🌸 15 Safe Edible Flowers for Pet Birds – Perfect for a Bird-Friendly Garden
Adding flowers to your garden isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s also a wonderful way to provide safe, edible treats that add variety, nutrition, and enrichment for your birds. Many common flowers are completely safe for pet birds to nibble, offering vitamins, antioxidants, and stimulating textures for their day.
To be completely honest, I wrote this blog because I personally love providing my birds with a variety of bird-safe enrichment options, especially natural foods, treats, and ways to keep them engaged. I recently started my own greenhouse and wanted to include flowers that would brighten the space while still being safe for my birds to enjoy.
That got me thinking — a blog focused on common, easy-to-find flowers that are both safe and beautiful would be a great resource for pet bird owners looking to create a bird-friendly garden.
🌼 Important Tip: Always use pesticide-free or organically grown flowers. Avoid florist flowers unless you’re certain they haven’t been chemically treated.
🌿 Why Include Edible Flowers in Your Bird-Friendly Garden?
Planting edible flowers in your garden isn’t just about decoration — it’s a wonderful way to grow safe, natural treats for your birds while enhancing your outdoor space. By cultivating blooms that are safe to nibble, you can:
- Encourage natural foraging and exploration, letting your birds investigate new textures, colours, and scents
- Adds variety and nutrition to their diet, including vitamins, antioxidants, and gentle digestive support,
- Keeps your birds mentally stimulated through interactive, safe enrichment
Flowers can be enjoyed in many ways: clip petals or small blooms from the garden to scatter in foraging trays, add to perches or toys, or mix with fruit and vegetables for a safe and engaging treat.
🌼 Pro tip: Maintaining a dedicated patch of bird-safe edible flowers ensures you always have pesticide-free blooms to use for healthy snacks and enrichment activities.
🌼 Common Edible Flowers to Grow for Your Birds
We have put together 15 different types of easy to find, bird-safe flowers that thrive in a garden and provide safe, edible natural treats for your birds to enjoy:
African Violet (Saintpaulia spp.)
For those who grow plants indoors, the African Violet is a wonderful option! These popular, fuzzy-leafed houseplants are perfectly safe for your birds and add a lovely touch of colour to their environment.
African Violets are a gentle, non-toxic addition to a bird’s diet. They are mostly used for enrichment and variety rather than high nutrition, offering a new texture and flavour profile for curious beaks.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe to offer. You can clip individual flowers and leaves to scatter in foraging trays or gently press them onto wet chop mixes. Since these are often grown indoors, they’re naturally pesticide-free!
🌼 Garden tip:
African Violets thrive in bright, indirect light indoors. They’re a reliable way to have a source of fresh, safe flowers available year-round, regardless of the weather outside.
Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp. & other native favourites)
The vibrant, iconic Australian bottlebrush is a natural choice for any bird-friendly garden and a huge hit with nectar-loving birds like lorikeets and honeyeaters. These hardy plants provide beautiful colour and highly valued enrichment.
Bottlebrush flowers are an excellent source of natural nectar and moisture, mimicking a wild diet for many native species. The entire plant is safe for birds to explore and shred.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
Clip whole branches with flowers and leaves and hang them in the aviary or cage. Birds will enjoy stripping the bark, shredding the leaves, and extracting nectar from the bright blooms — providing hours of natural foraging activity.
🌼 Garden tip:
Bottlebrushes are low-maintenance native plants that thrive in most Australian gardens and attract wild birds, making them a fantastic dual-purpose addition to your space.
Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus & Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos are cheerful, daisy-like flowers that are a fantastic and easy addition to any bird-safe garden. They come in a variety of colours, from the bright orange and yellow of the sulphureus species (the one often mistaken for marigolds) to the pinks and whites of bipinnatus varieties. The great news is that both types are safe for your birds to nibble on!
Cosmos are non-toxic and offer light foraging fun. They are easy for birds to shred, encouraging natural curiosity and play. While they don’t offer significant nutritional value like dandelions, they’re wonderful for enrichment and variety.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe for your birds to explore. You can clip fresh flowers, leaves, and stems to scatter in foraging trays, mix into chop blends, or thread through foraging toys. As the flowers fade, leaving the seed heads for wild birds or clipping them for your pets provides excellent seasonal enrichment.
