
Which flowers are the safest? The answer is twofold. First, no flower is safe to eat or use on or near food products unless it has been organically grown. This means no chemical herbicides or pesticides have been used on or around the plant. Rose fertilizers that contain systemic toxins are included in this category, as are any fertilizers of the weed-and-feed variety.
“This also means that edible flowers that are brought home from nurseries and garden centers are not safe to eat or use on or near food products unless they have been grown organically or sustainably (without toxins). …
“Secondly, for some people, eating pollen can trigger allergies or even asthma. To be safe, remove the pollen-bearing parts of each edible flower (the pistils and stamens). The sepals or calyx also should be removed from all flowers except the viola-violet clan (pansies, Johnny- Jump-Ups, violets and violettas).