50 Fabulous Facts about Flowers

Flowers in Numbers:

*The world’s largest single flower is the Rafflesia arnoldii, which can measure three feet (1 meter) across and weigh up to 15pounds (7 kilograms).*

1. Around 400,000 flowering plants have been discovered on earth, but there are likely many more still waiting to be discovered. Among the known flowers are 35,000 species of roses and 4,000 species of orchids.

2. Brazil is considered to have the largest variety of flowers in the world.

3. The world’s largest single flower is the Rafflesia arnoldii, which grows in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Its bright red blooms can measure three feet (1 meter) across and weigh up to 15 pounds (7 kilograms).

4. Unlike most plants, the Rafflesia arnoldii does not use energy from the sun to make its own food. Instead, it is a parasite: it gets all of its nutrients and water from a host plant, a vine in the grape family.

5. The Rafflesia arnoldii smells like rotting flesh. The scent attracts carrion flies, which usually lay their eggs in decaying dead animals. The carrion flies help pollinate the flowers.

*The world’s smallest flowering plant, the watermeal or Wolffia globose, is roughly half the size of a grain of rice.*

6. The world’s smallest flowering plant is the watermeal or Wolffia globose. This bright green oval plant is roughly half the size of a grain of rice (1 millimeter) and can be found all over the world. The tiny rootless plants float on the surface of quiet streams and ponds.

Flowers as Food—or Not:

7. The dandelion got its name from the French word dente meaning “teeth.” The jagged edges of the flower’s leaves resemble lions’ teeth. Though it is considered to be a weed, the dandelion is edible and highly nutritious. Its flowers and leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, and potassium.

8. Many other flowers are edible: citrus blossoms, clover, daisies, hibiscus, honeysuckle, lavender, lilac, mums, nasturtium, pansies, roses, sunflowers, and violets. (Be sure they have not been sprayed by insecticides.)

9. Roses are part of the Rosaceae family, which also includes almonds, plums, peaches, and cherries, as well as 4,824 other species.

*Broccoli is actually a flower. We eat it before it blooms.*

10. Broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are known as vegetables, but they are actually flowers.

11. Some flowering plants are poisonous: deadly nightshade, angel’s trumpet, morning glory, foxglove, larkspur, azaleas, buttercups, daffodils, and wisteria.

12. The oleander, a popular ornamental garden plant, is considered to be one of the most poisonous flowers in the world. All parts of it are highly toxic to humans and many species of animals. Touching the plant and tree sap with bare hands or inhaling the smoke of burning oleander can be deadly. The oleander’s toxin is even powerful enough to poison a person who eats the honey made by bees that have digested its nectar.

Flowers as Fragrances:

13. Each flower has its own unique scent. No two floral scents are identical.

14. White flowers give off stronger scents than colorful flowers.

15. Jasmine is widely considered to be the most fragrant flower. It is often used in perfumes and aromatherapy.

16. The gardenia is native to India and South Asia, where it is traditionally called gandharaj. In English this means “king of fragrances.”

17. Other highly fragrant flowers are the rose, lily, magnolia, freesia, honeysuckle, lavender, orange blossom, hyacinth, lily, lilac, and heliotrope.

18. Rose oil is very expensive and labor intensive to make: making 5 milliliters (0.169 fluid ounces) of oil requires about 250,000 rose petals, or 10,000 roses.

19. Some flowers smell like chocolate: chocolate cosmos, chocolate orchid, black salsify, chocolate daisy, and chocolate mint.

Flowers in Vases:

20. Most floral bouquets are arranged with an odd number of flowers, except for a bunch of twelve. Twelve is considered to be the number of perfection.

21. In Russia, it is tradition to give an odd number of flowers for a happy occasion, and an even number to send condolences.

22. To keep cut flowers fresh for longer, add a bit of sugar or citrus soda to the water in the vase.

23. Some of the longest-lasting cut flowers are the carnation, ranunculus, lily, calla lily, gladiolus, chrysanthemum, freesia, alstroemeria, dahlia, gerbera daisy, and delphinium.

24. The rose is considered the most beautiful flower in the world. It’s called the “queen of the garden.” Red roses are the best-selling flower in the U.S. for Valentine’s Day.

25. According to the Society of American Florists, Valentine’s Day ranked number one in flower sales for 2022, accounting for 28% of revenue and generating approximately $2.3 billion. Mother’s Day accounted for 24% of revenue for that year.

