Edible flowers – below are plants that have edible flowers. It can be the only edible part of the plant but may sometimes have edible fruits or leaves too.

Partial list of Edible flowers

Agave plant

Agave flowers are edible and can be used for salads or other dishes in cooked or raw form; they taste sweet as well as its stalk and buds. Its leaves are fleshy and is also is used for cooking and boiled down into sweet syrup or its juice may be fermented into a beer-like drink. Its basal rosettes are also edible but you must wait for at least 5 years before consumption.. The agave fiber is used in making clothing, ropes, basket, and brushes. Its juice is also used medicinally since it has antibiotic, fungicidal, and antiviral properties.

Agave plant dies after its blooms and a young plant grow instead. Often used as an ornamental and medical plant, Agave is drought tolerant and comes in different colors such as green, bluish green, green with yellow in the edge or green gray. The leaves of an Agave plant grow in rosettes structures with pointed and spiny spear shape.

Alcea Rosea

Young leaves are used as a pot-herb or can be chopped finely and added to salads. Its flowers are edible and have five petals forming a round shape. These can be in Bordeaux, red, pink, black, orange, white, or yellow varieties. Some cultivars have darker colors for the inner part of its flowers. These blooms may be eaten as an addition to salads or may be made into a refreshing tea. Also known as the Common Hollyhock, Alcea Rosea can grow as perennial, biennial or annual plant. It is also used as an ornamental and medical plant. Its leaves are green in color and heart to round in shape with lobed edges.

Butterfly Pea

Its flowers are shaped like a blue butterfly and are often used as a natural food coloring or healthy tea. It also bears fruits (peas) that grow in pods with 4-6 peas in each pod. These pods are edible when young, but may also be eaten in dried form. In some areas, it is used medicinally as it has memory enhancing, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing, and sedative properties. Butterfly Pea is an herbaceous vine that is also known as Clitoria ternatea. It is a perennial evergreen plant. If it is planted during a cold climate, it will grow as an annual plant.

Chamomile

The Chamomile flower is white with yellow inner part and is also edible. Chamomile is well known for its fragrant oil extracted from the flower and is used extensively in creams, lotions, and perfumes. Some also uses the flower for tea. Its leaves are edible and is narrow in shape growing in pinnate structure. Chamomile is an annual plant used as an ornamental, fragrant, and medical plant. It usually grows in mediterranean, subtropical, and temperate climate.

Cockscomb Flower

Its flowers and leaves, which are oval shaped, are both edible and is commonly grown as a leafy vegetable used in stews. The leaves have a soft-texture and mild spinach-like taste. It comes in varieties of green, red or purple. Also known as Celosia cristata, Cockscomb Flower is an herbaceous annual and ornamental plant. It can grow in the tropic Mediterranean, subtropical or temperate climate.

Dandelion

Dandelion flowers and buds are edible, raw or steamed. It is often used for beverage or made into an herbal tea by steeping several in hot water. Homemade wine can also be made from the flowers. It tastes sweet, yet tangy, with strong herbal, honey-pollen, and citrus notes. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads.  When serving a rice dish use dandelion petals like confetti over the rice. Dandelion roots are also edible as a whole or as a tea with a bit sweet flavor.

A biennial or perennial plant, Dandelion is an herbaceous plant that can grow in Mediterranean, desert, subtropical, temperate or tropic climate. It is also known as Taraxacum. The Dandelion leaves are shaped like a lion’s teeth (Dente de Lion). It has a yellow flower that changes to white round structure with small feathers when there are seeds in it. Each “feather” is connected to a seed and is blown away by the wind for pollination.

Echinacea Plant

Echinacea plant is used in teas, liquid extracts, as a dried herb, and as capsules or tablets. Medicinally, this plant is used to combat colds.

Known as Coneflower, Echinacea is an herbaceous perennial evergreen and semi deciduous in cold climate. It can grow in subtropics, Mediterranean or temperate climate. It is used as a medical and ornament plant. Echinacea Plant’s leaves are oval shaped while its flower can be purple, white, pink, orange, red, yellow, green or blue. The blooms turn into cone shape when mature and attract pollinators.

Elderberry

Elderberry is most frequently used for its flavoring properties and in making various foods and beverages. Its blossoms are used to make wine. Elderberry also bears fruits in either black, blue, purple, or red varieties and is edible once fully ripen and cooked. It grows as a bush, a shrub, or a small tree. It is a perennial deciduous plant and is used as an ornamental plant. It can grow in temperate, Mediterranean or subtropical climate. Elderberry flowers are edible and are white in color. They usually grow in inflorescence of flat head or round head, are fragrant and used for barrage.

