Birthday
HydrangeasFlowers surround us every day, in bouquets, gardens and on windowsills, yet many of their secrets go unnoticed. Here are well-established facts about the record-breakers of the plant world, how flowers “talk” to pollinators and how they have shaped history and trade.
Surprise someone with flowers: red roses and tulips.
Record-breakers
- The largest single flower belongs to Rafflesia arnoldii from the forests of Southeast Asia: up to a metre across. The plant has no leaves or stem, and the flower smells of rotting meat to attract pollinating flies.
- The largest unbranched inflorescence belongs to the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum): it can reach about three metres and lasts only a few days.
- The smallest flowering plants are Wolffia species, relatives of duckweed: the whole plant is about a millimetre long.
Flowers in history
- The first flowering plants appeared in the Cretaceous: the oldest known fossils are about 125–130 million years old.
- Tulip mania. In the Netherlands in the 1630s, prices of rare tulip bulbs soared to extraordinary levels before the market collapsed in 1637. It is often cited as one of the first financial bubbles. For tulips today, see “Tulip varieties and colours”.
- Saffron is the stigmas of the saffron crocus. About 150,000 hand-picked flowers go into one kilogram, which makes it one of the most expensive spices.
The biggest families
Orchids and the daisy family are the largest families of flowering plants, each with tens of thousands of species. Vanilla comes from an orchid, Vanilla planifolia. The daisy family includes chamomile, sunflowers, chrysanthemums and dandelions; read more in “Chamomile facts”.
How flowers talk to pollinators
- Ultraviolet patterns. Bees can see ultraviolet light, so many petals carry “runways” to the nectar that are invisible to us.
- Scent on a schedule. Some flowers smell stronger in the evening and at night, when their moth pollinators are flying.
- Colour as a signal. Some plants change flower colour after pollination, telling insects there is no nectar left.
- Sunflowers track the sun only when young: the buds follow the sun, while open flower heads usually stay facing east.
Surprising relatives
- The rose is related to apples, cherries, pears and strawberries: all belong to the rose family.
- Bananas, ginger and the bird of paradise flower belong to the same order, the Zingiberales.
- Many plants look like something else entirely; see “Plants that look like something else”.
Flowers in our lives
In floristry every flower has a meaning: a red rose speaks of love, a white lily of purity and a sunflower of joy. Learn to “read” bouquets in “The language of flowers”, and meet the prickly record-holders in “Cactus facts”.
FAQ
What is the largest flower in the world?
Among single flowers, Rafflesia arnoldii, up to a metre across. Among inflorescences, the titan arum.
Why do bees choose some flowers and skip others?
They go by colour, shape, scent and the ultraviolet patterns that point to nectar.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
