Gift World

Flowers Around the World: Fun Facts

Who doesn’t love receiving a nice bunch of flowers? Flowers are universally loved among so many of us. Flowers around the world vary from type, to tradition, to colours! But one thing remains the same: We love ’em! If you’re a traveller, you will have noticed a few different gifting traditions when it comes to flowers, and if you’re a flower connoisseur of sorts, you’ll probably know that the most popular flowers we know and love over in Canada and the USA come from a whole host of different countries originally. If you’re just a flower-fan like the rest of us, it’s time to get you clued up on some fun flower facts!

  1. Ever heard of a Moon flower? These beautiful flowers gained their namesake from the fact that they bloom at night and close during the day; think of it as a nocturnal flower!

  2. If you have cats, watch out for bringing lilies into the home – they’re highly toxic for these furry friends.

  3. Roses are probably the most universally loved flower around the world, but most species of rose actually originate from Asia, with a smaller amount of species being native to North America and a few to Europe and northwest Africa.

  4. Fan of chocolate? (Us, too!) Turns out there is actually a flower that smells like it! There is a flower variety called Chocolate Cosmos that actually smells like your favourite sweet treat!

  5. Similar to our friend the Rose, Tulips originate from Asia, also. However, they are also known to come from Turkey. Today, a LOT of Tulips are cultivated in Holland – you could say they’re a pretty worldly species!

  6. 400,000 types of plants that flower have been discovered in the world, but with many likely to be yet discovered, that number is probably a LOT higher.

  7. In Japan, they have a language based on flowers! It’s called Hanakotoba and we would love to speak it.

  8. Daffodils, another popular species of flower, are from Spain and Portugal.

  9. When you think of a flower, you probably don’t think of bamboo, right? Yet bamboo is actually a flower! It’s just that it only blooms every few years.

  10. If you’re planning on spending Christmas in South Africa, you may not receive a gift other than the gift of flowers! Giving flowers for Christmas is typical in South Africa, with the Hydrangea being the most popular.

  11. In Asia, pot plants are thought to be restrictive and binding, so its preferred to give flowers as opposed to a plant in a pot!

  12. According to sources, when it comes to flowers, Canadians love Geraniums, chrysanthemums and poinsettias. These are the most common flowers in Canada, along with the wild and woodland lily, which are commonly found in damp meadowland.

  13. Flowers are a LOT more intelligent than we give them credit for. Some flowers even only release pollen when they can feel a bee buzzing on them!

  14. If you’re a fan of flower auctions, you’ll want to head to the Netherlands! The largest flower auction in the world takes place there, in Aalsmer, during which About 20 million flowers a day are auctioned.

  15. Fan of Orchids? There are about 4,000 species of orchids around the world, 1,500 of those are found in Colombia. The orchid is, unsurprisingly, Colombia’s national flower!

  16. Remember how we mentioned there are 400,000 known species of plant that flower around the world? Of these, over 35 000 are species of roses.

  17. If you’re thinking of giving flowers in Russia or to a Russian, be careful of the number of stems you give in the bouquet! In Russia, an even number of stems is reserved for a bouquet of flowers for a funeral. Similarly, in the UK, white lilies are reserved for funerals – something to be mindful of!

 

So there you have it! Some of our favourite facts about flowers around the world. Remember to follow us on  FacebookTwitter and Instagram to stay up to date with handy gifting tips! For help using our app, check out the guide page.

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