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Begonias: My Favorite Edible Flower
Published: Jun 20, 2026 Modified: Jun 20, 2026 Author: Alan Bergo
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They come in a slew of brilliant colors and are crisp, tart and delicious. Begonias are my favorite edible flower, and the fact they're edible will be new to many. While most know they make a great annual flower, I plant begonias exclusively to eat. I've yet to find a variety I don't like, and for the past three years I've been gardening they've been one of, if not the first plant I'll buy each year. Today I'll walk you through the ones I like the best, and how I use them.

Orange tuberous begonia flowers.
I owe a debt to two people for turning me onto begonias as an edible flower: Chef Dan Shmidt of Wise Acre Eatery, and Dean Engleman, the mastermind behind Tangletown gardens and the farm that supplies Wise Acre.

When we did a collaboration dinner a few years back I got to tour their farm, and one of the first things I remember is being handed a deliciously tart begonia flower. If you're in the Twin Cities, Wise Acre is one of the last true standard bearers of farm-to-table cooking, and they still grow most of what they serve at their farm near Plato, Minnesota.


Polka dot begonias at the Tangletown greenhouse near Plato, MN.
Background
The genus begonia is large, containing over 1000 species typically planted as ornamentals for their colorful blooms. I've had friends tell me they're a hibiscus, which, while not technically true, is understandable as the leaves share a similarity and both plants can contain oxalic acid like sorrel and rhubarb. The oxalic acid is responsible for the tart, sour taste.

Begonia leaves resemble hibiscus even though they're not related.
At a botanical level, modern DNA studies place begonias in the Curcubitales, meaning they're actually more closely related to cucumbers, melons and squash. While I can't tell you all begonias are edible, I've tried every variety I can find and have never had an issue, but there are some that are better than others.

Best Varieties for Eating
To put it simply: buy or grow the flowers that look like food. When purchasing begonias to eat, I'm looking for plants with the largest, most succulent blooms. Sizes can vary a lot between varieties. Wax begonias are currently my least favorite as they're so small. Tuberous begonia varieties are dependably large and are probably my favorite.