Most people don’t think of flowers as edible. However, there are more edible flowers than you may believe that can be used in cakes, cookies, and salads.

Here are 7 types of edible flowers that you can grow in your garden to accent your cooking and baking. Just be sure to steer clear of pesticides to ensure they’re safe to eat!

1. Lavender

As an herb like rosemary and thyme, lavender’s flowers and leaves can both be eaten. It provides a pleasant yet slightly bitter flavour. However, not all lavender should be used in cooking. Though most lavender is edible, culinary lavender is cultivated from Lavandula angustifolia plants. These plants have a lot less oil than aromatic lavender used in perfumes or soaps.

2. Roses

Did you know you can eat roses grown in your garden? Roses add sweetness to cakes in both flavouring and aesthetics. Though all varieties of roses are edibles, the ones with the sweetest fragrance are likely to have the most flavour. Try sprinkling rose petals over cakes to add a fun and decorative flare.

3. Cornflowers

Do you want to add a bright pop of blue to a dish? Try doing it with cornflowers — an edible bloom that has a slightly sweet to spicy, cover-like flavour. Cornflowers are often used as a garnish; although, the flower can also be used as a natural food dye.

4. Pansies

Another gorgeous edible flower is the pansy. We recommend these flowers in a fruit salad or on sugar cookies and cakes. They provide accents of purple, white, and yellow, which adds a neat accent to whatever you’re making.  

5. Chamomile

You’ve likely heard of chamomile tea, and that’s one of this edible flower’s best uses. However, they can also be tossed into a salad because chamomile plants have strongly scented foliage. You can also try it out in baking as the bitterness of the leaves often pairs well with other sweet ingredients. Chamomile custard and ice cream are common.

6. Lilacs

Lilacs have a gorgeous scent, and they’re also edible with some medicinal qualities. That said, they have a more floral (bordering on bitter) taste. This makes them best for garnishes. Some people use lilacs on top of cookies or cakes. Another use is adding a few lilac blossoms to a pitcher of ice-cold water.

7. Calendula

If you’re looking to grow an edible flower in your backyard, try out calendula. It’s an easy annual to grow by seed. We recommend enjoying this edible flower with the leaves removed because they can be bitter. The yellow petals can be used as a garnish, seasoning, or colorant. We recommend sprinkling them on top of greens or couscous.

Final Thoughts

All these flowers can be grown in your backyard and serve multiple purposes. Whether you want to cut flowers to put on your table or pick them for baking or cooking, it’s entirely up to you! As long as you avoid pesticides, they’re entirely safe to eat. Please also remember that if you’re in any doubt as to whether they are an edible variety, it’s best to just give them a miss!