🌼 Garden tip:
Cosmos are incredibly easy to grow from seed and thrive in sunny spots, often self-seeding for the next year. They attract butterflies and wild finches to your garden, making them a fantastic, dual-purpose plant!
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
There are two main types of plants often called Chamomile: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or M. recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). The great news is that both are safe for birds to enjoy!
Chamomile is well-known for its natural calming and soothing properties. It also contains gentle anti-inflammatory and antiseptic compounds, along with small amounts of essential minerals like calcium and iron — making it a wonderful herb to include for both variety and wellbeing.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire chamomile plant — flowers, leaves, and stems — is edible and safe. Offer small amounts of fresh or dried petals and leaves by sprinkling them into foraging trays, mixing them through chop, or threading them through toys for natural enrichment.
🌿 Pro Tip: Chamomile Tea
You can also brew a weak, caffeine-free chamomile tea by steeping the flowers in hot (not boiling) water, letting it cool completely, and offering it as a supplemental drink alongside their regular fresh water. You can even use the cooled tea water to mix their food or soak the leftover flowers to add to their meals.
🌼 Garden tip:
Chamomile grows easily in pots or garden beds and reseeds itself — perfect for a low-maintenance bird-friendly patch that can also help deter some garden pests!
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Often dismissed as a common weed here in Australia, the humble dandelion is actually a nutritional powerhouse — and a completely safe, edible superfood for your birds! It’s one of the easiest and most reliable fresh greens you can provide.
Dandelions are incredibly nutritious, providing excellent levels of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium and iron. The slightly bitter taste in the greens is often relished by birds and can help support healthy digestion.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
You can offer the entire plant — roots, leaves, stems, yellow flowers, and even the seed heads are safe! Clip whole plants from your garden to offer as healthy, hanging enrichment, shred the leaves into a fresh chop, or scatter the petals in a foraging tray.
⚠️ Important safety tip:
Dandelions are highly susceptible to herbicides and pesticides. Always avoid flowers from roadsides, public parks, or sprayed areas. Stick strictly to plants grown in your own organic garden or known chemical-free areas for a safe, healthy bird treat.
🌼Garden tip:
Let dandelions grow freely in chemical-free areas of your garden for a reliable and free source of safe, edible flowers and greens year-round.
Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
A fantastic and vibrant addition to any bird-safe garden, the tropical hibiscus is a firm favourite among many pet birds — especially lorikeets, parrots, and cockatoos who naturally forage for nectar and petals in the wild.
Hibiscus flowers are not just beautiful; they’re also highly nutritious! They’re naturally rich in vitamin C, packed with beneficial antioxidants, and provide a refreshing source of natural moisture for your birds.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire hibiscus plant — flowers, leaves, and branches — is safe and edible. Birds often adore the shredding factor of the large, delicate petals, making them a wonderful source of enrichment. You can offer flowers fresh from the garden, shred petals into a chop mix, or freeze whole blooms in ice cubes for a cooling summer treat.
🌼Garden tip:
Plant hibiscus in a sunny spot. The large, frequent blooms make them easy to harvest regularly for safe, colourful bird treats!
Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
Known for its calming aroma and beautiful purple blooms, lavender is a wonderful addition to a bird-safe garden, adding gentle fragrance and enrichment to your bird’s environment.
While primarily valued for its aromatic benefits, lavender flowers are non-toxic and safe for birds to nibble in moderation. They contain mild antiseptic properties and provide a novel flavour and texture for your feathered friends.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The fresh or dried flowers are the main edible part. Sprinkle dried petals into foraging mixes, add a few fresh sprigs to foraging toys, or use cooled, caffeine-free lavender tea as a supplemental drink or to mix into food. The rest of the plant is also safe for birds to shred.
🌼 Garden tip:
Lavender thrives in sunny, well-drained spots and grows well in pots. It’s a hardy plant that attracts pollinators and provides a consistent source of safe, fragrant flowers for your birds.
Marigold (Calendula officinalis & Tagetes spp.)
