Anthurium - Hồng môn

Anthurium Meaning. The anthurium symbolizes hospitality. It is a warm flower that inspires happiness and abundance.

Anthuriums are herbaceous epiphytes native to tropical America. Anthurium is a genus of more than 800 species found in the New World tropics from Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay. The Anthurium is also known as Painted Tongue, Flamingo Flower (Flamingo Lily) or Tail Flower. Anthuriums are grown for their brightly colored flower spathes and their ornamental leaves.

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Alismatales

Family: Araceae

Genus: Anthurium

The red, heart-shaped flower of Anthuriums is really a spathe or a waxy, modified leaf flaring out from the base of a fleshy spike (spadix) where the tiny real flowers grow. The anthurium flowers appear as a roughness on the spadix as compared to a smooth spadix. Most common colors of anthuriums are red and shades of red.

In Greek, the name Anthurium means tail flower. The plant's stem lengths may grow to a height of 15-20 inches depending on the size of the spathe, i.e., the bigger the spathe, the longer the stem. Its leaves are usually simple, large, attractively colored and borne on long stalks. The flowering stalk is slender, ending in a fleshy column crowded with many unisexual flowers. They have leafy bracts which may be white, yellow, red, pink, orange or green.

Being popular foliage plants, Anthuriums are grown for their attractive flowering bracts which are popular with the cut flower trade.

All parts of the anthurium plant, are poisonous. If ingested, may cause mild stomach disorders. The anthurium plant's sap can cause skin irritation.

Anemone - Phong Quỳ Thảo

The name anemone comes from the Greek word for "windflower." According to Greek mythology, the anemone sprang from Aphrodite's tears as she mourned the death of Adonis.

Thought to bring luck and protect against evil, legend has it that when the anemone closes its petals, it's a signal that rain is approaching.

Still other mythology connects the anemone to magical fairies, who were believed to sleep under the petals after they closed at sunset. Perhaps it's because of this magical and prophetic tales that today in the language of flowers, anemones represent anticipation
http://www.teleflora.com/about-flowers/anemone.asp

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Anemone

Facts About Anemones

• The name Anemone comes from Greek and roughly means wind flower, which signifies that the wind that blows the petal open will also, eventually, blow the dead petals away.
• The Anemone plants are perennial herbs with an underground rootstock, and radical, more or less deeply cut leaves.
• The elongated flower stem bears one or several, white, red, blue or rarely yellow flowers. There is an involucre of three leaflets below each flower.
• The fruits often bear long hairy styles, which aid their distribution by the wind. They produce cup-shaped yellowish, white, purple, violet, or red Anemone flowers.
• Among the most popular are the autumn-flowering Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis).
• Yellow wood anemone (Anemone ranunculoides), also known as the Buttercup Anemone, is a similar plant with slightly smaller flowers of rich yellow colouring.
• In medicine, Anemone is used as a treatment for cramps, menstrual problems and emotional distress.
• Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides or Anemonella thallictroides) is a rare, endangered specie.
• The plant Anemone nemorosa is poisonous to humans, but has been used as a medicine.

Varieties of Anemone

• Broadly, there are three types of Anemone flowers-
• Spring flowering type, which has either rhizomes or tubers.
• Tuberous Mediterranean, which flowers in spring and summer.
• Larger Fall flowering type, which blooms in late summer to fall and tends to have fibrous roots.

