9 Easiest Edible Flowers to Grow in Containers

Edible flowers can really wow your dish, and they’re super easy to grow in containers! You don’t need a huge garden or perfect soil – just a few containers, potting mix, and a sunny spot. These flowers are easy to grow, look great, and you can toss them straight onto your dinner plate.

Here are some of the easiest edible flowers I’ve grown in containers, and why I keep planting them.

1. Nasturtiums

trailing red nasturtiums in a hanging basket

Nasturtiums are one of the best edible flowers for beginners. They sprout fast, grow like weeds (in the best way), and they don’t mind poor soil or a bit of neglect. They look amazing in a hanging basket, trailing down, or spilling over the edge of containers. You can grow Nasturtiums with other container plants too – they’re a great companion for almost all other plants.

The flowers have a peppery bite, sort of like rocket, and the leaves are edible too. I like to plant them in wider, shallow pots or hanging baskets near my veggies because they’re great pest decoys.

2. Calendula (Pot Marigold)

Blue containers with calendulas in an urban garden

Calendula is easy to grow, looks incredibly cheerful in your garden, and it’s useful! It grows well in containers, flowers for months, and has anti-inflammatory properties if you’re into making salves or herbal teas.

The petals add a pop of orange or yellow to salads, and they’re good for drying too. Just keep picking the flowers to encourage more!

3. Pansies

Flowers in the ceramic pot (violet pansy)

Pansies are gorgeous and perfect for cooler weather. They look beautiful in small containers on patios or windowsills. They’re not just pretty – they’re edible too. The flavor is very mild, sometimes a little sweet, sometimes grassy, but they look stunning as cake toppers or frozen into ice cubes.

4. Chives (Flowers Included)

You might already be growing chives for their leaves, but the flowers are edible, too. The flowers are like a soft purple puff and taste like a milder version of the chive leaf. They make a great garnish on soups or egg dishes.

Chives grow well in medium-sized containers and will come back every year if you treat them right.

5. Borage

Blue flowers of Borage edible flowering plant grown in a container, in blossom on a sunny summer day

If you’ve got a bit more space, borage is well worth growing. The blue, star-shaped flowers are stunning and taste a bit like cucumber. They’re amazing in drinks! Float a few in a jug of cold water – it looks fancy and gives it a nice, fresh taste.

The plants get tall and floppy, so a deep container and maybe a stake will help. Bees love borage too. Plant some in containers around other plants to increase pollination in your garden.

6. Marigolds (Tagetes)

Tagetes tenuifolia, the signet marigold, golden marigold or lemon marigold, is a North American species of the wild marigold in the family Asteraceae.

Not all marigolds are edible, so stick with Tagetes tenuifolia (also called gem marigolds or signet marigolds). The petals have a citrusy, slightly bitter flavor that works well in salads. They handle heat well and flower all through the warmer months.

Just make sure you don’t confuse them with the more decorative types sold at nurseries. Check the tag to make sure they’re edible.

7. Dianthus (Pinks)

Pink Dianthus Carnation flowers in container

Dianthus flowers smell a bit like cloves and look beautiful in salads or desserts. Only the petals are edible, and you’ll want to remove the white base – it’s bitter! They grow well in small containers and flower for ages if you deadhead them often.

8. Chamomile

Medicinal chamomile (Matricaria recutita) blooms in a container for edible flowers

Tiny daisy-like flowers with a soft apple scent. Chamomile grows well in small pots, especially if you give it a sunny spot and don’t overwater. The flowers make a calming tea, and the plant itself looks delicate but handles rough conditions surprisingly well.

9. Bachelor’s Buttons (Cornflowers)

Cornflower Centaurea cyanus a beautiful edible flower for containers

Cornflowers are easy to grow and care for. They grow well from seed and don’t need much looking after. The beautiful flowers come in shades of blue, pink, and white. The petals are edible and slightly sweet. They’re great for decorating cakes or scattering over salads. They’ll grow in pretty average potting mix and handle heat and wind better than most.

A Few Tips for Growing Edible Flowers in Containers

Use a good-quality potting mix and choose a pot with drainage holes.
Most of these flowers love the sun. Give them at least 5 – 6 hours a day.
Pick the flowers regularly to keep new ones coming.
Only eat flowers that you’re absolutely sure are safe, and that haven’t been sprayed with anything you wouldn’t eat.
Give them a bit of liquid feed now and then. Seaweed solution or a weak compost tea works well. You can also mix a slow-release organic fertilizer into the potting mix at the time of planting.

Edible flowers are fun to grow, great for kids, and they’re useful in the kitchen. Your meals will look fantastic, the flowers brighten the day, and you’re helping to support pollinators, too! Are you growing edible flowers? Let us know in the comments below!