A Bunch Of British Wild Flowers Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I am the flower emblem for Lancashire. I am a household favourite and the universal symbol of love, affection and romance. What is my name?

Answer: Red Rose

Lancashire has been the red rose county since the Middle Ages, when the House of Lancaster adopted it as a heraldic badge. Love is what most people associate with this red flower and sending someone a bouquet of red roses is still the most popular way to say "I love you".

2. I am the flower emblem for Surrey, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire. I am a member of the primrose family and I grow in pretty clusters of small yellow flowers on stalks. What am I called?

Answer: Cowslip

Cowslip (Primula veris) grow wild in rural pastures and meadows, along road verges, quarries and railway banks. In Worcestershire, they are called 'cowslups' as they flower where a cow has 'slupped'. They were a familiar sight in Elizabethan knot gardens and both the flowers and leaves often used to be eaten in salads.

3. I am the flower emblem for Oxfordshire. I am a bulbous plant and my tiny purple checkered flowers resemble bells nodding on a snaky stalk in springtime. What is my name?

Answer: Fritillary

Some of the best known fritillary (fritillaria meleagris) fields are in Oxfordshire, along the flood meadows of the river Thames. The plant belongs to the lily family and they thrive among meadow grasses and along the edges of woodland.

4. I am the flower emblem for Essex and Norfolk. I normally thrive well in cornfields as well as on chalk ground. My brightly coloured flowers have papery thin petals and tall stems. I am a constant reminder for us not to forget all those brave people who served in the war. What am I called?

Answer: Poppy

Other names for poppy (papaver rhoeas) include 'corn poppy', 'field poppy', 'Flanders poppy' or 'red poppy'. The plant is associated with heavily disturbed and cultivated ground, hence the symbolic association with the battlefields of World War I, and why swathes of scarlet blooms often appear in cornfields.

5. I am the flower emblem for Kent. My flower has been known to send many people into a drunken stupor. I am usually grown up strings in a field and then harvested in July/August. What is my name?

Answer: Hop

Kent is known as the garden of England and the area is equally known for its hopfields and oast houses. Wild hops are unobtrusive climbers in hedgerow and thickets and they are sometimes found twirling up telegraph poles. Hops are used mainly as a flavoring and stability agent in beer making.

6. I am the flower emblem for Staffordshire. My foliage can be many shades of green with autumnal hues of yellow and russet, or even grey. My tiny spike like flowers can run from white, through pink and mauve to ruby and deep purple. I can be found growing abundantly on heathland and moors. What am I called?

Answer: Heather

The flowers of heather (calluna vulgaris) are much favoured by bee keepers, as the honey produced is thick and dark. The young shoots of the heather plant are the main food of red grouse, and gamekeepers burn away the old plants at regular intervals to ensure plenty of fresh new growth. Gypsies believe that carrying a sprig of white heather will bring good luck.

7. I am the flower emblem for Warwickshire. I have a heady scent and suggestive twining growth. My pale pink, yellow or creamy white bell-shaped flowers produce a sweet, edible nectar attractive to moths, butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. What is my name?

Answer: Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle (lonicera periclymenum) is a vigorous climber with green, oval leaves. It is commonly found in hedgerows and is a great addition to a wildlife garden. It can be trained up a wall or fence, but looks best scrambling through a hedge. Another name for the honeysuckle is 'woodbine'.

8. I am the flower emblem for Devon. I can be found in woodland, underneath hedgerows and old pastures. I have a pale yellow flower which appear in clusters and I grow between March and May before most trees come into leaf. My leaves and flowers can be used for medicinal purposes. What am I called?

Answer: Primrose

Both flowers and leaves of the primrose (primula vulgaris) are edible. The leaves can be used to make tea and the young flowers can be made into primrose wine. The plant was important in the past as a remedy for muscular rheumatism, paralysis and gout. This is not to be confused with the 'evening primrose' (oenothera) that produces seeds used to make oil

9. I am the flower emblem for Hampshire. I am a rambling plant useful for hedging and I am often mistakenly called the 'rose-hip'. My flowers are bowl-shaped, pink or white in colour and lightly scented. Be careful if you pick me as I have hidden thorny type spines along my stem. What is my name?

Answer: Dog-rose

The dog-rose (rosa canina) is the largest of British wild roses and was originally called the 'Dag Rose' due to its dagger-like thorns. It produces scarlet hips in the autumn, sometimes known as 'dragon's eyes'. The hips are edible and high in vitamin C and were used to make rose-hip syrup during World War II.

10. I am the flower emblem for Herefordshire. I have a sprig of leaves and white berries. I am associated with Christmas....and kissing. What am I called?

Answer: Mistletoe

Mistletoe (viscum album) is a parasite you will find growing on the branches of trees and shrubs. They rely on their hosts for water and mineral supplies by sending roots into the bark. The most popular host is the apple tree. Hanging mistletoe and kissing loved ones, or complete strangers, underneath the sprig is a hugely popular Christmas custom. The mistletoe was considered lucky during Anglo Saxon times because it was the favourite plant of Freya who was a goddess of love, fertility and beauty.

Source: Author Plodd

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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English counties have their own wild flower emblem. I will give you some clues and all you need to do is guess the name of the wild flower.

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