*Tulips are the best-selling cut flower in the United States.*

26. The best-selling cut flowers in the U.S. are tulips. The state of Washington sells enough tulip stems in a year to fill vases for every person living in New England.

27. Tulips can keep growing up to an inch per day even after they are cut.

28. The global leader in the flower export market is the Netherlands, which exports 52% of the total cut flowers. The next highest exporters are Columbia at 15%, Ecuador at 9%, and Kenya at 7%.

29. The best-selling bedding plants (annual flowers) in the U.S. are petunias. Individual states, however, have their own best sellers: Virginia—begonias, Tennessee—vincas, North Carolina—geraniums, and California—impatiens.

Flowers in History:

30. The poinsettia was grown by the Aztecs. It is actually a shrub native to Mexico, where it can grow up to 13 feet tall.

*The typically feathery pappus of a ripe thistle flower is known as thistle-down.*

31. When the Vikings invaded Scotland, they were slowed down by patches of wild thistle, which allowed the Scots to make their escape. Because of this, the wild thistle was named Scotland’s national flower.

32. In 17th century Holland, tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold and were used as currency at times.

33. During World War II, tulip bulbs were eaten because of hunger and food shortages. Some families used tulip bulbs in place of onions.

34. In 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded. Afterwards, floating sunflower “rafts” were used to clean up the resulting water contamination. The roots of the sunflowers remove up to 95% of radioactivity by drawing the contaminants out of the water.

Flowers that Fascinate:

35. Sunflowers move throughout the day in response to the movement of the sun from east to west.

36. Sunflower seeds contain a chemical which prevents plants from growing near them.

*While the majority of sunflowers are yellow, there are branching varieties in other colors including orange, red and purple.*

37. Not all sunflowers are yellow; they can be red and purple as well.

38. A hydrangea’s color is determined by the acidity of the soil it’s planted in. If the soil is more alkaline, the flower will be pink; if it’s more acidic, it will be blue.

39. The yellow disc in the center of the daisy is actually comprised of hundreds of tiny flowers.

40. Bluebell juice used to be used as glue.

41. Flowers are known to emit a faint humming noise that is inaudible to humans.

42. Some orchids don’t need soil to grow: they get all the nutrients they need from air.

43. Orchids can live up to 100 years or more. The oldest known individual orchid plant was planted in the Singapore Botanical Garden in 1861. It is now 161 years old.

44. Carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap are flowering plants that eat bugs and small animals.

Flowers in Culture

45. The language of flowers, called floriography, is the practice of attributing meanings and symbolism to specific flowers. The practice can be traced back for thousands of years. However, it became most popular during the ultra-conservative Victorian era when expressing one’s feelings aloud was often deemed taboo. Instead “talking bouquets” were used to convey secret messages. If a man had a crush on a woman, for example, he might send her a single red rose. If she sent him back a yellow carnation, that meant she was clearly not interested.

46. Flowers have been part of wedding ceremonies since the early Greek and Roman civilizations. The bouquet toss became a tradition in England in the 1800s.

47. Flowers make popular names for baby girls throughout the world. Lily has been among the 50 most popular girl names in the U.S. for the past 15 years. Other examples are Rose, Iris, Poppy, Violet, Daisy, Jasmine, Camellia, Dahlia, Flora, Heather, Holly, Myrtle, and Pansy.

*Our love affair with flowers is ageless.*

48. While writing her novel Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell referred to her heroine as “Pansy O’Hara.” Pansies are a remarkable winter annual capable of surviving temperatures down to the single digits (Fahrenheit), freezing solid, and then bouncing back with vigor when warm weather returns. Just before Mitchell’s book went to press, her publisher requested that she change her leading lady’s name to “Scarlett.”

49. Flowers are known to stimulate several chemicals in the brain like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. These are the chemicals that cause us to feel good. It’s scientifically proven: flowers make people happy!

50. A person who loves flowers is called an anthophile. In classical Greek, anthosmeans “flower” and phil means “love.” If you have read all 50 of these fabulous facts about flowers, you might just be an anthophile.

Please encourage your friends and family to subscribe at: justaboutanything.life
ease encourage Mona at: encouragemona@gmail.com
Download a pdf version of Just About Anything May 2024