7 Edible Flowers You Can Grow on a Balcony

Drop a nasturtium petal into a salad in front of a skeptic, and the look says it all, until two bites later, when they're asking where to buy seeds. That peppery little flower adds more personality to a boring green salad than any dressing could. Growing edible flowers on a balcony is ridiculously easy, and they pull double duty as both garden beauty and kitchen ingredient.

1. Nasturtiums

The gateway edible flower. Both the petals and leaves are edible with a peppery, watercress-like kick. They grow fast in containers, trail beautifully over pot edges, and tolerate poor soil. Direct sow seeds after frost. They flower within six weeks and keep going until cold weather stops them.

2. Violas and Pansies

Mild and slightly sweet, violas are perfect for decorating cakes, floating in drinks, or tossing into salads. They love cool weather and grow happily in window boxes and small pots. Plant in early spring or fall for the longest bloom season.

3. Calendula

Sometimes called pot marigold, calendula petals have a mild, slightly tangy flavor and add brilliant orange and yellow color to rice, soups, and salads. They are tough, pest-resistant, and reseed themselves if you let a few flowers go to seed. Great for attracting pollinators too.

4. Borage

Star-shaped blue flowers with a cucumber-like taste. Perfect for gin and tonics, lemonade, or frozen into ice cubes for summer drinks. Borage grows large, so give it a deep pot of at least 30 centimeters. One plant produces dozens of flowers over the season.

5. Chive Blossoms

If you already grow chives on your balcony, you are growing edible flowers and might not know it. The purple pom-pom blooms taste like mild onion and look gorgeous scattered over potato salad or cream cheese. Let a few stalks flower instead of cutting them all for leaves. See our herb guide for growing tips.

6. Lavender

Lavender flowers add a floral, slightly sweet note to baked goods, honey, and teas. Use sparingly because the flavor is intense. Compact varieties like Hidcote or Munstead are perfect for balcony pots. Our lavender guide covers care and harvesting.

7. Marigolds (Tagetes)

French marigold petals have a citrusy, slightly bitter flavor that works well in rice dishes and salads. They also repel certain pests, making them excellent companion plants for your balcony tomatoes and peppers.