22 Edible Flowers That Make Salads and Cocktails Look Like Art

Flowers do n’t just look pretty ; some can be tasty too ! In this veranda , we ’ll explore 22 gorgeous flowers you could safely eat . Each bloom bestow color , flavor , and sport to salads , drink , and afters . From peppery petals that zest up a salad to sweet-flavored blossoms perfect for a fancy lemonade , you ’ll reveal how to turn average sweetheart into something special . allow ’s plunk into the mankind of comestible flowers !

1. Nasturtium

genus Nasturtium flowers come in lustrous sunny colors like orange , red , and yellow . They have a pleasant , peppery flavor that ’s a flake like watercress , have salads a spicy recoil . you could flip whole nasturtium efflorescence into your salad or practice them as a colourful garnish on sandwich and appetizers . Even the round green leaves are edible and peppery . Visually , nasturtium are eye - get with their vibrant hues and funnel shape - shaped blossoms , instantly making any stunner look like a summer garden party .

2. Pansy (Viola)

faggot and their tiny cousins , violas , are well - loved for their pretty “ human face ” petal painted in purple , yellow , blue , and more . The petals have a mild flavor , sometimes slightly grassy or wintergreen . That gentle tasting means you could spit pansies on salads or desserts without overwhelming other tone . They ’re also popular as glaze decorations on cakes . milksop are flat and round , normally about the size of it of a coin , and they make any dish look like a work of graphics with their bright and multi - colored bloom .

3. Calendula (Pot Marigold)

Calendula is often called “ pot marigold ” and has daisy - alike flowers in bright yellowed and orange . The petals are edible and add together a sourish , peppery tone ; some mass even compare them to saffron in clemency . you’re able to dust the flower petal over salad , soups , or Sir Tim Rice for a pop music of color . Calendula flower petal taste zesty , and dyestuff intellectual nourishment have a prosperous chromaticity , like orange yellow . With their sunny colouring and bushy heads of petals , these flowers make any repast look cheerful and appetizing .

4. Borage

Borage blossom are whiz - shaped and shining blue , almost like the sapphire stars on your home . They have a chill , Cucumis sativus - like flavor that ’s brisk . This makes them perfect for floating in summer drinks like lemonade , iced tea , or even a fancy noose and tonic . you could also freeze tailwort blooms in ice cubes to dress up beverages . In salads , they add a mild bite and beautiful colour . Borage flowers are pretty modest but pack a visual biff with their sky - blue flower petal and delicate starry contour , and they ’re a favorite of pollinator like bee in the garden too .

5. Hibiscus

Hibiscusflowers are known for their tropical dish ; they have vast , horn - shaped blooms , usually cerise , pink , or orange . These petals are tart and lemony , with a flavor often compare to cranberry or citrus fruit . Hibiscus is normally used to make ruby - ruddy hibiscus teatime and syrups , which can be commingle into cocktails or mocktails for a lovely color and dynamism . You might find candied hibiscus flower used as a cocktail garnish or at the bottom of a glass of Champagne-Ardenne for a fancy touch . The vibrant red flower petal taste zesty and turn drinks a rosy color .

6. Rose

Rose petal are n’t just for reek ; you’re able to exhaust them too ! Roses come in in many colors ( red , pink , yellow , white ) , and the flower petal have a delicate , fruity - angelic savour with a odoriferous finish . Before using , it ’s honest to slue off the white base of each petal , since that part can be acerbic . Sprinkle rose flower petal in salads for a romantic touch or float them in punch and cocktail ( opine rose lemonade or a roseate - petal garnish on champagne ) . Visually , rose petals are soft and velvety , and they make any dish face elegant , like something from a nance tale garden .

7. Lavender

Lavender brings a adorable imperial coloring material and a unattackable flowered scent to the table . The tiny lavender buds have a sweet , intensely floral smell , so a footling go a long way . You often see lavender in lemonade , teas , or baked goods ( like lavender lemonade or cookies ) for a unique twist . For drinks , dropping a few lavender floweret in champagne or a cocktail can add a elusive odour . The purple buds see pretty and sense delicious in salads or atop desserts . Just commend to apply sparingly ; the flavour is very perfumey , so a sprinkling of the small violet blossoms will give you that gentle herbal - floral hint without overpowering the dish .

8. Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobilis flowers resemble bantam daisy , with ashen petals and sunny icteric center . They are famous for making tranquillise chamomile afternoon tea with a mild , sweet feel like apple . you’re able to also use the small blooms fresh : strewing a few Anthemis nobilis efflorescence on a salad or afters for a dainty garnish . They pair nicely with fruit salad or even a sports stadium of yogurt , add a subtle sweetness and a pretty look . Visually , Anthemis nobilis is delicate and adds a wildflower magic spell with its slight snowy petals . Do note that if you have pollen allergies , you might want to try on a little at first ( the same forethought as when drink teatime .

9. Chive Blossoms

Chive flush are the puffball purple flowers that grow on chive plants ( the same industrial plant that impart us chive foliage ) . These pom - pom - shaped blooms are made of many lilliputian floweret and have a mild onion plant smack . They ’re capital for mouth-watering dishes : you could pull aside the blossom and sprinkle the private lilac - purple florets over salads , deviled testis , or baked potatoes for a subtle oniony kick . They tally both taste and a pop of purplish color . Chive peak are round and about the size of a small ping - niff ball before you separate them .

10. Signet Marigold (Lemon Marigold)

Signet marigolds are little yellow - orange marigold peak ( Tagetes tenuifolia ) known for their citrus sapidity . Unlike the crowing marigolds ( French or African ) that can taste biting , signet marigolds have a refreshing lemony gustation that works well in foods . The petals can be torn and tossed into salads or used to garnish cocktails for a sunny touch sensation . Some multitude liken the gustatory modality to tarragon or citrus Sir Robert Peel , which is piquant but aristocratic . These flowers are usually small ( about an inch across ) with feathery leaf , and their undimmed atomic number 79 color adds a cheerful confetti reckon to your dish .

11. Dandelion

Dandelions might be known as lawn weeds , but they ’re alsoentirely edible and quite tasty ! When the flower is young , the bright sensationalistic petals have a sweet , honey - same savor . you may draw the petal out and sprinkle them over a salad , Elmer Reizenstein , or even pasta for a pa of color and speck of sweetness . Some people also dip the flush in hitter and fry them as fritter . blowball green ( the leaves ) are often eaten in salads , but are more biting ; the yellow blossom is the fresh part . Visually , dandelion flowers are like little yellow pom - poms . Just be sure to foot dandelions from areas without pesticide or machine dealings .

12. Red Clover

Red clover flush are those pinkish - purple puffballs you see in hayfield . They have a gently odorous , delicate smack that some say tip of Glycyrrhiza glabra or honey . trefoil flowers can be pulled apart into tiny tubelike petals ; you could scatter a few over salads or apply them to adorn cakes and drink . They also make a adorable herbal tea . Because the efflorescence heads are moderately challenging to stick out whole , it ’s best to use them in moderation , as a moderately garnish rather than a big snack . Each clover flower is pear-shaped , about the size of a cherry tree love apple , with many little floret making up the flower .

13. Squash Blossom

Squash blossoms are the lustrous yellow - orange flowers you find on courgette and other squash plants . These heyday are large ( several inch long ) and have a modest flavor reminiscent of young squash or courgette . Squash blossom are delicious in many shipway : you may eat them raw in salad , hack them up for quesadillas , or even stuff and electrocute them for a famous treat . They pair well with cheeseflower and herb . Before using , you often remove the inner part ( the stamen / pistil ) so the flower is hollow for overeat . The squash vine flush are glossy and frilly on a plate , adding a countryfied farm - to - table charm .

14. Bee Balm (Monarda)

Bee balm , also known as wild bergamot orange , is a spiky - looking flower that can be blood-red , pink , or purple . Its petals are farsighted , tubular , and coiffe like a shaggy firework . Bee balm flowers have an intense flavor , mixing minty and citrus with spiciness , almost like an herbal Earl Grey tea leaf taste . Because of that , you might use them sparingly : try separating the thin vasiform petals and mixing them into fruit salads , teas , orcocktails for a burst of gloss and feeling . The red variety , for example , looks arresting in a pitcher of lemonade or scattered on a salad .

15. Elderflower

Elderflowers are the fragile , creamy - blank blossoms of the elderberry tree . They grow in matt clump and have a sweet , floral fragrance that ’s really captivating . Elderflowers savor sweet and subtly fruity , almost like a mix of pear and love ( more of a gentle aroma than a strong flavor ) . These blossoms are celebrated for making elderflower syrup and cordials , which you may ruffle into cocktails ( like an elderflower spritz or martini ) for a endearing floral fragrancy . A spattering of elderflower syrup in lemonade or iced tea is delightful . Just call up : only sr. flowers ( and cooked ripe berry ) are eatable ; other parts of the industrial plant should not be use up .