Feijoa

Feijoa flower’s petal is edible with a sweet taste and usually appears in white or red-pink color. Its ellipsoid shaped fruit has a non-edible green rind, and edible cream white flesh that taste like a pineapple. It is used as an interesting addition to a fruit smoothie, and may be used to make wine or cider and feijoa-infused vodka. Feijoa is also known as Pineapple guava. It is a perennial evergreen plant that is also used as an ornamental plant. It can grow in Mediterranean, subtropical, or tropic climate.

Firecracker Plant

The flower’s fragrant nectar is edible and the flower in raw form is used in salads. Leaf and stem extract are also used as ingredient in cosmetic products.

Firecracker plant, a shrub of the genus Russelia, is a perennial evergreen plant used as fragrant and ornamental plant. It is tolerant to dry season and become a hedge plant. Firecracker plant can grow in Mediterranean, desert, subtropical, temperate, or tropic climate. Its leaves are green and needle like shape. Its flowers, on the other hand, are mostly red but can also be in color white or yellow hollow cone shape and grow in clusters.

Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis

There are five petals composing its 8 to 15cm edible flower that is used raw for salads. In some countries, it is allowed to dry and used in a beverage, usually tea.

Also known as China rose, Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis is a perennial evergreen shrub used mostly as an ornamental plant. It can grow in Mediterranean, subtropical, or tropic climate. Color varies from red, pink, yellow, white, orange, light blue or light purple. Most of the flower’s inner color is darker than the outer or can be appear in different colors.

Hollyhock

Flowers and young leaves may be used as a cold infusion, tea or simply eaten raw or added to salad. Hollyhock flowers can also be used as an emolient to soften skin and moisturize the hair.

A herbaceous plant of the genus Alcea, Hollyhocks can ba a perennial evergreen, biennial, or annual plant and are also used as an ornamental and medical plant. It can grow in the mediterranean, subtropical, or temperate climates. It leaves are edible and shaped heart to round with a variety of lobed edges to deeply lobed. Hollyhock flowers are also edible, may have five or multi petals forming a round shape and can be bordeaux, purple, red, green, pink, black, orange, white or yellow in color.

Humulus Lupulus

Humulus lupulus is a vine that is also known as Hops which extracts and oil are used as flavor components, and used in brewing beer, herbal teas and soft drinks.

It is a perennial deciduous plant that is used as an ornamental frgrant plant and can be used for medical reasons. Temperate, mediterranean, or subtropic climates are perfect for Humulus lupulus’ growth. It has a green heart shaped leaf with 3-7 lobes and its edge is serrated. Its flowers are fragrant and seperated by gender. Female flowers grow in a green hive. Male flowers, on the other hand, are white and grow in cluster.

Hybrid Tea Rose

Hybrid tea rose’s hips and petals can be used in making syrups and the petals will add flavour to cold drinks or fruit dishes.

Hybrid Tea Rose is a perennial deciduous plant mostly used as an ornamental plant with gragrant flowers. It can grow in temperate, mediterranean, or subtropical climate. Its leaves are red ellipctic shaped when young that grows into green pinnate structure. Color varieites of the Hybrid Tea Rose flowers are wite, pink, orange, black, blue, purple and may contain more than one color.

Moringa Oleifera

Use the fresh leaves in your meals or toss them into your salad. The white-cream flower, buds and pods are also edible – fully when the pods are young, and just the inner part when the pods fully ripen because the outer part becomes fibrous. You can also eat the seeds of Moringa by removing its white covering and it is bittersweet in flavor. The root of moringa is edible as well, just remove the brown peel because it is toxic. Some process the leaves to make moringa powder use din many culinary disease as additional flavor.

Also known as Drumstick, Moringa oleifera is a perennial evergeen tree that can be deciduous in summer or in warm area, or winter deciduous in cold areas. Its leaves that are light to dark green in color and elliptic in shape connect together to form an odd pinnate.

Oenothera speciosa

The Oenothera speciosa flowers have a similar taste to lettuce, so will make a good addition to any green salad while also adding some color. Its seeds contain an essential oil used to aid many health problems. The leaves are cooked and eaten as greens and the roots are said to be sweet succulent and delicious when boiled like potatoes.

