Flowers have captured human imagination for centuries.
From the origins of flower arranging in ancient Egypt, to medicinal uses in ancient China and prosperity in Victorian England, flowers have been a huge part of human life. Today we mainly use and cultivate flowers for decorative use, however there is still a lot we don't know about the 250,000 to 400,000 species of flowering plants in the world. Here are 10 of the most interesting flower facts you may not have known...
The World's Largest Flower
The Titum Arum is the worlds largest flower and stands almost 10 feet in height. It is often referred to as the corpse flower due to its rancid smell of rotten flesh. They're very rare, and only bloom every 7-10 years.
Some Flowers Only Bloom at Night
Breaking the mould, some flowers primarily bloom at night, whilst closing in the day. This is because they rely on nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats. As a result, they're often also very fragrant - the scent helps their preferred pollinators to find them!
Tulip Mania
In 17th Century Holland, tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold. The high prices lasted for around three years, before once again crashing.
Some plants only bloom as they die
Some plants - including succulents like agave - stand desolate for many years without growing any flowers, after which they grow one single bloom and die. These are known as death blooms.
Angelica was long seen as a panacea
As well as being though to fend off evil spirits, Angelica - more commonly known as wild celery - was used in Europe for hundreds of years as a medicinal cure for everything from the bubonic plague to indigestion.
Dandelions are full of nutrition
The flowers and leaves from dandelions are a great source of vitamin A, C, calcium and potassium.
Lotus flowers were revered in Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptians used the lotus flower in burial rituals. Lotus flowers bloom in rivers and damp wetland, but can remain dormant throughout drought, yet rise again with the return of water. Egyptians considered the lotus to be a symbol of of resurrection and eternal life.
Roses have some unexpected relatives
Roses are related to apples, raspberries, cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears and almonds. This is a huge botanical family known as Rosaceae.
Why the thistle is Scotland's national flower
The thistle is considered Scotland's national flowers as when Vikings invaded Scotland, they were slowed by patches of wild thistle, allowing the locals to escape.
Rose oil is expensive for a very good reason
Two thousand flowers of rose are needed to produce one gram of rose oil, making it extremely costly to produce.
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