Acacia

Acacia flowers are typically small, yellow and fragrant, with many stamens, giving the flower a fuzzy appearance. The flower head is actually made up of many small flowers bundled together. Commonly referred to as the Golden Wattle in Australia, the Acacia Pycantha is the national flower of Australia, and Wattle Day is celebrated there on the 1st of September each year.

African Lily

The African Lily, also referred to as the Lily of the Nile, is botanically Agapanthus africanus, of the family Alliaceae. Native to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, this plant has 20-30 bright blue, funnel-shaped flowers. Through cultivation, the African Lily comes in white as well as a range of blue and violet shades and double flower varieties.

Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria, native to South America, is commonly referred to as the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas. While there are more than 50 different species, all of them are localized to either central Chile or eastern Brazil, and the flowers in each location bloom at opposite times of the year. The showy, six tepal flower usually has 3 striped sepals and 3 colored petals.

Amaryllis

Native to South Africa, Amaryllis is known by names such as the Belladonna Lily, Jersey Lily, or "naked ladies." The Amaryllis Belladonna is the only species in the genus, but similar-looking flowers such as the Hippeastrum are often passed off as Amaryllis. Blooming between December and May, Amaryllis petals are typically found white with crimson veins, but through hybrid cultivation, can now be found in a variety of colors.

Anemone

Anemone flowers, the name which comes from "anemos", Greek for "wind", are often referred to as windflowers. Originating in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, Anemones are grown particularly in Italy and Israel. They come in vibrant shades of pink, purple and red with a jet black heart. Various varieties such as the Wood Anemone and the Japanese Anemone (top right and bottom left, respectively) are generally white with a yellow-green heart. Anemones usually bloom between September and May.

Anthurium

Often referred to as "flamingo flowers" or "tail flowers", Anthuriums are an exotic bloom with long, waxy petals with a tail in the center. Thought by many as the "Hawaiian flower", this species is found in their natural habitat only in Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. Anthuriums were introduced into Asian rain forests and Hawaii and can be found growing wild there today.

Aster

Asters, named after the shape of the flower head, comes from the Ancient Greek "astron", meaning "star", and through the Latin word "astrum" with the same meaning. Asters, depending on the variety, bloom in early to mid Summer, and come in purple, white, pink, lavender, orange and red. Aster is a genus of flowers belonging to the family Asteracea, known commonly as the Daisy or Sunflower family, and in fact, Daisies, Sunflowers and Asters are all closely related.

Azalea

Azalea flowers come in numerous shapes, sizes and colors, sometimes in the same plant from year to year. They also have a variety of different color patterns on the petals. Azaleas are very seasonal, blooming mostly in the spring, and at least 8 major cities across the United States have Azalea festivals centered around the blooming of these flowers.

Baby's Breath

Produced in large inflorescences, Baby's Breath flowers are about 3-10mm in diameter with five white or pink petals. Primarily used as an cut filler flower in bouqets and floral arrangements by florists, these flowers are native to Europe, but have naturalized throughout the eastern United States.

Bachelor's Button

Bachelor's Button flowers are commonly an intense blue color, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. Also referred to as the Cornflower, some hybrids have been cultivated with a pink or purple color. In its native continent of Europe, it has drastically declined in population over the last 50 years, and today is endangered in its natural habitat. Fortunately, it has been introduced and naturalised into North America and parts of Australia.

Begonia

Begonia, named after Michel Bégon, a French patron of Botany, these flowers are very showy, with white, scarlet, pink and yellow colors. Because begonias from all over the world can be hybridized with each other, there are many hybrids and cultivars, lending way to even more available Begonia colors. Begonias typically bloom between June and October.

Bells of Ireland

Bells of Ireland are unusual pale to emerald green,with funnel-shaped "bells" surrounding very fragrant white flowers. The bells are densely packed along the stem of the flower and can grow 2-3 feet tall. Despite the name, the flower does not come from Ireland, but rather it is native to western Asia, around Turkey, Syria and the Caucasus. When dried, the bells turn to a pale beige color.

Bird of Paradise

The name Bird of Paradise comes from the spectacular flower shape which resembles a bright, colorful bird in flight. The bloom is actually a combination of blue petals and orange sepals that emerge from a beak-like bract. The Bird of Paradise has no fragrance and blooms intermittently throughout the year.

Blackberry Lily

The Blackberry Lily, so named for the small, shiny, black seeds that are exposed when the seed capsules split open, is actually a member of the Iris family, Iridaceae. Botanically Belamcanda chinensis, the Blackberry Lily is native to Japan and China, although due to its hardiness, it has been introduced and now thrives in many parts of the world. These flowers typically bloom in mid to late summer and are highly prized as a dried flower for arrangements.

Bluebell

The Bluebell is native to the British Isles, Netherlands, Belgium, northern and western France, Iberia and the central Mediteranean region. The flowers generally range from pale lavendar to deep blue, bloom between April and May and are very fragrant. The Common Bluebell species is a protected species in the United Kingdom.

Bouvardia

Named after the Parisian doctor Charles Bouvard, Bouvardia flowers are loose clusters of tubular starlet flowers fringed with leaves. While these flowers are native to Mexico, today they are primarily grown in Holland. These flowers do have a faint fragrance as well.