More commonly known as Evening Primrose, Oenothera speciosa is a herbaceous plant that is perennial evergreen or can be deciduous. It is used as a fragrant and ornamental plant. It can grow in temperate, mediterannean or subtropical climate. Evening Primrose leaves are green elliptic. Its flowers are composed of four petals and can be pink, purple or white with yellow inner part.

Pansy

Pansy flowers are completely edible as add-on to your salad or can be crystallised and used to decorate cakes, cookies or creamy desserts.

A subshrub of the genus Viola, Pansy is also known as Garden pansy or Viola tricolor hybrid. It is annual in warm climate and short perennial in cold climate. Pansy is commonly used as ornamental plant. The leaves of a pansy plant is orbicular in shape and green in color, while its flowers can be a mix of red, blue, yellow, black, purple, white, orange or burgundy.

Runner Bean

Its orange butterfly-shaped flowers taste sweet and can be eaten raw in salads, adding a mild bean flavour with a hint of nectar. The pods of a runner bean vine is also grown as a vegetable  and used in cooking a variety of dishes.

Runner Bean is perennial evergreen vine that may grow as annual plant in warm climate. It is also used as an ornamental plant and can grow in temperate, mediterranean or subtropical climate. Runner Bean leaves are deltoid in shape., and its beans are multicolored – purplpe, brown, white, black or brown. Runner bean Its root is cone shaped, light brown in color and is also edible.

Saffron Plant

Saffron flowers are widely used in the kitchen as a spice, flavor enhancer and food colorant. As a spice, it has a unique, pungent bitter-honey taste with a pleasant aroma. Also known as Crocus, Saffron plant is perennial and deciduous in summer. It is used as an ornamental fragrant plant and grows in mediterranean climate. It has coniferous leaves.

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum’s young leaves, stems and flowers are sometimes used as a flavouring in salads and other dishes where pungency is required. It is also used as an astringent to treat skin diseases in some cultures.

Sweet alyssum is a herbaceous plant that is also known as Lobularia maritime. It is annual or short perennial evergreen plant and mostly used as fragrant ornamental plant. Swee alyssum can grow in mediterranean, subtropical, and temperate climate. Usually, its leaves are 1 to 5mm in size and it has four-petalled flower with yellow stamen for attracting pollinators. It varies in color – white, purple or pink.

Tagetes Patula

Flower petals of Tagetes patula are dried and ground to constitute a spice with earthy flavor. It is also used as food coloring and sometimes harvested to use as poultry feed to help give the egg yolks a golden color. The plant as a whole is also harvested and distilled for its oil used in fragrances.

A herbaceous plant of the genus Tagetes, this plant is also known as French Marigold. It is an annual plant and is mostly used as an ornamental fragrant plant. This can grow in mediterranean, desert, subtropical, temperate or tropic climate. Tagetes patula leaves are linear with serrated edges and connect together in an odd pinnate. Flowers come in varieties of yellow, orange and red.

Tropaeolum Majus

When eaten, Tropaeolum majus flower has a slightly peppery taste which makes it a fine salad ingredient. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and dropped into spiced vinegar to produce a condiment and garnish.

It is a herbaceous creeping vine commonly known as Monks Cress or Garden nasturtium. Tropaeolum majus is an annual plant and mostly used as ornamental plant. It grows in mediterranean, desert, subtropical, temperate, or tropic climate. Its leaves are round in shape resembling a plate. Its flowers can be yellow, red, or orange and may have more than one color at once.

Yarrow

Yarrow is used as an herb ingredient in cooking or tea. The younger leaves are a pleasant leaf vegetable with sweet and a slight bitter taste. It is also used for its astringent effects.

Yarrow is a herbaceous perennial evergreen plant that is also known as Achillea millefolium. It is used as fragrant ornamental plant and can grown in temperate, mediterranean, or subtropical climate. The leaves are soft and linear with serration and grow in pinnate structure. Yarrow flowers can be purple, pink, red, white, light orange, or yellow.

Zucchini Plant

Zucchini has yellow flowers that are edible and has five lobs. It is often used in cooked form along with its fruit. The fruit of a Zucchini plant may be picked when it is unripe and used as a vegetable in many cuisines around the world. It is usually advisable to cook the fruit and not to consume it raw.

Also known as Courgette, Zucchini is an annual plant that may grow as a shrub, semi vine, vine, or creeping vine. A female zucchini contains semi fruits that looks like a little Zucchini plant, and male counterparts are smaller. The peel is green, yellow, or orange that may sometimes be striped. Oval, round in structure and rough, the zucchini fruit’s flesh is light green.