National Flowers | State Flowers | National Flower

Not to be outdone by other nations, Canada’s national flower is not a flower at all. It’s a leaf. The Canadian maple leaf is a true icon of the northern country representing not only the country’s livelihood, but its natural spirit as well. The Canadian maple leaf was first used to represent the country in the mid eighteenth century. Today the leaf is the primary symbol of the country appearing on the nation’s flag, the coat of arms and even the country’s smallest coin – the penny.

The National Flower of Canada

The Canadian maple is a tree that is common throughout the country and has supported much of the country as well with the natural maple syrup that is produced in the early spring. Canada has united under the maple leaf, but has a great deal of other flowers to choose from in representing the nation as a whole. Canada is a large country with a diverse population. The population continues to change with new immigrants from around the world making it even more difficult to simplify preferences. Each province of Canada has its own flower as well as the national flower.

Growing the State Flower of Canada

Sugar maples are the trees that produce the maple syrup Canada is famous for. The sugar maple trees can be grown from seeds if properly planted and protected from the elements until they reach sapling strength. It is far easier, however, to plan a sugar maple seedling. Select a healthy sapling and dig the hole much wider than you need. Fill the hole partially with compost and fertilizer before dropping in the tree’s ball of roots. Spread the roots a bit and fill with soil. Water the new tree regularly until well established and enjoy the bright leaves throughout the coming seasons – especially in the fall when the maple leaves turn brilliant shades of red and yellow.

Some photos of official Canada Flower Simbol – Maple Leaf.

Maple Leaf Pictures from the Internet.

Canada State Flower Maple Leaf

A beautiful island country with an interesting and diverse history, Bermuda sports many plants that grow in abundance which were brought to the country by travelers centuries ago. The national flower of this country, however, is a species which is native to the island – blue-eyed grass, or the lily. A member of the lily family, blue-eyed grass grows widely on the island of Bermuda in both excellent soil conditions and sandy or dry conditions. A larger version of the lilies seen in New England, the blue-eyed grass produces large blue flowers in the spring.

The State Flower of Bermuda

The blue-eyed grass of Bermuda is a native to the land and is lovely with tall stems and bright flowers in the spring. The plant is a perennial with long green leaves most of the year and the small blue or violent flowers growing in patterns of six petals with a bright yellow center. The blue-eyed grass is not officially recognized as the national flower of Bermuda, but does enjoy the unofficial status of being a state flower. It is lovely in the wild and in gardens as well.

Growing Blue-Eyed Grass

A far distance from the tropics of Bermuda, blue-eyed grass also grows easily and is native to Missouri. The plant thrives and is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9 so it is easy to grow virtually anywhere. The blue-eyed grass grows well as a ground cover and will tolerate poor soil so long as there is ample moisture. The perennial forms as a grass and will grow up to a foot in height making it an excellent addition to a small garden or lovely mixed with similar plants in the garden as well.

Some National Flower of Bermuda – Blue-Eyed Grass – Pictures from the internet. National Flower of Bermuda – Blue-Eyed Grass- Photos.

Costa Rica, a diverse island, has a tremendous number of plants and wildlife in a compact space. The lush island of Costa Rica has more than 1,300 species of orchids and is know the world over for its astonishing flowers. The national flower of Costa Rica, the guaria morada, is a common orchid found on the tropical island. The lovely flower was so beloved by the people of Costa Rica that is became the national flower of the island country.

The purple orchid, the common name of the state flower of Costa Rica, became the national flower on June 15, 1939. The people of Costa Rica enjoy the myriad of flowers on their island home and make those flowers into decorations, gifts and the centerpieces of celebrations. As common as the purple orchid is in the country, it is often a part of floral arrangements and deliveries.

Guaria Morada

Costa Rica was once an orchid playground, but the large flowers that grew naturally on the island began to disappear until it was rare to see the national flower of Costa Rica growing in the wild. Recent efforts have reintroduced the orchids to their native homes and the purple orchids are once again flourishing in the protected parks and natural areas. In 1990, Costa Rica introduced a department of wildlife conservation in response to the growing concerns of the public that the once dense landscape was being destroyed to accommodate cash crops.

