Flowers

Fresh flowers and leaves marketed specifically for dessert making offer beautiful and sometimes even flavorful additions to cakes, but be sure to choose only those flowers that have not been sprayed and are safe for human consumption. Not all flowers are edible and some are highly poisonous. Edible flowers include apple blossoms, borage flowers, citrus blossoms (orange and lemon), day lilies (not tiger lilies, which have spots), English daisies, funcia, hibiscus, hollyhocks, honeysuckle, lilacs, nasturtiums, pansies, petunias, roses, tulips, and violets. Rose geranium leaves and mint leaves also make lovely and aromatic garnishes, especially when sugared (see Crystallized Flowers and Leaves).