Florist’s Day: A Professional Adding Color to Life

September 2nd is dedicated to a profession that makes our lives more colorful and exciting, Florist Day.

These professionals, also known as designers or floral artists, have the task of transforming simple flowers into real works of art, used to mark special moments, decorate environments and express feelings.

Flowers carry a message of peace and affection. And they are attracted by their beauty and their scent. Almost 370,000 species of flowering plants have been catalogued throughout the world. But every care is necessary to preserve them.

A study published in the journal NewScientist in 2019 revealed that nearly 600 species of flowers became extinct between 1753 and 2018, mainly in Hawaii, Brazil, Australia, and Madagascar. Observe some rare, exotic, and typical species from different parts of the planet.

Monster Flower – It is one of the largest flowers in the world. Native to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, Indonesia. It can have a diameter of 106 cm and weigh up to 11 kg.

Hanging Monkey Flower – It has erect stems that can reach half a meter in height. It is native to central and southern Portugal. The nickname is due to its shape that resembles small hanging monkeys.

Corpse Flower – It has a giant spadix (a type of spike) that is the largest inflorescence (part of the plant where the flowers are found) in the world. Native to Indonesia. The nickname is due to the foul odor that the plant gives off.

Heron Orchid – It has a shape that resembles a white bird. Native to the humid lowlands of Japan, Korea and China, at altitudes above 500 m. It is threatened with extinction because much of the land has been occupied by rice plantations or urbanization.

Hydnora Africana – The flowers are large, with inferior ovary, have a bad smell and are pollinated by flies and beetles. It exists in Africa (including Madagascar), Asia and Central America.

Magnificent Ginger – Tropical plant, typical of the forests of southern Thailand. The stems along the rhizome (stem that grows horizontally) can reach up to 2 meters.

Ghost Orchid – Native to southwest Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba, where it grows in very humid and stifling areas. The flowers are large and have an apple scent.

Slipper Orchid – The nickname is due to the shape of the labellum (upper petal, which appears to be at the bottom due to the twisting of the axis). They grow in tropical and temperate regions of all continents, except Africa and Australia.

Saffron Flower – Native to Central Asia. Used since ancient times as a spice in Mediterranean cuisine. Essential to Spanish paella. When dried, the flower releases a yellow pigment and a volatile oil used as a fabric dye.

Dicente- Cultivated for centuries in China, Korea and Japan. Its charm is that it resembles a heart. It loves the humidity of the soil and the air.

Frog Lily – Native to Japan, it blooms when most other flowering plants have finished blooming. It loves shade and humidity. It resembles a starfish, with small spots.

Purple thistle – It blooms in Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. In the first year it remains in the form of a rosette of basic leaves, developing only the stem and flowering in the second year.

Cockscomb – Native to Africa, it grows in tropical regions of the planet, but is also resistant to cold. It has a velvety texture.

Cosmos Chocolate – Mexican species, thrives on sandy and calcareous soils. In gardens it is generally planted in mixed beds, with shrubs.

Orchid Cactus – A plant native to Mexico, it owes its nickname to the fact that it grows on tree trunks. But, despite being called a cactus, it does not like arid regions. It blooms in the shade and humidity.

Camellia Red Middlemist – An exuberant red, it is native to China and was brought to Great Britain in 1804. It is considered one of the rarest in the world.

Rose Juliet – This is the most expensive flower in the world. It was developed in 2006 by rose breeder David Austin. It is therefore a flower that required laboratory research, at a cost of R$ 21 million. Made from a combination of natural flowers, it has many peach-colored petals.

Franklin Tree – Native to the United States. It needs sun in cold regions and partial shade in warm places. Its bark is gray and ridged. Its foliage varies from medium to dark green and turns red, yellow and purple in autumn, in full bloom.

Black Bat Flower – Grows in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Oceania. It blooms in spring and summer and its inflorescences resemble small bats, with long “whiskers”.

Campion de Gibraltar – Endemic to Gibraltar, in the Iberian Peninsula. It grows on cliffs. It was considered extinct, but in 1994 it was found by a climber and propagated in seed banks in Gibraltar and London.

Koki’o – One of the rarest and most endangered. Native to the island of Moloka’i, Hawaii (USA). It was considered extinct, but a plant was found and reproduced.

Angel’s Trumpet – In danger of extinction, it has this nickname for its shape that resembles a trumpet and the delicacy of its petals. Native to southeastern Brazil, in a coastal area. Its leaves and flowers are used in herbal medicine for the intestine and skin.

Protea – One of the most beautiful and ancient flowers in the world. Originating from South Africa, its name derives from Proteus, a Greek deity with the power of metamorphosis. The Protea flower has the ability to transform and adapt to inhospitable environments.