16. Dianthus (Carnations and Pinks)

Dianthus flowers ( which admit carnation and pinks ) are pretty and edible . The petal add up in colors like red , pink , and white , often with frilled sharpness . They have a surprisingly dulcet taste with a mite of clove or nutmeg spice . To avoid tartness , it ’s full to cut off the white radical of each petal , using just the soft colored parts . These petals are lovely sparge on salad or dessert , imagine a burnt umber cake topped with ruby - red carnation petal ! They can also be float on drinks for a petal confetti core . Their pleasant perfume and mild spice make dianthus petals seem and savor refined .

17. Pea Blossoms

Pea bloom from edible garden pea plant ( like moolah snap or snow peas ) are middling white or pink flowers that you’re able to eat on . They have a unaccented , fresh , pea - alike savour and are floral . Toss a few into a salad for a charming flavor , it ’s tasteful to savor the gentle sweetness and call up it ’s from the same works that gives you peas ! Some chefs employ pea flower to garnish dishful like natural spring soups or cocktails for a ticklish hint . They make your salad look like a spring meadow . crucial : Only eat pea flowers from actual pea plant plants ( Pisum sativum).Don’teat sweet pea flowers from cosmetic sweet pea vine , as those are poisonous .

18. Cornflower (Bachelor’s Button)

Cornflowers are those classic promising spicy blossoms also known as knight bachelor ’s buttons . They have a somewhat spicy , clove - alike spirit with a subtle sweetness . The taste is mild , so they ’re often used more for their vibrant colour than for an intense flavour punch . Uvularia grandiflora petals look wonderful when torn and scatter over salads or used whole to float in fancy drinks . To total color , they ’re also common in herbal Camellia sinensis and potpourri mix . These flower are about the size of it of a small daisy , with many frilly petal . Their natural electric blue color ( sometimes pinkish or purple in other varieties ) can make any dish dad .

19. Begonia

Begonias might surprise you , but certain types , like tuberous and wax begonia , have edible flowers with bright , citrusy tang . They taste a bit glowering , like lemon with a thin resentment , which can be refreshing . Because of that zingy smell , begonia petal are heavy in salads ( they copulate well with sweet ingredients ) or garnish on cocktail and sweet that could use a hint of off-key to balance sweetness . The flowers issue forth in many colors , red , pink , orange , blank , and have a fleshy , almost semitransparent flavour . It is important to note that Begonia flowers contain some oxalic acid , which give them a sour taste , so mass with kidney issues should avoid overeating .

20. Daylily

This colourful flower is entirely edible and adds a sunny pop to any looker . It has a modest , perfumed flavor compared to crunchy bread or even a breath of cucumber vine . day lily are often tossed into salads to make beautiful dessert topping . Their big trumpet - shaped blooms can even be stuffed with a tasty woof ( like yield or cream ) or fried for a play dainty . Some originative James Cook swim daylily petal in fancy drinks as a pretty , edible garnish . These cheerful blossoms are safe to eat and make your salad or cocktail feel like summertime ! .

21. Honeysuckle

Many small fry love pick honeysuckle prime to sip the diminutive drops of unfermented nectar inwardly . These small , cornet - shaped blossoms reek like honey and can be white-hot , yellow , or pink . Honeysuckle flowers are secure to eat and have a unfermented flavor that ’s a slew like honey . People often sprinkle the petals in salads or desserts for a pretty , sweet hint . you could engulf the flower in spicy water to make a floral teatime . They can also be cooked with sugar to create a odoriferous syrup for lemonade or cocktails . Just remember not to eat the berries that grow on this plant life , as they can discomfit your venter

22. Orchid

Orchids in your cocktail ? Certain orchid peak ( like the purple dendrobium orchidaceous plant often used as garnishes ) are edible and secure to down . Orchids do n’t have a strong taste ; they ’re usually described as having a fresh , crispy flavorsimilar to lettuce or endive . This meek taste means you could use them mainly for their stunning look without affecting the flavor of your food much . Orchids make lovely cupcake toppers , boozing garnish , or salad additions when you want unsounded visual impact . Ensure any orchid you deplete is grown for consumption or has n’t been cover with chemicals ; the dendrobium varieties used in restaurants are generally food - secure .

Bringing Blossoms to the Table

Edible flowers can transform mundane food for thought into something magical . They add colour , aroma , and a sense of touch of whimsy to salads , drinks , and more . From the peppery lick of nasturtiums to the sweet aroma of elderflowers , each blossom offers a unique experience for your taste buds and middle . recollect always to expend flowers you recognise are safe and pesticide - free . Your salad and cocktails will never look ( or taste ) the same again . Bon appétit !