Anemone Species

• Popular species of Anemones and their common names are as follows:
• Anemone blanda - Blue Anemone
• Anemone coronaria - Poppy Anemone
• Anemone hupehensis - Chinese Anemone
• Anemone hupehensis var. japonica - Japanese Anemone
• Anemone narcissiflora - Narcissus Anemone
• Anemone nemorosa - Wood Anemone
• Anemone ranunculoides - Yellow Woodland Anemone/buttercup anemone
• Anemone sylvestris - Snowdrop Windflower
• Anemone canadensis - Canada Anemone
• Anemone fulgens - Scarlet Windflower
• Anemone pulsatilla - Pasque Flower
• Anemone apennina - Apennine Windflower

Growing Anemones

• Different Anemones have different growing requirements. Most Anemones should be planted in the fall. If the planted Anemone is tuberous, separate the tubers in summer, when the plant is dormant. If rhizomatous, separate the rhizomes in spring. If the Anemone has fibrous roots, divide the plant in early spring or autumn but keep the plant in the pot for a year until established.
• Windflowers should be grown in very well-drained, moderately fertile soil in a lightly shaded or sunny location.
• Plant the tubers in the fall or spring, unless you live north of their adapted zones; in this case, plant in the spring.
• Before planting, soak the tubers for a few hours or overnight; if you soak them overnight, you will be able to see the slightly swollen areas from which shoots will grow.
• Plant the tubers 3 to 4 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart.
• If not sure which end is up, lay them on their sides.

Anemone Plant Care

• Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system.
• For a neat appearance, remove old foliage before new leaves emerge.
• Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.
• Cut right back to the ground in late Autumn. They will shoot away again in Spring

Amaryllis - Lan Huệ

Amaryllis belladonna is a very, very colorful and showy flower and hence the flower is symbolically used to represent the meanings - splendid beauty or pride.

Amaryllis is a monotypic (consisting of only one species) genus of flowering plants containing the Belladonna Lily, popularly known as the Amaryllis belladonna lily. Amaryllis is a native of South and Central America and the Caribbean. The Hippeastrum genus of flowering bulbed plants is erroneously named as the Amaryllis orChristmas Amaryllis.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Lilliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Genus: Amaryllis
Species: Belladonna
Ornamental plants of Amaryllidaceae family are mistakenly called lilies. Amaryllidaceae species can be distinguished from members of the lily family (Liliaceae) by the anatomical placement of the ovary. Amaryllidaceae species are considered more advanced in evolution than the lilies. Sometimes the amaryllis family is included in the Liliaceae.

Amaryllis is cultivated for its beautiful and colorful flowers. The Amaryllis flower stem is erect, 5-60 cm tall, 1-3 cm in diameter, and hollow. The Amaryllis stem bears 2-5 large flowers at the apex, each flower 10-20 cm broad, with six brightly colored tepals (three outer sepals, three inner petals, with similar appearance to each other). A stunning amaryllis flower has dark red markings or different colors appearing on the stalks. Common size bulbs often produce two 20-22 inches stems. Huge Amaryllis flowers up to 6 inches across will also appear.

Facts about Amaryllis

• Amaryllis is a perennial flowering plant.
• Amaryllis bulbs are 3-11 cm in diameter, and produce 3-7 long-lasting leaves of 10-60 cm long and 1-5 cm broad.
• Amaryllis has narrow, flat leaves and with lily-like flowers borne on separate, leafless stalks.
• Amaryllises are widely distributed throughout the world, especially in the flatlands of the tropics and subtropics.
• The Amaryllis hybrids are known as Hippeastrum.

Growing Amaryllis

• A well-drained soil is a prerequisite in growing Amaryllis.
• The planting space should be 6-12 inches above the ground.
• Plant the amaryllis bulbs in late September or early October.
• Plant the Amaryllis with one-third to one-half of the bulb above the growing medium surface.
• Plant bulbs about a foot apart and leave the tops less covered with soil.
• The soil should be mulched to conserve moisture and help control weeds.
• After planting, thoroughly water the Amaryllis bulb.
• A mixture containing equal parts of peat and perlite is excellent.
• In general Amaryllis bulbs come to flower in 7-10 weeks.
• Grow outdoors only after the danger of frost has passed.

