A Bouquet of World Flowers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lavender

Not only does Lavender produce scented products for the beauty market, the flower is also used in culinary preparation. It is included in "Herbes de Provence" along with basil, thyme, fennel and savory, all of which are used in French cooking. Lavender honey, ice cream and cake decorations are available for those with a sweet tooth.

Answer: Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley look highly delicate with their tiny bell shaped flowers, but they are as tough as old boots. Their underground stems, called rhizomes, grow abundantly. Above ground, they prefer cool shaded temperatures under trees where the sun hardly touches. They flower in spring but their glossy leaves remain as ground cover after they have finished flowering.

Answer: Lotus

The lotus flower resembles a water lily but they belong to a completely different plant family. The lotus is an aquatic plant, with roots planted in a muddy river bottom while the leaves and flower head grow above water. The colours of the lotus range from red, blue, pink, purple through to pure white.

Answer: Orchid

Most orchids can be found in the tropical regions of Asia, Southern and Central America. There are 20,000 to 30,000 species growing in the wild and this makes it the biggest variety of flowering plant anywhere in the world. The vanilla orchid native to Mexico is used in cooking as food flavouring.

Answer: Plum Blossom

The common names include Chinese plum, Japanese apricot, winter plum, mume or mei. The blossom, called meihua, starts appearing very early in the year, sometimes when snow is still on the ground. The plum blossom tree has been depicted on Chinese art including the Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644. "The Plum Blossom March" written in 1974 is a patriotic song which features the lyrics:

"Plum blossoms, plum blossoms all over the land
The colder it gets, the more it blooms.
The persevering plum blossom symbolizes us
The lofty and great China
Look at how the plum blossom has bloomed
Everywhere, where there is soil, there it is,
It does not fear the freezing snow, wind, or rain,
It is our national flower."

Answer: Tulip

The tulip is better known as the floral emblem for Holland. It is here that the bulb is cultivated in huge tulip fields, with approximately three billion bulbs being grown each year. Although popular in Holland, it was in the former Ottoman Empire that the tulip originated from. The word tulip is a Turkish word for "turban".

Answer: Carnation

The name dianthus comes from the Greek words for "Dios" and "Anthos", meaning "Flower of God". Each colour of flower for dianthus or carnation denotes a different feeling or emotion:

Light red: admiration
Dark red: love
White: pure love
Light pink: mother love
Purple: impulsiveness
Yellow: disappointment
Striped: regret

Answer: Rose

The rose is also the floral emblem for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Slovakia and the United States of America. The Tudor rose is the floral emblem for England. What better way to keep the memory of a person alive than to name a rose after them. It is both timeless and personal. Roses are the most popular plant to give as a gift and different celebrations have been named after them, including "Happy Anniversary", "Just Married", "New Arrival" and "Life Begins at 40".

Answer: Dahlia

It was not only cocoa that the Aztecs were famous for growing, but also the humble dahlia in the mountainous regions of Mexico. The plant was first bought back to Europe with the return of the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century.

Answer: Chamomile

Chamomile, or camomile, is a ground cover plant which is fast growing and can be used as an alternative to a standard grass lawn. It is springy underneath and it lets off a sweet fragrance when you walk on it.