What Flower Am I? - Second Blooming Quiz

Answer: Azalea

The azalea comes in a single form or with double petals. They are in the same family as Rhododendrons, but Azaleas are much smaller flowers and does not have blossom clusters.

The azalea is known as "thinking of home bush" in Chinese culture and the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo uses the Azalea as one of its symbols. The azalea is also very highly toxic.

Answer: Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is the official flower of a few locales, including several cities in China, one of the islands in Guam, and a few counties in Taiwan and Malaysia. It was first discovered by French naturalist Dr Philbert Commercon in Rio de Janeiro in 1768. He named the plant after his friend and ship's Admiral, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville.

Bougainvillea can be grown in the ground, in pots, and in hanging baskets, and it needs well-drained soil.

Answer: Cyclamen

Cyclamens are sometimes known by the name "sowbread" because in some parts of the world where they grow wild, they are apparently eaten by pigs. Cyclamens usually grow in indoor pots but can be grown outdoors in milder climates. The flower stems are upright and grow above the foliage up to a height of about eight inches.

Answer: Hibiscus

Hibiscus were probably native to parts of Asia before reaching islands in the Pacific Ocean, and there are now a few hundred species. Some other names for the hibiscus are "sorrel", "flor de Jamaica" or "rosemalow". The name "Hibiscus" is from the Greek word "hibiskos" which an ancient Greek botanist gave to the plant "Althaea officinalis".

The national flower of South Korea is the Hibiscus syriacus. The National flower of Malaysia is the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. The symbol of the Hindu Goddess Kali is the red hibiscus.

In Tahiti, a red Hibiscus is traditionally worn by Tahitian women; tucked behind the right ear, a single flower indicates that the wearer is single.

Answer: Pansy

Pansies belong to the Violet family in the species Viola. The name "pansy" comes from the French word for "thought", "pensee". Today's modern pansies are cultivated from a European wildflower, "heartsease" (Viola tricolour), sometimes called "Johnny Jump Up" in the US.

Pansies have been used in literature over the years, as in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" where the juice of the heartsease flowers is a love potion. In "Hamlet", Ophelia gives out flowers and says "There's pansies, that's for thoughts".

Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone With the Wind" originally chose Pansy as the name for Miss O'Hara, but changed the name to "Scarlet" prior to the book being printed. Pansies have appeared in paintings by many famous artists such as van Gogh, Redoute and Georgia O'Keefe.

The city of Osaka, Japan, has the pansy as its symbol flower.

Answer: Marigold

The pungent aroma of marigolds repels some insects and so quite often they are planted in vegetable gardens to help protect the growing vegetables from pests.

They can be used in the treatment of skin problems and as an ointment, can aid in the repair of minor damage to the skin, and their pigments can be extracted for use as a food colouring.

In some parts of Asia, thousands of yellow and orange marigolds are made into garlands to decorate religious statues and to wear at weddings and other festivals. In pre-Hispanic Mexico they were known as the "flower of the dead". One species of marigold is one of the national symbols of the Ukraine.

Answer: Lily of the Valley

Lily of the valley is sometimes known as "Our Lady's Tears" or "Mary's Tears" as one Christian legend has it that the flower sprang from the tears of the Virgin Mary during the crucifixion of Jesus. In German myth this flower is associated with Ostara, the virgin goddess of spring. The lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness in "the language of flowers".

It is the national flower of Finland and prior to its break-up, it was the floral emblem of the nation then-called Yugoslavia.

The plant, including the flowers and the berries, is highly toxic.

Answer: Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossoms have long been associated with Japan, where for centuries picnicking has taken place under the blossoms, such custom being recorded since 710 AD.

Cherry blossoms are also very popular in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where these beautiful trees line many streets flourish in many parks. They are also popular in China, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and US.

In Japan the blossoms and leaves of the cherry tree are used as food ingredients as they are edible.

Answer: Gerbera

Gerberas are normally two to five inches in diameter. The middle of the flower is usually brow, black or dark red and the petals can be single, double, duplex or crested. Gerberas are also known as Transvaaldaisy or Barberton daisy and the African daisy. Hundreds of individual flowers in a cluster make up the capitulum of a gerbera.

It is believed that Gerberas are the fifth most popular cut flower in the world, the most popular being the rose, followed by carnation, chrysanthemum and tulip. Gerberas usually have a long vase life.

Answer: Freesia

There are about 14 species of freesias and they are usually grown from corms. The leaves are sword-shaped, usually light green in colour and can grow to one foot high. The flower was named after Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, who was a German physician and botanist.

Because of their fragrance, the flowers are used in soap, lotions, bath oils, perfumes, etc, and they are a symbol of "innocence".