There are two main types of plants often called Marigolds: Calendula (also known as Pot Marigold or English Marigold) and Tagetes (French, African, or Signet Marigolds). The good news is that both are safe for birds to eat!
Calendula is especially well known for its soothing and healing properties, often used in herbal remedies to support skin and feather health. Tagetes varieties are equally safe and rich in antioxidants — particularly lutein, which can help support vibrant feather coloration and overall wellbeing.
⚠️ Important safety note:
The only one to strictly avoid is the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) — this is a completely different plant species (part of the toxic buttercup family) and is poisonous to birds.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire non-toxic marigold plant can be safely offered. Clip flowers fresh from the garden to scatter through foraging trays, or gently dry the petals to mix into your bird’s daily seed or pellet blend for added colour and enrichment.
🌼 Garden tip:
Marigolds are a cheerful, easy-to-grow addition to any bird-safe garden. Grow them along borders or in pots — they’re hardy, colourful, and simple to harvest safely.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Nasturtium is one of the easiest and most versatile edible plants you can grow in a bird-safe garden! Known for their vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers and distinctive round “lily pad” leaves, these plants offer a slightly peppery flavour that many birds absolutely love.
Both the flowers and leaves are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants, making them fantastic for supporting overall health and a strong immune system.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe to offer — flowers, leaves, stems, and even the unripe seed pods (which make a fun, crunchy snack!). You can drape whole clipped vines into their cage or aviary for natural shredding activity or chop the bright flowers and leaves into their daily fresh food mix for extra colour and variety.
🌼 Garden tip:
Nasturtiums are great climbers! They look beautiful spilling from hanging baskets or trailing along fences and trellises, making it easy to harvest fresh blooms for your bird’s enrichment and snacks.
Pansies & Violets (Viola spp.)
Pansies and violets are delicate, edible flowers that are easy to grow and make a beautiful garnish for your bird’s fresh food. These cheerful blooms are completely safe for birds and add a lovely pop of purple, yellow, or white to their meals.
Surprisingly nutritious, the leaves are high in vitamins A and C, and the flowers themselves provide gentle nutrients and moisture. They are also popular in human edible flower blends, making them a versatile addition to a bird-safe garden.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe to offer. Sprinkle fresh petals into foraging trays, press them onto wet chop mixes, or use them as a colourful garnish for a stimulating meal presentation.
🌼 Garden tip:
Pansies and violets thrive in pots and cooler weather, providing a steady supply of safe, edible flowers throughout much of the year.
Petunia (Petunia spp.)
Petunias are popular bedding plants that come in a rainbow of colours and are easy to grow, providing consistent blooms all season long that are perfectly safe for pet birds.
These non-toxic flowers offer light foraging fun and can add moisture and variety to the diet of finches, smaller parrots, and other birds.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe to offer. Clip fresh flowers and leaves and scatter them in foraging areas. They’re lightweight and easy for smaller birds to carry and shred for playful enrichment.
🌼 Garden tip:
Petunias look beautiful in hanging baskets. Snip flowers as needed to provide a steady supply of fresh, safe treats for your birds.
Rose (Rosa spp.)
Roses add a beautiful fragrance and classic elegance to any garden — and the good news is they’re perfectly safe and delightful treats for your pet birds! While the petals are most commonly used, the entire flower head can provide gentle enrichment and natural antioxidants.
Rose petals are soft, fragrant, and packed with beneficial compounds that support overall cell health. When the flower fades, the resulting rose hip (the small, round fruit) becomes a fantastic natural source of vitamin C, especially useful in the cooler months.
⚠️ Important safety note:
Always ensure the roses you offer are homegrown and completely free of sprays or chemicals. Florist roses should be avoided, as they’re heavily treated with pesticides and preservatives. If offering whole stems, carefully remove all thorns first to prevent injury to your bird.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The petals and rose hips are the main edible parts. Scatter fresh petals through foraging trays, thread them onto foraging skewers, or gently dry them to mix into a dried foraging blend for a lovely scent and texture.
🌼 Garden tip:
Single-petal or smaller, old-fashioned rose varieties are often easier to harvest and handle for smaller birds than the large, dense hybrid tea roses.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Nothing says “cheerful garden” quite like a towering sunflower! These iconic blooms are incredibly popular with birds both in the garden and as a treat source, offering enrichment throughout the entire growing season.