The purple orchid is a bright pink or purple flower with the delicate petals of an orchid. The purple orchid grows over trees, roofs and buildings throughout Costa Rica when cared for properly. The orchids use the buildings and trees as support, but get nutrients from the environment around them. The guaria morada is an essential part of Costa Rican folklore and legend as well.

Growing Guaria Morada

Growing orchids is tricky in the best of circumstances. The orchids tend to live only a few years if uprooted from their natural environment and the government of Costa Rica has turned to cloning and specialized training to help cultivate the purple orchid in the gardens of the city. To grow the guaria morada at home, plan to buy the flower and be careful to avoid overwatering. Too much water is the most common way to destroy any orchid.

Some Guaria Morada National Flower of Costa Rica Pictures and Photos from the Internet.

Guaria Morada National Flower of Costa Rica

In 1897, the wild rose was designated as the official state flower of Iowa. The selection was made based more heavily on a silver service than anything else. The silver service presented to the battleship USS Iowa in the same year was patterned with wild roses, which prompted the selection of the flower. No specific version of wild rose was ever selected by the state, so most commonly the wild prairie rose is considered the state flower of Iowa.

The wild roses found throughout the state of Iowa bloom starting in June lasting through the late summer. The pink flowers vary in shade and have a soft yellow center. The wild prairie rose has five notched petals around the center in a single layer. The prairie rose grows wild throughout the state in low shrubs with bright green foliage. The hardy shrub is native to all of the prairies in the United States.

Wild Prairie Roses

The roses that grow wild in the state reach up to eighteen inches in height. The stems are heavily covered in thorns but the fragrance of the flowers is appealing. The roses tend to appear along roadsides and woodland edges and are especially fond of areas where intense grazing and wildfires have occurred. The rose hips of the wild prairie rose are edible and are often used in teas and as garnishes.

Growing Wild Prairie Roses

Wild roses are easy to grow and require almost no maintenance. After all, the bushes grow in the wild easily and produce beautiful flowers every summer. Plant wild prairie roses as a plant, not a seed, and then leave them be once they are established. The plant will die out in the winter, but the stems will start new growth in the spring showing you were to cut off the dead portions. The roses will continue to grow and thrive over time creating a lush, beautiful addition to any garden.

Some pictures of Iowa State Flower – Wild Prairie Rose. Wild Prairie Roses – Iowa flower – photos from the internet.

Iowa state flower Wild Prairie Rose pictures

The brilliant shades of the peony have not always been the state flower of Indiana. For a stretch of time from the early 1930’s to the mid 1950’s, the zinnia was the state flower. Prior to that, the blossom of the tulip tree was considered the state flower when the original state flower, the carnation, was declared a foreign species to Indiana and therefore not worthy of being recognized. In 1957, however, the Indiana General Assembly adopted the peony as the state flower. The bright flowers with its lush vegetation are as rich as the state in regard to sheer beauty.

The State Flower of Indiana

The peony has large blossoms with rings of petals. The peony blooms in both single and double varieties from the end of May through early June in many different shades of red, pink and in white. Since no specific variety or color was selected by the General Assembly any version of the peony can be considered the state flower. In a bit of ongoing scandal, it’s said that a peony grower is behind the selection of the flower as a dogwood blossom had originally been proposed by the state senate.

Peonies are popular throughout the state in both personal and public gardens. The hardy perennials bloom in the spring and leave attractive foliage through the summer and fall. The plant disappears underground in the winter only to reappear in the spring with even more large pompom blossoms. Peonies are especially hardy once they are well established. The plants can live for up to a century and finding 100-year-old peonies is not entirely uncommon.

Planting the State Flower of Indiana

To plant peonies, you’ll want to prepare your flower beds ahead of time. The beds should include organic matter and be well fertilized. Once the beds are prepared, plant the tubers in the fall about two inches deep. The peonies need only be fertilized once per year and do best when left alone to grow.

State Flower of Indiana Peony Pictures, which are founded in the Internet. Indiana State Flower – Peony – Photos and Images.

State Flower of Indiana Peony Pictures

A country full of wild beauty, Columbia has not formerly adopted its national flower, although the Christmas Orchid, or Cattleya Trianae.

This lovely flower was first discovered in Columbia in the 1840’s and when it was recommended by the Columbian Academy of History in 1936, the flower was adopted by the country as its state flower. To date there is no official law that marks the Christmas orchid as the official flower of Columbia.