Amaryllis Plant Care

• Remove the spent blossoms of Amaryllis to prevent seed formation by cutting the stem off just above the bulb.
• Place the amaryllis plant in a sunny window.
• Water the amaryllis plant regularly.
• Fertilize the amaryllis plant with a balanced houseplant fertilizer regularly.
• Do not fertilize the amaryllis bulbs without leaves; it may kill the bulb, which is not good.

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/amaryllis

Alstroemeria - Hoa Ly Peru

Alstroemeria symbolizes friendship and devotion, and the twists in the flower symbolize the trials and tribulations of friendships.

Alstroemeria, commonly called the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas or Parrot Lily is a South American genus of about 50 species of flowering plants, mainly from the cool, mountainous regions in the Andes.

Kingdom: Plantae

Super Division: Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Asparagales

Family: Alstroemeriaceae

Genus: Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria flower is symbolic of wealth, prosperity and fortune. It is also the flower of friendship

.Some Interesting Facts about Alstroemeria

• Alstroemeria flowers bloom during late spring or early summer.
• Alstroemeria come in orange, pink, rose, purple, red, yellow, white or salmon colors.
• Alstroemeria is named after the Swedish botanist Klas von Alstroemer, who was a pupil of the great botanical classifier Linnaeus.
• The genus Alstroemeria consists of about 50 species.
• Most modern hybrid Alstroemeria plants are propagated in a laboratory.
• Many hybrids and about 190 cultivars of Alstroemeria have been developed, with different markings and colors, ranging from white, golden yellow, orange; to apricot, pink, red, purple and lavender.
• Alstroemeria flowers have no fragrance.
• Alstroemeria flowers have a vase life of about two weeks.
• Not all Alstroemeria have striped petals.
• Alstroemeria stops producing flowers if they get too hot.

About the Alstromeria Flower and Plant

• Alstroemeria is a slightly zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) flower with 3 sepals and 3, generally, striped petals. The sepals and petals on the Alstroemeria are similar in color and texture - i.e., there are no solid green sepals. Alstroemeria has six stamens and an undivided style. The ovary on the Alstroemeria is inferior, with 3 carpels. Alstroemeria features a monocot plan of having floral parts in 3s.
• Alstroemeria is more like grass where the veins go up the leaves but none branching across. This can also be seen in grasses, Irises and Lilies. Alstroemeria leaves are upside down. The leaf twists as it leaves the stem, so that the bottom is facing upwards.
• If you look at an Alstroemeria stem you can sometimes see a spiral growth pattern on the stem. This is due to the production of new cells in a spiral sequence and this is the cause of the head moving the way it does.
• If the soil temperature rises too high (above about 22 degrees Celsius) the Alstroemeria plant puts its effort into producing more large tuberous roots at the expense of flowering shoots. With some varieties this can lead to production of exclusively blind non-flowering stems and no flowers.

Some Species of Alstroemeria

• Alstroemeria aurea - Lily of the Incas.
• Alstroemeria aurantiaca - Peruvian Lily/Alstroemeria Princess Lily
• Alstroemeria caryophyllacea - Brazilian Lily
• Alstroemeria haemantha - Purplespot Parrot Lily
• Alstroemeria ligtu - Lily-of-the-Nile
• Alstroemeria psittacina - Lily of the Incas, White-edged Peruvian Lily/White Alstroemeria
• Alstroemeria pulchella - Parrot Lily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, New Zealand Christmas Bell

Growing Alstroemerias

• Plant Alstroemeria in full sun, in well-drained soil.
• Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.
• Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in the containers.
• Set the plants 1 foot apart.
• Mulch around but not on top of the plants, with 3 inches of organic compost.
• Water well until soil is completely moist.
• Alstroemeria Plant Care
• Cut off old flower stems with bypass pruners.
• Mulch around but not on top of the plants in early spring, with 3 inches of organic compost.
• Water well weekly until soil is completely moist especially summers, when there is no rain.
• It is always handy for a gardener – novice or expert – to own a gardening guide. View books on gardening available online. 

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/alstroemeria