What Flower Am I? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rose

As Juliet said in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The rose is more than likely the most favoured flower in the world. It is the National flower of England and has been since Henry VIII, and it is also the symbol of English Rugby. In 1986 the rose became the official flower and floral emblem of the USA. Roses are also edible. Different colours of a rose have different meanings:

A red rose is for romance, beauty, love and passion.
A yellow rose is for friendship, happiness and joy.
A white rose is for innocence, purity and sincerity.
A pink rose is for elegance, thanks and appreciation.
A peach rose is for anticipation and desire.

The rose is the birth flower for June.

Answer: Daffodil

Daffodils are native to Asia, Europe and North Africa and bloom mainly in the spring. Their bulbs can be toxic if eaten. The Daffodil is the National Flower of Wales and on St David's Day, 1 March, it is traditional in Wales to wear either a Leek or a Daffodil. The Daffodil is the birth flower for March.

The poet, William Wordsworth, wrote a famous poem about Daffodils. Here is the first verse:

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."

Answer: Carnation

Carnations have been around for about 2,000 years and usually have a sweet smell. Like roses, the different colours mean different things. For example, dark red means deep love; white is for good luck, and so on.

Carnation is the birth flower for January and is the national flower of Slovenia, Monaco and Spain.

Answer: Gladiolus

One Gladiolus spike can have up to seventeen flowers and they all face in the same direction. The larger varieties can grow up to 1 meter (40 inches) tall. Gladiolus grow from a corm and not a bulb. There are over 250 different species and they belong to the Iris family.

Australia's "Housewife Superstar", Dame Edna Everage, is well know for her throwing Gladiola to the audience and her cry of "Hello Possums!"

Answer: Hydrangea

Hydrangeas grown in an acidic soil will be blue and those grown in an alkaline soil will be pink. The Portugese island of Faial is known as the "Blue Island" because of the prolific amount of blue hydrangeas growing there.

Hydrangea bushes grow to about 1.5m to 2 m (5ft to 7ft) tall and there is a dwarf variety that only grows to about 1m (3ft) tall.

Answer: Chrysanthemum

The Chinese grew Chrysanthemums as early as the fifteenth century BC and the flower is known as one of the "Four Gentlemen" in Chinese art. The Emperor of Japan adopted the Chrysanthemum as his official seal after it made its way to Japan in about the eighth century CE.

There are many varieties of Chrysanthemum and they can be in the form of small pom-poms, or daisy-like or spider-like. The original colour was yellow, but now they can be white, red and purplish.

Chrysanthemums are the birth flower for November.

Answer: Sunflower

Sunflowers are native to the Americas. The Aztecs and Incas used the sunflower as the symbol of their Sun God. The flowers entered Europe in the early 1500's when they were brought back by Spanish explorers from the Americas. Sunflowers first became a food crop in Russia in the 1800's

Sunflowers have many uses: the seeds can be eaten as a snack and are also crushed for oil; they can be used to make bread, and are very popular as a feed for pet birds. Sunflowers have a very high Vitamin E content.

Answer: Gardenia

The Gardenia is native to China, Japan and Taiwan. The shrubs are evergreen and can grow from 1m to 15m (3.3ft to 49ft) tall. In days gone by, Gardenia were often though of as being very romantic and were often used in wedding bouquets. Gardenia flowers are an ingredient in many different brands and varieties of perfume.

The Gardenia is the National flower of Pakistan.

Answer: Tulip

Tulips were brought to the Netherlands and Western Europe some time in the 17th Century

Tulips bloom in the Spring and can be as small as 10cm (4 inches) all or as large as 71cm (28 inches) tall and usually grow one flower per stem. The cup-shaped flower has three petals and three sepals and come in most colours except pure blue. Tulip Festivals are held In many countries around the world.

Answer: Poppy

Poppies make wonderful shows in garden beds and as cut flowers. Poppies yield seeds for use in cooking and the seeds are crushed for poppyseed oil and of course the Opium Poppy is used for drugs.

Poppies were used as offerings to the dead in both Greek and Roman mythology and ancient Egyptian doctors used poppies for pain relief.

In Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa red poppies are worn on Remembrance Day as a mark of respect to those who fell in World War I.