“Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into”. Henry Beecher
Indeed, flowers are perhaps one of God's best creations, and while they do have a predominantly short life, it is a significant one nonetheless. Their beauty, fragrance and brilliant colors have the capacity to evoke emotions and feelings in us humans, making a person smile, uplifting their spirits, and in some cases, improving their health too. Flowers are a treat for all occasions, be it anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, and even the more somber events like funerals and illness. So, to commemorate the start of spring we have put together a collection of the world's most beautiful flowers.
1. Passion Flower
This perennial vine comes in over 50 species. It belongs to the Passifloracea family. The passion flower pictured here, is a purple and white variety which consists of ten sepals and petals and is around 10cm wide. What we like most about the passion flower is its unique form. They are also exceptionally pretty. To top it off, this exotic flower has high medicinal value.
2. Gazania
This flower is native to South Africa, where it is also known as 'treasure flower'. One of its best features is that it is available in a variety of strange patterns, including bright and brilliant colors such as shades of pink, dark red, yellow and orange. The petals of this stunning flower come in single colors as well as in graded shades.
3. Plumeria
The Plumeria flower can be found in Brazil, the Caribbean, and Central America. It comes in several varieties and belongs to the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, and is known for its mesmerizing scent and beauty. Its flowers are of a medium size and they come in a variety of vibrant shades like pink, red and yellow.
4. Chrysanthemum
Did you know that chrysanthemum means golden flower in Greek? The father of modern taxonomy, Carolus Linnaeus gave the flower its name. It comes in a number of forms from buttons, pompous, decorative or daisy-like. Although yellow is the flower's traditional color, it can be found in a number of other colors including red, white and purple. This beautiful flower symbolizes optimism, long life, fidelity, and joy.
5. Dahlia
This flower is named after a botanist, Andres Dahl. It's generally found in Mexico, Colombia, and Central America and comes in over 30 species. It also comes in a variety of sizes, ranging from 2 inches to 1 foot! It consists of a floral head surrounded by several delicate petals. These flowers come in various shades of orange, red, pink, purple, white and many other colors. It was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963
6. Orchids
The Orchid flower comes in an impressive amount of varieties - over 25,000 species! The plant easily adapts to its environment and is available almost all over the world. Its beautifully crafted petals and lively colors make orchids a favorite among florists and flower lovers all over the world. Here's another interesting fact about orchids - they can grow in huge clusters weighing up to a ton.
The lotus is a breathtaking flower that symbolizes purity, beauty, majesty, grace, fertility, wealth, richness, knowledge and serenity. It comes in a variety of colors, each with a different meaning, but the pink lotus is the national flower of India, where it is also known as the sacred lotus, the Indian lotus, and the sacred water-lily.
8. Tulip
This perennial plant belongs to the genus of Tulipa. From Asia to Africa, the tulip is one of the most cultivated flowers. Various species and hybrids of this exceptionally beautiful flower can be found in gardens, as cut flowers or as potted plants. Tulips come in several colors as well as flower shape. This incredible flower comes in over 100 known species.
9. Magnolia
Have you ever seen a tree more beautiful than the Magnolia in full bloom? Named after Pierre Mangol, a botanist, the Magnolia plant comes in over 200 species. It comes in pink, purple or white and the size can be anywhere between three to 12 inches in diameter. The flower symbolizes beauty, sweetness, and femininity. Genus of magnolia can be found in West Indies, Southeast as well as East Asia, Central America, North America and other places.
10. Bird of paradise
This exotic flower may have an unusual name, but it is known as such due to its shape. It is also known as crane flower and belongs to the Strelitiaceae family. Its unique for its shape and vibrant colors and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. Surprisingly, this flower has no scent.
