Home Gardening Center at
THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
________________________________________________________________________________
Fruit Flowers and Fruit Butterflies:
Simple Instructions for Edible Arrangements
Whether the host/hostess in you yearns to impress friends and family, or it’s the conscientious parent
who is searching for simple and fun ways to get kids to choose summertime fruit over ice cream, fruit
flowers and fruit butterflies are easy to make and a great way to dress up your table during the
summer months.
Supplies
1. A serving bowl, basket, or garden pot to hold the arrangement
2. Florist foam, play dough, or half a head of iceberg lettuce (something to hold the fruit pops in
place)
3. Kale and endive (something to conceal the base of the arrangement)
4. Wooden skewers (for flower stems)
5. Scallions (optional: to camouflage the skewers and create a stem)
6. Cookie cutters in the shapes of flowers and butterflies
7. Hammer and melon baller
Fruit:
Pineapple
Honeydew melon
Cantaloupe
Blueberries
Blackberries
Grapes
Decorations: (optional)
Edible flowers
Sunflowers
Nasturtiums
Mint
Instructions
1. Cut off top and bottom of pineapple; peel and cut into slices. Cut all four sides of the melon to
make slices for flowers or butterflies. Cut pineapple, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe into slices
(approx. ½ inch thick).
2. Place either flower or butterfly cookie cutter on top of fruit slice and tap with hammer to create the
shape. Separate the edges of the fruit with a knife.
3. For a pineapple flower: once you have created the flower, cut out the center of the flower (the
core) and fill with a melon ball.
4. You can either create an upward-facing or a side-facing flower.
5. Place a grape onto the pointed end of the skewer and push or twist lightly downward. The grape
will keep the flower from slipping down the skewer.
6. For an upward-facing flower, place the melon flower horizontally on the skewer. Top it off with a
blackberry or a blueberry for the center.
7. For a side-facing flower, place the pineapple on the skewer vertically, piecing through the melon
center. Butterflies are also placed vertically on the skewers.
8. Cut off the tops of the scallions and slide the skewer into the greens to create the stems.
9. Fill bottom of bowl with florist foam (or alternative) and cover base with kale.
10. Arrange flowers and butterflies in bowl and decorate the borders with edible flowers (optional).
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
11. For a sweet touch, serve with chocolate fondue or a fresh fruit coulis and dip flowers and
butterflies into the sauces.
Visit Home Gardening Online at nybg.org
Generous support for the Home Gardening Center has been provided by Kenneth and Ellen Roman.