I completed a series of watercolor paintings called “10 most interesting flowers”. Maybe I should have titled it 10 of my favorite flowers. But that would be wrong because I enjoy all flowers. That is why my paintings are mostly of flowers. Each flower in the series has it’s own fun facts that make them interesting. Here’s a few about each.
Interesting Dahlia facts;
~Dahlia is a daisy like flower and is related to both daisy and sunflower.
~It is the national flower of Mexico.
~Dahlia is believed to get its name from an 18th century Swedish Botanist, Anders Dahl.
~“Dahl” sounds very much like ‘dal’ in Swedish meaning ‘valley’. Thus it is also called ‘valley flower’ sometimes.
~Dahlias serve decorative purposes in cakes, tarts, pastries, salads and in garnishing of deserts.
~Dahlias with large flowers usually have only 4-5 flowers per plant.
~Dahlias come in a variety of colors and many hybrids create many beautiful colors.
Interesting Dandelion facts;
~Flowers and leaves of a dandelion are rich source of vitamin A and C, calcium, iron and potassium. One cup of dandelion tea can provide 7,000-13,000 I.U. of vitamin A.
~The English name of dandelion comes from the French dent de lion which means “lions tooth” due to it coarsely toothed leaves.
~The flower petals are used in making dandelion wine and its roasted roots are used as a caffeine free dandelion coffee.
Interesting tulip facts;
~Tulip bulbs were sold costlier than gold in 1600’s in Holland. In 1630’s a kind of frenzy for tulips occurred in Western Europe named “Tulip mania” and tulips became so expensive as to be treated as a form of currency.
~The tulip lifespan is very short, lasting 3 to 7 days.
~Tulips symbolizing imagination, have earned a reputation for declaration of love.
~Tulips can grow at a rate of 1 inch per day even after being cut.
Interesting daffodil facts;
~Daffodils are believed to have earned their name from the word asphodel (genus of perennial plants native to western, southern and central Europe) and the Dutch article “de affodil”. Another widely known name for them is Narcissus.
~All species of Narcissus have the alkaloid poison called lycorine in bulbs and also in the leaves.
~Daffodils are cultivated for commercial use in the making of galantamine, a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
~In the west, Daffodils symbolize vanity while in the East, they are a symbol of wealth and good fortune.
~It is the national flower of Wales.
Interesting sunflower facts;
~In scientific terms sunflowers are also known as Helianthus (Helia: Sun Anthus: Flower)
~The sunflower was used as a symbol of Spiritual Church due to its turning towards sun as “spiritualism turns toward the light of truth”. It’s moving towards sun is called “heliotropism”.
~Sunflowers can be used to remove or extract toxic elements from soil like arsenic, lead and uranium. After the Chernobyl disaster, they were use to remove cesium-137 and strontium-90 from a nearby pond.
~Sunflower oil is widely used for cooking and its seeds are used as a snack food.
Interesting water lily facts;
~Water lilies are plants that grow in still or slowly moving water. They like ponds, streams, and the edges of lakes in tropical and mild areas. Their floating leaves are often called lily pads. Frogs like to sit on them.
~Water lilies grow from the muddy bottom of a body of water. Thick underwater stems are buried in the mud. Long stalks reach up from the stems to support the round, waxy leaves. Some leaves grow to 6 feet (2 meters) across. The leaves usually float on the surface, but sometimes they are underwater.
~A single flower blooms at the end of each stalk. The flowers are shaped like stars or cups. They can be white, cream, pink, yellow, red, orange, purple, or blue. Some flowers open only in the morning. Others open only in the evening. For example, the Egyptian lotus has white flowers that bloom in the night and stay open only until midday.
~Water lily plants also produce a fruit. It looks like a nut or a berry. Inside are seeds. When the fruit opens the seeds sink or float away to produce new plants.
~Water lilies provide shade and hiding places for fish and other water animals. Fish, ducks, and other animals eat them, too. Some people grow water lilies in garden ponds.
Interesting daisy facts;
~Daisies symbolize purity and innocence.
~Daisy is a ‘two in one’ flower; white petals on the outside and tiny yellow disc petals that form the center.
~Its medicinal properties include relieving indigestion, easing of cough, slowing down bleeding and easing back pain.
~Daisies can become a serious weed if not controlled. They thrive in very rough conditions and are resistant to many bugs and pesticides.
~Some daisies open their petals in day’s sun time but close them in evening when sun sets giving them the name “day’s eyes”.
Interesting calla lily facts;
~The name of this elegant perennial comes from the Greek word for “beautiful.” These showy flowers are not true lilies and are related to jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). White calla lilies can become invasive in some regions, so you may want to grow this plant in a container.
~The funnel-shaped, fragrant bloom usually grows up to 4 to 6 inches long but may grow as long as 10 inches.
~Although gardeners and florists prize the white calla lily, the plant is considered a weed in its native South Africa.
~White calla lilies tolerate partial shade, but they grow and bloom best in full sun and evenly moist soil.
~All parts of the plant contain toxic oxalic acid, which causes nausea, vomiting, swelling of the tongue and other serious symptoms when ingested. Eating any part of the plant may be fatal to a small child or pet.
Interesting rose facts;
~The red rose was thought to be the favorite flower of the Roman goddess of love, Venus.
~ Roses are the most popular and commonly sold florist’ flowers and they are also great value to the perfume industry.
~Some red roses have a highly charge perfume, extremely heady and powerful, while others are more subtle in their fragrance. Many roses have no perfume at all.
~The demand for red roses on Valentine’s Day causes more than a few problems for growers worldwide. It takes at least 6 months from the planting to harvesting stage.
~Rose hips (the berry-like fruit structure of rose) of some species of rose are amongst the richest source of Vitamin C. They are used to make jams, jellies and also brewed for tea.
Interesting carnation facts;
~Carnations’ scientific name ‘Dianthus caryophyllus’ means ‘flower of the Gods’.
~“Carnation” is a pretty name for a pretty flower, but did you know that “carnation” is not the flower’s actual name? In fact, typing “carnation” in Wikipedia’s search engine takes you to a page entitled “Dianthus caryophyllus.” There is no entry for “carnation.”
~The Dianthus flower became known as the carnation because it was used in ancient Greece as part of their ceremonial coronation ceremonies.
~Some people believe that the name comes from ‘corone’ meaning ‘floral garland’.
~Ohio is the only American state that has chosen a carnation — the scarlet carnation — as its state flower. The scarlet carnation was chosen as Ohio’s state flower as a way to honor President William McKinley shortly after he was assassinated in 1901. McKinley, who was Ohio’s governor before he became president, regularly wore a scarlet carnation on his lapel, according to Wikipedia.
~They come in all natural colors ranging from white to red.
~Carnations are many times related to feelings. Red carnation symbolize deep love, white represents pure love while yellow represents dejection.
I hope you enjoyed looking at and reading about these fun and interesting flowers. If you’d like to purchase one of the original paintings you can find them in my etsy shop at https://goo.gl/IGLrh3