National Flowers | State Flowers | National Flower

The delicate Cherokee rose was selected as the state flower of this southern state in 1916 at the urging of women’s gardening clubs. The elegant white rose is an open petal flower that grows on an evergreen climbing shrub. Introduced from China sometime in the 1700’s, the Cherokee rose has gained fame for its aggressive growth, lovely beauty and emotional history.

The Trail of Tears that marked the forced march of the Cherokee Indians off their ancestral lands in the 1838 has become intertwined with the Cherokee rose. Grown by the Native Americans before the march, it was said that the tears of the women that fell during the dramatic event turned into the small white flowers that still grow along the pathway today. Then and now the Cherokee rose was a symbol of hope and a change of fortunes. Lovely in the garden and growing very easily in the Georgia climate, it’s a natural choice for a state flower.

The Cherokee Rose – Georgia State Flower

The hardy Cherokee rose grows easily in all weather conditions, including drought making it ideal for a southern state. The Cherokee rose is especially aggressive climbing over other shrubs and plants to reach up to thirty feet high. The waxy flowers have a bright yellow center and are small as they cover the plants. The Cherokee rose is heavily covered with thorns as well with brightly colored green leaves. The rosehips from the rose have been used medicinally for years, especially in China where the plant originated.

Growing Cherokee Rose

The Cherokee rose is easy to grow from bare roots or a small shrub. Once planted, the Cherokee rose is hard to stop. Long hooked thorns catch on fences, trellises, tree branches and other shrubs as the evergreen travels up and out using long shoots to continue climbing. When in bloom, the small white flowers appear in clusters all over the plant making even the offshoots of the plant particularly attractive. Gardeners working in a small space will want to be sure that the climbing rose doesn’t overtake other plants in a garden.

There are many Georgia State Flower – the Cherokee Rose – Pictureas in the Net. Take a look at some Cherokee Rose – Georgia State Flower – Pictures from the Internet.

Georgia State Flower the Cherokee Rose

The Syringa, or Lewis mock orange, is aptly named. The bright white flowers of the Syringa are a cheerful presence in this bountiful state. The state legislature named the Syringa as the state flower in 1890, just months after the country joined the union, but it was not made official as the recognized state flower until 1931. However, even though not official, the beautiful white flowers of the Syringa have graced the national seal designed in the 1890s and represented the state of Idaho at the World’s Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

State Flower of Idaho

The state flower of Idaho grows on a large shrub. The fountain-like branches of the Syringa drape beautifully back down to the ground as they grow eventually reaching ten feet tall and ten feet across. The plant is often found in ornamental flower beds and shrubbery. The brilliant white flowers grow in the late spring or early summer and are bountiful and fragrant. The blossoms appear much like orange blossoms with bright white petals and a bright yellow center clustered around the shrub.

The large shrub is beautiful year round with its arching branches and interesting shapes. However, it is the beautiful flowers that appear that make the Syringa such a part of the Idaho tradition and history. The Syringa has branches of flowers with five to eleven individual blossoms on each. The blossoms are cup shaped and delicate, a beautiful symbol for a state with such dramatic seasons and lovely natural traditions.

Growing Syringa

To grow Syringa, you’ll want to plant the shrub in loamy soil, or even soil with a bit of clay. The shrub will need full or partial sun, especially during the colder months. The Syringa is a hearty plant to grow in a garden that is resistant to drought and cold. The Syringa needs only minimum amounts of water, doing best when the soil is allowed to dry between watering. The Syringa will need pruning once the flowers are done blooming in the early summer to encourage continued growth.

Sirinda is a State Idaho Flower.
Some Idaho State Flower – Syringa – Pictures from the Internet.

Idaho State Flower Syringa

Belarus can claim a varied past especially in regards to its national anthems. The country of Belarus has changed national symbols repeatedly in the last century as it changed legal status. Today, the country is an independent republic populated with a diverse collection of people from the region and thanks to the healthy harvest of the plant, the flax flower is acknowledged as the state flower of Belarus.

Flax Flowers

Flax is now grown all over the world, but was first grown in countries near Belarus. Today the country has a large flax harvest with the plant being used for food, fiber, herbal medicines and linseed oil. The bright blue flowers of the flax stems are considered one of the few true blue flowers in a garden. Easy to grow and colorful, flax flowers are a favorite more places than just Belarus.

Among flowers Belarus has Flax is an annual plant that grows up to twelve inches each year producing light blue flowers with five petals each. The flowers of the flax plant last only until the heat of the mid-day sun reach them. A gardener’s favorite, the delicate flowers can stand to be a bit crowded in flower beds and can grow easily as a wildflower as well. The flax flowers are lovely but the whole plant is useful making flax one of the most practical of the national flowers.

Growing Common Flax

Flax grows beautifully in clumps throughout the garden and can grow nicely in containers as well. To grow flax, sow the seeds directly into your garden in the beginning of the season and cover lightly with soil. The seeds can be crowded a bit and still grow well but prefer to be twelve inches apart. Flax is a full sun plant and grows well in rich soil. Once the plants have emerged, you can mulch around them in a bed to preserve moisture or just let them grow naturally as wildflowers. After the flax flowers have bloomed, you can use the seeds and stems for other purposes around the house.

Some Flax – Belarus National Flower – Pictures from the Internet.

Flax Belarus National Flower

Flax Belarus National Flower

In the 1920s, all colors and varieties of hibiscus were selected to represent the territory of Hawaii. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, many of the state’s symbols were elected by the first state legislature to remain as the symbols of the state. This was true of the hibiscus. However, in 1988, the general selection of the hibiscus was narrowed down to the brilliant yellow hibiscus flower. The bright and sunny plant is the perfect flower to represent a country that is known as one of the more delightful states in the nation.

The Yellow Hibiscus

While the state flower of Hawaii, the yellow hibiscus isn’t the most prolific plant on the island. The yellow hibiscus is only moderately popular in gardens although native to the island, thanks primarily to the wild abundance of beautiful tropical flowers in the state. The hibiscus is a bright flower that grows on a shrub. The fast growing shrub can grow very quickly and reach large sizes. The yellow hibiscus flowers bloom almost every day, but the blossoms only last for the day making them a short lived beauty.

The hibiscus blossoms are bold with a long stamen. The bright flowers have wide open petals with a bit of feathering along the ends. The center of the flower has a bright red at the base of the petals and a red stamen. The overlapping petals resemble a circle when fully opened making them quite notable against the dark leaves of the hibiscus shrubs. These bold flowers are what make the hibiscus so popular not just in Hawaii, but in other warm states as well.

Growing Yellow Hibiscus

Yellow hibiscus is a tropical plant. To grow yellow hibiscus, you’ll need to live in a warm, humid environment. Tropical hibiscus can be grown in the cooler regions of the country, but once temperatures reach 40 degrees or lower, the plant should be moved inside to prevent damage or even death in the cold weather. Yellow hibiscus, like many other tropical hibiscus plants doesn’t live forever in containers, but is very beautiful during its years of life.

Some Yellow Hibiscus – Hawaii State Flower – Pictures from the Internet.

Hawaii State Flower The Yellow Hibiscus

In 1907, thousands of women asked the state government to name the mountain laurel as the state flower of Connecticut. There was initial resistance, but after an impressive campaign by the women, the Connecticut government named the mountain laurel the state flower. The bright colors and rich scent of the mountain laurel are distinct and make the plant quite possibly one of the most attractive flowering shrubs in America.

The State Flower of Connecticut – Mountain Laurel

The State Flower of Connecticut

In the months of May and June, the dark foliage of the roadsides in Connecticut burst forth with color. The gentle, but prolific blooms of the mountain laurel turn almost every field, pasture and hill shades of pink, red and white.

The mountain laurel is not designated just to Connecticut, however. There are mountain laurel shrubs growing both domestically and in the wild from Northern Florida to Maine. The entire East coast of the United States dons the bright colors and lovely scents of mountain laurel as the spring warms to summer. In fact, Pennsylvania has also adopted the mountain laurel as its state flower.

The Mountain Laurel

In full bloom for only two months of the year, the state flower is still the most striking image of the spring throughout Connecticut. Visitors to the area often time their visits in order to experience the full splendor of the tiny blossoms and the turning of the spring season with resurgence of greenery and sweet smells of nature.

The mountain laurel shrub grows from five to eight feet and is seen most often in the wilderness, but is increasingly popular in yards as well. The flowers of the mountain laurel are tiny cups that grow prolifically over the branches of the tall shrub. The sweet scent of these blossoms draws you in, but all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans, so take care in handling the shrub.

Growing Mountain Laurel

While many individuals try to transplant the mountain laurel from the wild, you’ll have better results buying a new plant from the nursery as the root damage won’t be as extensive. Plant the mountain laurel in well drained, but moist soil. The mountain laurel can tolerate deep shade, but prefers a bit of light throughout the day, making mulched light shade the ideal location for growing mountain laurel.

Some Mountain Laurel – Connecticut State Flower Pictures from the Internet

State Flower of Connecticut – Mountain Laurel

It is rumored that the lush tropical lands of Thailand contain more varieties of flowers than all of Europe, although many of these flowers are undocumented formally and have not been cataloged. This hasn’t kept Thailand from enjoying the green beauty of its natural areas spotted with all manners of flowers.

The National Flower of Thailand

Thailand

Ratchaphruek is a common flower found on trees throughout Thailand that have dark green leaves and clusters of bright yellow flowers. The flowers seem to bloom directly off the lovely branches of the tree with relatively few leaves to interfere with the bright shining floral imagery. The yellow blooms of Ratchaphruek appear in the early spring and sometimes summer months and are easily identifiable all throughout Thailand making them one of the most popular blossoms, right up there with the more elaborate orchids.

Ratchaphruek of Thailand

The Ratchaphruek was formally selected as the national flower years ago, and today the yellow blooms still carry significant meaning. The shining yellow is a bold statement and contrast to the rest of the tree. The bright yellow is also a remembrance of Buddhism, the religion of Thailand. Yellow is also considered to be the color of the Monday when the king of Thailand was born. The flowers are used often in religious ceremonies or important government events as they are so symbolic.

Growing Ratchaphruek

The Ratchaphruek or Yellow Shower Tree is best grown in a warm tropical climate, such as Hawaii or Thailand itself where it is planted alongside roads and as ornamentals for shade and beauty. The Ratchaphruek can grow to 15 yards in height and provides a great deal of shade along with the bright yellow flowers in the fall. The tree also produces sticky bean pods filled with more than 100 seeds each following the flowering season. Growing a Ratchaphruek tree requires the ideal climate and growing conditions as the tree is not seen much outside of the lush Asian tropics.

Some Ratchaphruek – Thailand National Flower – Pictures from the Internet

Ratchaphruek Thailand

A wildly luscious flower represents one of the most intriguing Central American countries. Belize is a tropical country full of rich experiences and sensuality. The national flower of Belize embodies this spirit of freedom and seduction – the black orchid is a stunning blossom perfectly suited to the country of life-changing experiences.

The National Flower of Belize

Deep brown and purple tones create the dark petals of the black orchid. Known as a rare and exceedingly beautiful flower, the black orchid can’t help but intrigue those who look upon her. Belize has much of the same persona. This small tropical country is rich in natural resources both on the land and in the sea. Its exotic beauty draws in travelers from around the globe, much like the draw of the black orchid.

The Black Orchid

Growing year-round in the tropical moisture of Belize, the black orchid features a large showy petal with smaller ornamental petals surrounding. The large petal of the black orchid has a brown and purple color growing darker toward the center of the blossom. The dark colors are shot through with veins of a brighter purple creating a richly decadent look.

The black orchid grows as a single blossom on a stem roughly six inches long. The yellow-green stem and leaves of the black orchid set off the bold color of the flower nicely. While an isolated flower, a single stalk can grow multiple stems of orchids creating a full spectrum of the dark flowers framed against lighter foliage. The black orchid is ornate and intriguing to the point that it became the stuff of legends over the centuries. Frequently it is confused with other mythical orchids that are a true black, not the brown and purple of Belize’s national flower.

Growing Black Orchids

Despite their finicky reputation, orchids grow easily as house plants, although they need certain conditions to grow in the gardens. Orchids are tropical plants that require humidity and bright, if indirect, sunlight. Black orchids grow naturally in areas of Florida, but are usually seen only as cultivated house plants or in greenhouses outside of that area. Once established, the black orchid needs watering only once a week and will require humidity in the air. 4-6 hours of sunlight will be optimal for growing this intense blossom.

Some Black Orchid – Belize National Flower – Pictures from the Internet.

Black Orchid Belize

Black Orchid Belize

In the rocky hills and mountains of Colorado, wildflowers burst forth with bright hues among the white trunks of aspen trees and the dark greens of the forests. Among these bright flowers is the state flower of Colorado, the lavender and white columbine. The columbine is an unexpected poised beauty in the rugged wilds of Colorado. The delicate maiden of a flower is deceptively fair when it fact, the columbine is a tough breed of wild flower that has chosen to make the rocky soil of Colorado home.

The State Flower of Colorado

The columbine was declared the state flower of Colorado in 1899. The striking wildflower was offered more protection and status in 1925 when it was declared that citizens of Colorado should protect the flower from senseless waste. To this end, it is illegal to pick more than twenty-five wild columbine blossoms a day or to pick any from personal land without permission. It is also illegal to dig or uproot the plant on state or public lands.

The protection offered to the columbine is respectful of the powerful symbol this blossom represents to the citizens of the state. The natural design of the columbine makes it uniquely beautiful as well. A bright yellow stamen is surrounded by erect white petals. This cup of white and yellow rests against the open petals of a deep or light lilac. The final effect is a lovely yet structured wild flower – a contradiction intuitive to the rugged beauty of the state of Colorado.

The Columbine

Although strikingly beautiful and protected within the borders of Colorado, the columbine is considered a rare wildflower. The columbines do not grow in masses along roadsides or fill the empty meadows of the mountains. Instead, the columbine grows in small batches in lightly shaded areas with well drained soil. The batches of columbines can be substantial, but the wildflower grows and germinates on its own as it carves out its space in the foothills and mountains of Colorado.

Growing Columbine

As a wildflower, columbine must be grown from seed in lightly shaded soil. The soil is best mixed with peat moss and watered occasionally. Columbine plants and seeds should be placed up to two feet apart and allowed to grow. The plants might require up to a year before blossoms will appear.

Some Colorado State Flower – Columbine – Pictures from the Internet.

Colorado Columbine

Colorado Columbine

The thorny flower selected by the people of Scotland in the thirteenth century is still a fitting testament to the Scots today. The thistle is a brightly colored purple flower that is covered in protective thorns. The thorny thistle has a lengthy history in Scotland, and with the defensive and powerful nature of the people who live in this northern region it is no wonder this lovely yet well protected blossom is considered the national flower of Scotland.

The History of the Scottish Thistle

According to legend, which passes for verified history in much of Scotland, the thistle was once used as a secret weapon in battle. Legend tells that during the rule of Alexander III (1249-1286), King Haakon of Norway led an army into Scotland to defeat the natives. The Norse army landed at the Coast of Largs and began to creep stealthily over the land to surprise the sleeping clansmen.

To aid in the quiet nature of the mission, the approaching army removed their protective footwear. Thankfully for the Scots, a tiny thistle was waiting in the dark as well and found its way under the tender foot of an invader. His yelp of pain was enough to alert the Scots and give them time to protect themselves and win the day.

The National Flower of Scotland

The thistle is considered by many to be a weed. The Scottish thistle is a strong and hardy plant that can easily overtake sections of your garden. It is this hardy nature that makes it the perfect plant for a people who have withstood adversity of all kinds and spread across the world so prolifically.

Growing Scottish Thistle

The thistle plants of Scotland are large abstract works of art. The plant can grow over four feet in glorious spine-covered wonder. If you choose to grow Scottish thistle, you must do so carefully. The thorny plants are not only hard to physically handle as you prune them, if you are not diligent about pruning, the so-called weed will take over your garden. The thistle grows easily in cooler zones, and to keep the large sharp plant under control, it is best to prune it religiously.

Some Scotland Thistle Pictures from the Internet

Scotland Thistle

The lucky three-leaf shamrock is the national flower of Ireland. The shamrock is one of the most widely known symbols of a country, and this jolly three-leaved specimen is known the world over for the country it symbolizes and the great traditions that span from Ireland. The shamrock is an unofficial state flower of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The bright green cluster of three leaves has become synonymous with the rolling green hills and lushness of the island, but it is not officially recognized as a state flower.

Unlike most countries that officially recognize a flower as a national symbol, Ireland chose to register the shamrock as a trademark of the Irish government. This hasn’t stopped Irishmen and women the world over from using the shamrock as part of a logo, sign or decoration for all things Irish.

The historical accounts of the shamrock are questioned to a degree. It was circulated, nearly 1200 years after his death, that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, had used the three leaves of the shamrock to discuss the Trinity of Christian faith. While certainly worthy of such an example in a religiously minded community, the story lives on only as a legend. It is still a common practice today, however, for followers of St. Patrick to wear a shamrock in their lapel on his feast day – St. Patrick’s Day.

The National Flower of Ireland

The shamrock is a prolific form of clover found throughout Ireland. Rumor has it that the true shamrock, or white clover, will only grow in Irish soil, but this is in fact far from the truth. However, it is best outside of temperature zones 8 and 9 to grow shamrocks inside to better control the temperature and light exposure.

Growing Shamrock

Shamrocks need bright light although not full sun. They also require temperatures no greater than 72 degrees during the daytime to ensure they don’t enter an early state of dormancy. Even with proper temperature control, the shamrock plants will enter 2-3 dormant periods per year where leaves die and the plant appears to be dead. Wait it out watering very occasionally and the shamrock will come back in even better shape than before. Plant shamrock in window boxes or long containers as the plant grows by sending out feelers that then take root.

Some Ireland National Flowers – Shamrock – Pictures from the Internet.

Ireland-Shamrock