Flower Trivia in General

At Grower Direct we have always thought our flowers were fun and interesting. Here is some trivia about flowers that you may find interesting as well. Lets start with Roses as we know them so well…

Roses

According to Biblical stories, there was a white rose that grew in the Garden of Eden and turned red as it blushed with shame upon Adam and Eve’s fall from grace.

• • Roses were extensively grown in the Middle East during the Roman period, where they were used in food, as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume.

• • The rose was adopted as England’s flower emblem during the Civil War (1455-1485). Roses symbolized two warring factions in England. Red roses symbolized the Lancaster faction while white roses symbolized the York faction, this clash became known as the War of the Roses.

• • Roses are valued for their romantic symbolism but their blooms are also edible and have the flavors of green apples and strawberries. (Caution – Many commercially grown roses are chemically sprayed, so do not eat them!)

• • There are over 35,000 species of roses cultivated across the world with new varieties being developed continuously.

• • Barbara Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, Dolly Parton, and Rosie O’Donnell each have a rose named for them.

• • It seems that the French were the first people to first deliver roses. As well it was the French explorer Samuel de Champlain who brought the first cultivated roses to North America in the seventeenth century.

• • George Washington, America’s first President, was also the first U.S. rose breeder!

• • The world’s oldest living rose bush is thought to be 1000 years old. Today, it continues to bloom on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.

• The great Chinese philosopher, Confucius, is said to have had a 600 book library specifically on how to care for roses. (Sounds like he was the original ROSE EXPERT, long before Grower Direct came onto the scene!)

• While the rose may bear no fruit, the rose hips (the part left on the plant after a rose is done blooming) contain more Vitamin C than almost any other fruit or vegetable. Many natural Vitamin C supplements derive the vitamin from this source, next time you are at the health food store have a look on the shelves, you will be surprised.

• Columbus discovered America because of a rose! It is written that on October 11, 1492, while becalmed in the Sargasso Sea, one of the crewmen plucked a rose branch from the water. This sign of land renewed their hope for survival and gave the seafarers the courage to continue on to the New World.

Other Flowers

• • Before modern materials were developed dried Sunflower stalks were used in the manufacturing of life jackets, they provided buoyancy.

• • The Titan Arum is considered the world’s largest flower at three (3) meters tall, unfortunately it is also the world’s smelliest. A native of the central Sumatran rain forest it is known affectionately as the Corpse Flower for its strong aroma reminiscent of rotting flesh.

  • The worlds oldest flower is thought to have blossomed about 125 million years ago, it’s fossilized remains were discovered in 2002 by scientists in north-east China. Referred to as “the mother of all flowers“, Archaefructus sinensis resembles the modern water lily.

• • The Tulip, a symbol of life, love and immortality, dates back to the time of Confucius. By the late 1600’s bulb prices in Holland often exceeded the price of precious metals and a single bulbis said to have sold for more that $2,000. As well tulip bulbs can be used in place of onions for cooking.

• • The spice saffron comes from a certain type of Crocus flower.

• • The sap of the Daffodil contains sharp crystals that protect the flower from grazing animals. Prince Charles is paid one daffodil a year as rent for his lands on the Island of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall

• • Some ancient civilizations believed that the odor from burning Aster leaves provided protection and drove malicious serpents into hiding.

• • The Daisy got its name because the yellow center resembled the sun. It was commonly known as the “day’s eye” and over time, was eventually called daisy.

• • Struck by the resemblance between the sheath of the Gladiolus flower and the weapon that was carried by soldiers at the time, a Roman scientist of the first century A.D. named the flower “gladiolus” from the Latin word “gladius” which means sword.

• • Scientists assert that there are over 270,000 species of flowers that have been documented and are existing in the 21st Century.

• • During the Victorian era, in England the language of flowers was as important to people as being “well dressed.” As an example, the recognizable scent of a particular flower, plant or perhaps a scented handkerchief sent its own unique message to others

• Fox-Glove was originally named based on the belief that foxes used to put the flowers over their paws to quieten the sound of their footsteps when hunting.