Which Flowers Are Edible?

Check this guide before adding flowers to your dessert dishes

Photo by: Janis Christie

Any dessert can look garden fresh with the addition of blooms that are safe to eat. To be sure your flowers are edible, opt for buds that have not been sprayed with any chemicals. (Grocers will mark this on containers, so stay away from flowers that don't specifically state that they have not been treated with pesticides and the like.)

Edible Flowers
•Rose
•Carnation
•Pansy
•Chrysanthemum
•Daylily
•Honeysuckle
•Violet
•Gardenia
•Marigold
•Nasturtium
•Daisy
•Viola (Johnny-jump-up)
•Peony
•Bachelor's button (cornflower)
•Lavender

And never mix poisonous flowers with edible materials. Here are some toxic-when-eaten buds to stay away from:

•Daffodil
•Hydrangea
•Tulip
•Morning glory
•Primrose
•Iris
•Sweet pea
•Lily of the valley