Freesia

Fresh lovely Freesia, the earth truly laughing.

Nature produces hundreds of beautiful flowers, because that’s how many plants reproduce. In this new series will be be posting on alternating Saturdays this Guide to Popular Flowers: A – Z. This week we are focused on A – G.

Not all natural flowers are popular, the buttery-yellow dandelion flower is considered a weed! When it comes to choosing flowers online, the best approach is to be guided by a competent florist or others that know the appropriate flowers for various occasions. The zFlowers.com customer service team are always there to help you with solid advice. As we might expect, roses are the most popular flowers, followed by Gerberas, Lilies, Chrysanthemums, Eustoma, Tulips and Narcissus. Still other kinds are not popular worldwide, but are much loved in their respective countries or regions because of their distinctive characteristics or cultural associations. Here are some of the more frequently purchased blooms beyond the standard ones from A-G.

Alstroemeria: Alstroemeria resembles a miniature lily and is frequently used for bouquets and arrangements. It’s also called Peruvian Lily, Lily of the Incas or Parrot Lily because it grows mainly in South America, where it flourishes in about 50 species mainly from Andean regions.

Anemone: This flower’s name comes from the Greek word for wind, anemos, providing its nickname windflower. It’s so called because a breeze causes its blossoms to open wide and dead petals to blow away. The windflower grows wild in Europe, North America, and especially Japan, where the Autumn Windflower is considered especially beautiful.

Carnations: These long-lasting, fragrant blooms are among the most popular in the world. They appear in all kinds of bouquets and floral arrangements as well as boutonnieres and corsages. Like roses, Carnations are given many symbolic meanings, such as white signifying chaste love, pink meaning a mother’s love and dark red symbolising deep passion.

Chrysanthemums: Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. They are usually used in mixed bouquets and are appropriate for all occasions, representing cheerfulness and optimism.

Cymbidium: These orchids are among the most popular winter and spring blooms. They’re often worn as corsages at Easter. Their name comes from the Greek word “kymbe,” meaning a boat. It refers to a hollow in the flower’s lip that makes it look like a boat. Cymbidium orchids are native to tropical and subtropical Asia including the Philippines, Borneo and Northern Australia.

Daffodils: The symbol of friendship, this variety of Narcissus is popular for the extraordinary beauty of its trumpet-shaped centre set against star-shaped petals. Among the varieties of “Daffs” are yellow Jonquils and White Narcissus. There are some 50 species of Daffodils native mainly to the Iberian Peninsula, Northern Africa and the Middle East.

Freesia: Prized for its sweet, entrancing fragrance, yellow or white freesias are a favourite springtime flower often used in bridal bouquets. All 14 Freesia species originate in Africa, and 12 of those are native to South Africa’s Cape Province. The flower was named for its developer, Dr. Freese (1785-1876), who was a native of Kiel, Germany.

Gerberas: The fifth most popular flower worldwide, Gerberas are a tropical Old World plant of the daisy family, with large brightly coloured flowers, cultivated under glass in cooler regions. They come in a large variety of cheerful colours and are appropriate for all occasions representing joy, as well as purity.

Gladiolus: Spectacular is the only description for this stunning African native, which comes in more colours than a rainbow. “Glads” flourish in some 260 different species, 10 of which are native to Eurasia, while the remaining 250 originate mostly in South Africa. The Gladiolus signifies remembrance, character and faithfulness.

These are only a few of the many popular blossoms available when purchasing flowers online. The team at ReadyFlowers can give guidance on which bouquets or floral arrangements will make the best impression for any occasion.

We hope these have been of interest and you will return to this blog Saturday after next, when we will be reviewing flowers that fall into the H – L range.