Edible Flowers
Edible Flowers
Edible flowers, which have been used in the culinary arts for centuries, are experiencing renewed popularity. Flowers can serve as an essential ingredient in a recipe, provide seasoning to a dish, or simply be used as a garnish.
Key Requirements
| Land | Low |
| Labor | High |
| Capital | Medium |
Take the HortBizQuiz to see how much Land, Labor, and Capital you have for your operation.
Markets
- Restaurants
- Value-Added Products
Pests & Disease
Buyers of edible flowers will want their product to be free of diseases and insect pests. This could present a challenge since edible flowers must be grown without the use of any chemical pesticide. Insect control consists of hand-picking harmful insects and the use of beneficial insects to help decrease insect populations.
Costs and returns are presented as estimates. They will vary based on your farm and markets.
Costs and returns are presented as estimates. They will vary based on your farm and markets.
Challenges
- Edible flower production is labor and management intensive.
- To produce value-added flower products, the flowers must be dried or utilized immediately after harvest.
Opportunities
- Flowers may be marketed fresh, dried, candied, or in prepackaged salads.
- The cultural requirements for edible flowers are very similar to those of ornamental flowers.