The Christmas Orchid

The stunningly beautiful flower is an enigma. It’s lovely and yet has a fetid smell. The large blossoms of the orchid are said to be among the most beautiful in the world, and grow in the wilds of Columbia most often along mountain streams. Naturally occurring in Columbia, the Christmas orchid can reach up to eight inches in size and has a darker pink center and lighter petals although the orchid can bloom in up to fourteen different shades. The single leaf of the orchid is long and dark green.

The Christmas orchid has a darker center and then lighter petals with a slightly ruffled edge. The orchid is large with a stem reaching up to a foot. The stem can produce between three and fourteen flowers making an elaborate statement in the rocks of the mountains.

Growing Christmas Orchids

The Christmas orchids are stunning but require very temperate zones for growth. The flowers bloom between December and March and need intermediate or hot weather. New growth appears directly after the first round of blooms. The flower can be tricky to grow at home without ideal conditions, but ordering Christmas Orchids is common as these have been one of the most popular winter cut flowers since the early 20th century.

Bolivia is a country often found at odds within its boundaries. Drawn on a map using physical boundaries, the country of Bolivia seems to fit neatly into South America, but with two very distinct cultures living within the borders of the country, it’s become natural for the people of Bolivia to have two of just about everything to appease both cultures – two capital cities and two state flowers. The two flowers are grown in the two distinct regions of the country. The kantuta tricolor represents the western culture and the patuju represents the eastern regions of the country.

The Bolivian government passed a law declaring both flowers the national flowers of Bolivia on April 27, 1990 but also dictated that when you draw the two state flowers, they lean toward each over as “an interlaced symbol of union between the regions, ethnic groups, cultures, and natural resources of the Republic.” Whether the state flowers have helped this culturally divided nation find a peaceful coexist is unclear, but both flowers are stunning.

Kantuta Tricolor

The kantuta is a brilliant flower that grows in the Andes Mountains. It is small and delicate and is increasingly rare grown in the wild. The flower is linked to the Incas through ancient legends. The first national flower of Bolivia, these bell-shaped flowers are tubular and elegant. The bright colors of the kantuta are the same red and green as the Bolivian flag. This is true of the patuju as well.

Patuju

Unlike the kantuta in its rarity, the patuju is prolific throughout South America and can be grown in almost any garden with a very temperate climate. The patuju is a tropical plant related to the bird of paradise plant and is found in the Bolivian rainforest. The large red and green blossoms on the plant grow downward toward the ground and are stunning.

Growing Kantuta

A scrappy shrub, kantuta can be purchased in select nurseries and grown in well-drained soil. The kantuta will flower with amazing bursts of color and might even sport a variety of colors in its flowers on the same shrub. The shrub grows up to six feet and does not flower when planted in a pot making it hard to find commercially.

Some Bolivia National Flowers – Kantuta and Patuju – Pictures from the Internet.

Bolivia National Flowers Kantuta and Patuju

Blue skies and beautiful beaches mark the tropical paradise of the Bahamas. The lovely yellow elder is the perfect flower to represent this bright and cheerful country. The yellow elder, the national flower of the Bahamas is a bright yellow blossom with very fine red stripes on each of the petals. The tubular flower grows wild on trees in the Bahamas, but it is often included in gardens and cultivated into a more beautiful and groomed version.

The National Flower of the Bahamas

The yellow elder grows on a yellow elder tree. The tree is found throughout the islands of the Bahamas growing in the wild, and also in gardens and landscaping. The yellow elder tree can be as tall as twenty feet when fully mature and holds the bright colorful flowers beautifully when they bloom. The blooming period for the yellow elder flowers is October to December with the flowers fading away as the spring advances.

The bell shaped blossoms of the yellow elder tree are easy to recognize. They grow in clusters and are vivid against the brown and green of the branches and leaves. The buds appear as little bags and if squeezed before they bloom, the little buds pop noisily. Once open, the blossoms measure about an inch across and two inches deep.

In the 1970s, the various garden clubs of the Bahamas began discussing a national flower for the island. It was determined that many of the other natural flowers that grew wild on the island already had been claimed by other nations as a national flower. It was decided that yellow elder, which grew so beautifully on the island and was unclaimed by others at the time, would be the new national flower.

