When it comes to fun facts about flowers, beauty and sweet smell are just the beginning. Treat your mind as well as your senses by learning more about flowers. Like the Chinese proverb says, "The world is a rose; smell it and pass it to your friends."
Fun Facts about Flowers by Species
Although there are over 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world, most everyone has singled out one or two to call favorite. Below are some facts about a few of the world's most popular flowers.
Rose:
-
Roses are valued for their romantic symbolism but their blooms are also edible and have the flavors of green apples and strawberries.
-
There are over 15,000 species of roses cultivated across the world.
-
Barbara Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rosie O'Donnell each have a rose named for them.
-
The rose family also includes pears, apples, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, and almonds.
-
In 1996, Americans purchased about 1.2 billion cut roses, which is the equivalent of 4.67 roses for every person in the nation.
Tulips
Tulips have a brief lifespan of only three to seven days.
-
Amazingly, Tulips can continue to grow as much as an inch per day after being cut.
-
Symbolism such as imagination, dreaminess, and a declaration of love is a big part of the allure of Tulips.
-
In a pinch, tulip bulbs make a passably good substitute for onions in recipes.
-
Most tulips have two to six leaves, but a few species can have up to 12 leaves.
Chrysanthemum
-
Feng shui buffs abelieve that chrysanthemums will bring happiness and laughter to any room.
-
Japan has a national chrysanthemum festival every year on September 9th. The flower is also portrayed on their imperial flags and weapons.
-
Chrysanthemums are one of the few flowers that can be cultivated bonsai style.
-
In Malta, chrysanthemums are associated with funerals, making it unlucky to keep the flower indoors.
-
Chrysanthemum blooms can be as small as 1 centimeter or as large as 25 centimeters.