Information on Indian Flowers

If you're fond of flowers and have traveled to India or wish to, you likely know that this country is known for its colorful flowers. Found in areas from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Sri Ganganagar to Itanagar and Leh to Lakshadweep, these flowers are bright, bold and some of the most beautiful living organisms one has ever seen. Whether you're super knowledgable about Indian flowers information or you're looking to learn more, just know that there's plenty to explore.

History of Indian Plants

Due to India's large size and different climates and seasons, it can produce over 15,000 flowering Indian plants species. Although you can find beautiful flowers in India year round, the spring and summer produce some of the most popular flowers. Indian flowers not only look pretty but their religious and cultural significance give the people of India an immense sense of pride. In conjunction with their religious and cultural importance, many Indian flowers also have strong medicinal properties. Lotus is considered to be the national flower of India, but there are a ton of other flowers throughout the country.

Summer Flowers in India

India is known for its beautiful gardens that are packed with many lovely and unique flowers. Thousands of flowers are cultivated every year and are used for special occasions and are even shipped out through foreign trade. There's a lot to learn and see in India, but many tourists love to look at the flowers that grow in this beautiful land.

The flowers can be split up into both summer and winter categories. Throughout the summer, one can find a variety of flowers such as marigolds, lotus, roses, hibiscus, sunflowers, lilies, zinnias, petunias, pansy flowers, tulips, dahlias, pineapple lily, gloriosa lily, peonies, daffodils and bougainvillea.

Popular Summer Flowers

Marigolds are considered to be one of the most popular and recognizable summer flowers in India. Also known as Caltha, Genda, garden marigold, gold-bloom, holligold, marybud and pot marigold, the marigold grows from July to September. Bright yellow and orange marigold flowers are used throughout India for many cultural and religious reasons. Garlands can be made to offer to the Hindu gods and goddesses.

Marigolds are also used to treat ulcers, menstrual cramps, eye infections, inflammations and wounds. They're known to keep mosquitos, bugs and rodents away because marigolds are a natural bug repellent. Many farmers plant marigolds near their crops to keep these pesky bugs off their land.

Indian lotus is also known as Ambal, Thamarai, Suriya kamal, Padma, Ambuja, Pankaja, Blue lotus, Sacred Water lily, bean of India, Kamala, Kanwal and Kamal. The lotus is a water plant. It has broad floating leaves and long stems and is a bright and fragrant flower with overlapping petals. The flowers are a rosy pink shade with some white shades.

What's so beautiful about the lotus flower, besides the fact that they come in a variety of shapes, is that the flower opens in the morning and the petals fall in the afternoon. Lotus seeds, which are edible, are believed to help the kidney, spleen and heart and aid in restfulness, palpitations, insomnia and liver disorders.

Other Summer Flowers

Rose is also known as Dublin Bay, Impatient, Gul, Gulbahar, Hravart, Roosevelt, Vartan, Arrosa, Aygul, Oklahoma Hulthemia, Hesperrhodos, Platyrhodon, Banksianae, Carolinae, Pimpinellifoliae, Rosa, Laevigatae and Gymnocarpae. These flowers come in white, pink, maroon, red, yellow and orange. Roses are known to be beautiful flowers, but hips, the fruit of roses, are a good source of vitamin C, the rose petals can be used to help dry and patchy skin and rose herbal tea is said to treat cold and coughs.

Hibiscus is the signature flower of subtropical regions. This flower needs a lot of sunlight and room to grow.

Sunflowers are bright yellow and can survive extreme phases of heat. They prefer not to be overwatered.

Different Types of Lilies

There are a variety of lilies in India, including the pineapple lily and the gloriosa lily. Lilies can withstand very extreme weather conditions. In the winter, lily plants and leaves will wither, but don't get rid of this plant. The bulb remains dormant throughout the winter but will bloom again the following season. They're very low maintenance flowers that look great in a garden or one's home.

The pineapple lily isn't really a flower you'd see growing in a garden. This lily is actually a member of the asparagus family, not the pineapple family. You can use this flower as a centerpiece or in a flower bed.

The gloriosa lily is a climber plant, so it looks beautiful draped over poles in a yard. Be careful with this lily though. It's very poisonous and shouldn't be consumed.

Variety of Colored Plants

Zinnia comes in a variety of colors. They love to grow in the late summer, and because they're very fragrant, they attract butterflies.

Just like Zinnia, petunias also come in a variety of colors including pink, red, yellow, orange and white. Petunias are considered a favorite amongst amateur gardeners because they're very easy to grow.

Bougainvillea Indian Flower

Bougainvillea, also known as the paper flower, is a favorite woody scandent shrub. The shrub can grow up to 10 to 15 feet high, and the flowers come in a variety of colors such as red, purple, orange, white, pink and cream. The leaves have an oval outline, are a vibrant green and have smaller leaves with tubular flowers. The trunk is twisted and the stem has sharp thorns and green leaves. The fruit on a bougainvillea is narrow five-lobed achene. Achene is a dry, small, one-seeded fruit that doesn't open to release the seed.

Jasmine Indian Flower

Jasmine is also known as Mogra, Kundu Malligai, Arabian Jasmine, Mallika and Moonshine. It's grown in all parts of India but is primarily found in the country's Nagarhole National Park. This plant is an evergreen semi-vining shrub. It can grow to 8 to 10 feet tall, but the Jasmine flower is only one inch.

Jasmine flowers have oval green leaves that have five to nine leaflets. Each leaflet is almost two to three inches long. They're usually white and the stems are skinny, trailing, green and free from hair. Jasmine is propagated (reproduced) through softwood cuttings, semi-hardwood cuttings and simple layering.

The plant is propagated in the summer and needs to be planted in six inches of soil. The soil should be well drained, free of weeds and contain cow manure. Jasmine loves to grow in full sun or partial shade and thrives in warm temperatures.

Medicinal Properties of Jasmine

The people of India use Jasmine to remove intestinal worms and treat jaundice and venereal diseases. They also use the flower buds to treat ulcers, blisters, boils, skin diseases and eye disorders. A lot of Western cultures drink Jasmine tea for its calming and relaxing effect.

Cosmetic Properties of Jasmine

Jasmine oil is also used cosmetically. You can make perfumes, incense, creams, shampoos and soaps. