~When words escape, flowers speak.~
~Bruce W. Currie~

The rose is the best-known symbol of beauty and love. Red roses mean I love you. A dozen of them make the ultimate statement on Valentine's Day. A single rose signifies simplicity.

Women prefer pastel colored roses, men on the other hand prefer red.

The spice saffron comes from a certain type of crocus.

Tulip bulbs can be used in place of onions for cooking.

In 1986 Congress voted to make the rose America's national flower.

The bluebonnet became the Texas state flower in 1901. In 1971, the state legislature, named all lupine species as the official state flower.
The flower looks like a little bonnet when you look at it closely. After it rains, look for a drop of water in each bonnet or bowl-like petal. As the Texas bluebonnet flower ages, one of the top petals turns purple-red.

Pink and White Lady Slipper (cypripedium reginae) is the State flower of Minnesota. Illegal to pick in the state, the pink and white lady slipper is one of Minnesota's rarest wildflowers. They can take up to 16 years to produce their first flower, and sometimes live for 50 years.

The creamy-white bloom of the magnolia tree was designated the state flower of Louisiana in 1900 because of the abundance of trees throughout the state. Magnolia is an evergreen and the flower is usually fragrant. After the six to twelve petals of the flower have fallen away the large cone shaped fruit of the magnolia is exposed.

The Peach Blossom became the State flower of Delaware on May 9, 1895. It was prompted by Delaware's reputation as the "Peach State," since her orchards contained more than 800,000 peach trees yielding a crop worth thousands of dollars at that time.

California is the source for nearly 60% of all USA-grown fresh cut flowers.

Americans bought more than 1.2 BILLION fresh cut roses in the year 1996. That's 4.67 roses for every man, woman, and child nationwide.

The number of Begonia hybrids is estimated between 1000 and 2000. Within this enormous family there are plants which are tiny enough to grow in an egg shell and others which can cover a greenhouse wall. If you become addicted to growing begonias you are called a begoniac.

The first recorded plant collectors were the soldiers in the army of Thothmes III, Pharaoh of Egypt, 3500 years ago. In the Temple of Karnak these soldiers are shown bringing back 300 plants as booty from Syria.

In 1990 about 250 ha. were cultivated with orchids in Malaysia, producing over 27.86 million stalks of cutflowers, valued at RM 18.30 million. Exports of orchids were valued at RM 3.4 million in 1991.

The cactus family is divided into more than 100 genera. For simplicity North American cacti are placed into five groups: the prickly pears, the saguaro cactus group, the hedgehog cacti, the barrel cacti, and the pin-cushion and fishhook cacti.

In 1890 Luther Burbank crossed oxeye field daisy and Japanese daisy to produce perhaps the quintessential chrysanthemum - The Shasta Daisy.

The rose of Great Britain was the symbol of the Royal Family. As time passed, it became the national flower. The rose of Scotland was a kind of weed called "the wild thistle". A long time ago, when Vikings invaded Scotland, they were slowed in their attack by the thorns of the wild thistle. This allowed the people of Scotland time to escape from the Viking's sudden attack. Because of this legend, "the wild thistle" became the national flower of Scotland. The national flower of Wales was a kind of a smelly Leek. When the English sneer at someone, they say "Eat the Leek". That is the reason, Wales has changed their national flower to a narcissus.

Germany's national flower, centaurea is related with the emperor of old Germany. It has been called the "Emperor's flower". Because of the authoritative language of the flower's name, it naturally has been considered the national flower. Its status was not changed after the republic of Germany was established.

Egypt is known as the starting place of the ancient civilizations. "A water lily" has been Egypt's national flower for about 4000 years. It can be seen anywhere on the river Nile, especially the "blue water lily". The blue water lily has been loved by Egyptians for a long time. It was also considered the "God of the Resurrection", so it is sometimes laid on the tomb of "Mica". A few pieces of blue and white water lily flower picture have been found in the tomb of Rames II (ca. B.C. 13th century). Most of the Arab countries have followed Egypt's custom of adopting a water lily as the national flower.

Sent by Sandi...sandi@onlinemac.com
The Oregon Grape,is our state flower. As a matter of fact, I have some growing in my backyard. The Oregon Grape is all over Oregon, that's why it was picked as our state flower. I don't know why it's called Oregon Grape, because the berries look like blue berries. Maybe the one who named it, never saw blue berries before.

The World's Largest Flower
The Titan Arum is not only the world's largest flower it is also the world's smelliest.
This native of the central Sumatran rainforests is known affectionately as the Corpse Flower for its heady perfume of rotting flesh. It is 3 metres high

The World's Smallest Flower
A bouquet of a dozen Wolffia blooms would comfortably fit on the head of a pin.
A type of duckweed, Wolffia grows on the surface of ponds and slow moving streams.
This very minute flowering plant is native to Australia and Malaysia. The plant body is 0.6-0.9 mm long and only 0.2-0.5 mm wide. Not only is it one of the smallest flowering plants on earth, but it also produces one of the smallest fruits.

The World's Largest Bouquet
70, 000 roses went into the making of the world's largest flower bouquet.
The 23.4 metre arrangement was the work of Ashrita Furman

The World's Oldest Flower
In 2002 scientists in north-east China discovered a fossilised flower that blossomed about 125 million years ago. Called "the mother of all flowers", Archaefructus sinensis resembles the modern water lily

Here's a love story that first appeared in the 1928 edition of Modern Priscilla Magazine. Each underlined word corresponds to a flower . Enjoy the story !

Yellow was especially becoming to little Black-eyed Susan and so when Sweet William, that dashing Rambler invited her to a party at Four o'clock, she gratefully accepted this proof of the Lad's love and put on her yellow dress and yellow Lady's slippers in honor of the occasion. First, she carefully arranged her Ladies tresses and then tiptoed softely out of the house so as not to Wake robin, her little brother. The mirror in the hall showed her that she was a Spring beauty, and that if her name has only been Marguerite she would have been a real English daisy.
Her escort's London pride leaped high as he saw her, though, not to be outdone, he had with careful Thrift polished his own Bachelor's buttons until they shone like a Goldenrod.
"Not one of the Fair maids of France can equal your appearance!" he exclaimed proudly. "England forever!" A tinge of Maiden pink showed on her face as he spoke with such Honesty, for behind it she read aright his Bleeding heart. But she only answered him demurely, "I hope I shall not be a Wallflower." "Far from it," he answered warmly. "I would scale Jacob's ladder itself for a dance from you." By that time they were at the party. "Johnny jump up exclaimed her escort to a boy at the door, " and give her your seat!"
"Never," answered the young Cockscomb disagreeably, and when pressed, he gave her lover such a blow that he saw his Love-in-a-mist. But when he saw the Bishop's hat approaching he ran away. "Oh, Billy, are you hurt?" she sobbed wildly. He opened his Eyebright with love and answered feebly, "Will you be mine?" "Ask Poppy," she answered shyly; while a Blush rose to her cheek. His Tulips answered in the old, old way and all we can do is wish them Speedwell.

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Copyright © Pinkie D'Cruz 1998
Tuesday, January 20, 1998