Sunflowers provide more than just good looks. While the petals offer mild antioxidants, the real nutritional value comes from their large seed heads. The seeds are rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, which support vibrant feathers, healthy skin, and overall wellbeing.
⚠️ Important serving note:
The petals and flower heads are safe, but mature sunflower seeds are high in fat — so they’re best offered in moderation as part of a balanced diet, rather than a main food source.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
Offer bright yellow petals fresh from the bloom to scatter in foraging trays. As the flower matures, clip the still-green flower head (before it dries completely) and let your birds strip the developing seeds out themselves — a fantastic way to encourage natural foraging behaviour.
🌼 Garden tip:
Plant sunflowers in a sunny spot against a fence or wall for support. They’re easy to grow, long-lasting, and provide a safe, enriching food source from flower to seed.
Tickseed (Coreopsis spp., including Coreopsis lanceolata)
Tickseed is a cheerful and resilient perennial that makes a wonderful, dual-purpose addition to any bird-friendly garden. The bright, daisy-like flowers are non-toxic, and songbirds in the wild love foraging on the seeds!
The entire Coreopsis plant is safe for your birds to explore. The flowers and leaves can be offered fresh, providing new textures and a splash of colour. Songbirds especially appreciate the seeds that develop late in the season.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant is safe. You can clip fresh flowers and leaves to scatter in foraging trays or mix into a chop blend. As the flowers fade and go to seed, leave them on the plant for natural foraging, or clip the seed heads for a seasonal snack.
🌼 Garden tip:
Tickseed is very easy to grow and drought-tolerant once established. To provide a food source for birds in autumn and winter, avoid deadheading the spent flowers and let them go to seed.
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Zinnias are cheerful, vibrant, and incredibly easy to grow, making them a perfect addition to any bird-safe garden. They bloom reliably all summer long, providing a steady source of colour and safe enrichment for your birds.
These bright blooms are completely safe for birds to eat and are a good source of antioxidants. Their light, layered petals are excellent for encouraging natural shredding and foraging behaviours.
🍽️ Serving for your bird:
The entire plant — flowers, leaves, and stems — is non-toxic and safe to offer. Clip small blooms or individual petals to scatter through foraging trays, mix into chop, or thread onto skewers with other safe fruits and veggies for a colourful and engaging display.
🌼 Garden tip:
Zinnias love the sun and thrive in warm weather. Planting them in a dedicated cutting patch ensures you always have plenty of fresh, safe flowers to clip and offer your birds for enrichment throughout the season.
Extra Tips for Your Bird’s Enrichment
Adding edible flowers to your bird’s diet is just the beginning of creating a fun and stimulating environment. One of the easiest ways to offer flowers is by scattering petals or small blooms in foraging trays, which encourages natural exploration, shredding, and curiosity. You can also mix fresh petals into chop blends with fruits, vegetables, or grains to create colourful, nutritious meals that your birds will love.
Flowers can also be incorporated into interactive toys. Thread petals through foraging skewers, ladders, or chewable toys to introduce new textures and scents while keeping your birds mentally engaged. Rotating flowers seasonally adds variety, introducing new colours, scents, and textures to keep enrichment fresh and exciting.
For Australian pet birds like lorikeets, pairing these common garden flowers with seasonal native nectar flowers can really elevate your garden into a rich, multi-layered environment for exploration and enjoyment — check out our guide to Seasonal Australian Native Nectar Flowers for Pet Lorikeets – All Year-Round Guide for ideas and inspiration.
If you want a quick, easy way to combine foraging with tasty natural flower treats, our Beak Joy Peck ‘n’ Play Forage Box is perfect. Simply add some fresh petals or clipped blooms from your garden to the box, and your bird can enjoy hours of safe, engaging, hands-off enrichment while exploring textures and flavours. You can see it here: link to product
A little flower-based enrichment goes a long way in keeping your bird happy, healthy, and mentally stimulated — and it’s a simple way to make their daily routine a colourful, enjoyable adventure!