Calla Lily

Calla Lilies are botanically known as Zantedeschia, which is a genus of plants in the same family as Anthuriums. This flower has a funnel-shaped spathe encompassing a yellow spadix. The Calla Lily, often erroneously spelled Cala, is the height of formality in a flower, used primarily at weddings, funerals and formal events. Although beautiful, this South African native flower is also toxic if ingested.

Camellia

Most recognized as the state flower of Alabama, the Camellia flower ranges from white to red in color and typically blooms between November and March. Camellias have more than 80 different species, including at least 6 different petal varieties, and many of those varieities are ingredients in commonly consumed teas.

Carnation

Carnations typically represent love, fascination and distinction. However, with the many varieites of color and pattern, not all carnations convey these meanings. Some, like the yellow carnation, mean disdain, rejection or disappointment. In fact, in French culture, Carnations symbolizes bad luck and misfortune. The Carnation is the birth flower for January, the scarlet variety is the state flower of Ohio, the national flower of Spain, and the symbolic flower for Mother's Day and Parent's Day,

Chrysanthemum

Dating back to roughly the 15th century BC, the Chrysanthemum has been grown and cultivated in China as an herb. It was introduced to Japan several centuries later, where the emperor then adopted it as the official seal. To this day, there is a Festival of Happiness in Japan celebrating the flower. The Chrysanthemum flower occurs in various forms, can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons, and typically come in yellow, white, purple and red.

Columbine

Columbine are unique in that they have 5 spurs, each with nectar, as opposed to the other nectar bearing flowers, which carry only one spur per flower. Because of this, Columbine flowers are very fragrant. Typically flowering in late Spring and early Summer, there are about 70 known species of columbine in the world. Columbine flowers are bicolored, with the sepals a different shade or color from the petals. The white and lavender variety, known as the Rocky Mountain Columbine, is the state flower of Colorado.

Crocus

Although most commonly seen in mauve, white, yellow and lilac, the Crocus flower comes in a wide variety of colors. More than 80 known species of Crocus flowering in wide range of habitats, the Crocus flower, regardless of species or variety, typically have 3 stamens, and the spring-flowering variety, referred to as "Snow Crocus", are usually the first flowers to bloom in spring, when snow is still on the ground.

Daffodil

Daffodils, botanically and often commonly known as Narcissus, are native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. The name Narcissus comes from the youth in Greek mythology by the same name, who was so obsessed with his own reflection that as he knelt by a pool of water, he fell in and drowned, and this plant first sprouted from where he died. With over 50 species and 13 different horticultural divisions, Daffodils come in a large variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Prevalent colors are all shades and tones of yellow, white, orange, pink, red and green, and the perianth and corona can be similar-colored or differ widely. Also known as Jonquil in North America, the name actually refers to a specific species of Narcissus called Narcissus Jonquilla, but is used commonly to refer to any Daffodil. Paperwhites are another species in the Narcissus genus, but they are much smaller, very fragrant and native only to the Mediterranean region.

Dahlia

While there are about 36 species of Dahlia flowers, ease of hybrid cultivation has lent way to more than 50,000 different cultivars and hybrids. Native to Mexico, Central America and Columbia, but now cultivated around the world, the Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico.

Daisy

Daisies come in many shapes and colors, depending on the variety, but the most common and archetypal species of the name is the European species, commonly referred to as the English Daisy. Other more common species are the Ox-Eye Daisy and the Black-Eyed Susan (also called the Yellow Ox-Eye). It is thought that the name Daisy derives from "Days Eye", as the entire head of the daisy closes at night and reopens in the morning.

Another species of Daisy that is well known is the Gerbera Daisy. Gerberas, for short, belong to the same family as Daisies, but they are a seperate genus. See this entry for more detailed information on Gerbera Daisies.

Daylily

Daylilies, which are of the genus Hemerocallis, are not true lilies. The Daylily is named because most species open at sunrise and wither at sunset, although a few species are night-blooming. Native from Europe to China, Korea, and Japan, this showy flower has three petals and three sepal, each with a vein down the middle in like or contrasting colors. Each Daylily also has 6 stamens emerging from the throat of the flower, which is often times a different color as well. While these flowers are not too often used as a cut flower for formal arrangements, they do make good cut flowers, as new flowers continue to open on cut stems for several days.

Delphinium

From the Greek word "Delphis" meaning "dolphin", the Delphinium gets its name because the shape of the flower resembles the snout of a dolphin. Throughout history, the Delphinium has been used as a dye, ingredient in a love potion, a wound dressing, toothache remedy and holistic healing, even though the plant is very poisonous. Commonly referred to as Larkspur, that name also refers to a closely related genus of plants called Consolida in the same family.

Dogwood

Dogwood is actually a tree, and the variety known as the American (or Flowering) Dogwood is the most commonly recognized. It produces large, showy flowers, usually with 4 petals and typically white or pink in color. The American Dogwood is the state flower for both North Carolina and Virginia, the state tree for Missouri, and typically blooms from May to July.

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