Growing Yellow Elder

Yellow elder is a beautiful addition to a garden, especially in the South, but can be grown easily in the North as well. The yellow elder grows best in full sun with slightly drought-like conditions. Plant the yellow elder shrub in the ground after risks of freeze and water only when the ground becomes dry for an extended period of time. If healthy, the yellow elder can grow to 20 feet.

Yellow Edler is official National Flower of the Bahamas. Here are some Yellow Edler Pictures from the Internet. Yellow Edler – Bahamas National Flower – Photos.

National Flower of the Bahamas Yellow Edler

The stunning red and yellow of the flame lily makes it especially prominent in the savannahs and warm regions of Southern Africa. Zimbabwe made the flame lily the national flower thanks to its prolific growth throughout the country as well as its notable beauty.

The Flame Lily of Zimbabwe

The large national flower of Zimbabwe is lovely as a cut flower but even prettier in its natural setting. The flame lily is a climbing lily that can reach heights of eight feet using soft tendrils to reach out to higher locations as it climbs. The flame lily can be found in the semi-shaded regions of the savannah and the state flower is especially fond of rocky outcroppings in the natural areas.

The bright flower of the flame lily combines red and yellow petals. The red of the flame lily features curving petals that form a loose ball shape. As the red petals taper back toward the green leaves and stem, they become yellow around the edges creating a bright yellow ring around the radiant center. The base of the bloom has the pistil and stamen circling the flower around the bottom much like clock hands.

The National Flower of Zimbabwe

The blossoms of the flame lily can reach as much as five inches across in their full state of fiery bloom. The large blossoms and thick stems of the flame lily make the plants especially popular with floral designers in tropical arrangements. The bold colors and the creeping nature of the plant make it just as lovely in the wild Savannah or in a carefully cultivated setting.

Growing Flame Lilies

Flame lilies grow from a bulb, and the flowers are very susceptible to cold weather. The bulbs should be planted after any chance of a freeze is past with the bulb on its side; the growing tip two or three inches below the ground. The soil for the flame lily should be well drained and be sure to locate the bulbs near a growing surface such as an arbor or trellis as the flame lilies grow on a climbing vine.

Once planted, the fire lily bulbs will double each year without a freeze increasing the number of large beautiful blossoms in your garden. The flame lilies are excellent for cutting flowers, but not cutting the flowers will increase the size of the plant as it continues to grow.

Zimbabwe National Flower is Flame Lily. Here are some Flame Lily Pictures from the Internet. Flame Lily Photos.

Zimbabwe National Flower Flame Lily

The delicate shape and hue of the violent is a pretty reminder of the lush greenery that can be found in the state of Illinois. Following a vote of school children in the state, the violet was selected as the state flower of Illinois effective July 1, 1908. Today, the “native violet” can mean any one of the hundreds of violets that grow naturally in the state and nobody has cared particularly to make a distinction as to which violet the school children selected over a century ago.

The bright greens of the farmlands and hills of Illinois are often dotted with violets. The dooryard violet, for example, grows in both sunshine and shade and peeks up with a bright purple face. The open petals are velvet purple with a darker shade in the center of the flower. Growing low to the ground, the violets are commonly found in purple but can appear in many other lighter shades as well.

The Violet

Known in other parts of the country and world as pansies, the violets of Illinois have a solid place in the state’s history and aren’t known by any other name. The delicate plants can be planted as an annual or perennial and appear as either a shrub or a small plant. Hearty once they are planted, the violets appear delicate thanks to their soft nodding flowers. Indeed, the violet demonstrates its duality when sniffed. The soft fragrance of the violet can only be smelled once as the flower releases ionone, a chemical that desensitizes the nose for a time.

Growing Violets

Violets are an easy plant to grow and are considered annuals in most cases allowing you to change the color or the placement each year. To plant violets, plan to use them as a hearty ground cover. The violets are natural in a wooded area or in a cottage garden. Violets prefer moist soil and grow easily and well in semi-shaded or fully shaded beds. The violets are self propagating and will bloom in late winter and early spring with flowers lasting throughout the summer months.

Violet is Illinois – USA – State Flower. Some Violet Pictures from the Internet are here.