reduce food waste. As consumers, we expect food…

Earth First

Calcium From A Plant-Based Diet | Vegan Calcium Sources

Angelika Schulz,Klaus Hadwiger

It’s no longer a bone of contention: you can meet your calcium requirements on a plant-based…

Earth First

Used Coffee Grounds | What To Do With Them

Annabel Slater

We drink over 2 billion cups of coffee a day. Used coffee grounds are usually incinerated or sent to…

Earth First

The Cost of Food Waste

David Urry

Changing everyday choices we all make around food is central to tackling food waste, especially in…

Earth First

Should We Avoid Refined-Grain Foods? | Ask The Expert

Silvia Lazzaris,Camilla Bendinelli

We might have heard that whole-grain foods are better for us than refined-grain foods. But does this…

Earth First

Reusing Olive Waste | Ask the Expert

Annabel Slater

Over 3 million tonnes of olive oil is produced each year.¹ This generates a huge amount of…

Keep updated with the latest news about your food with our newsletter

Follow Us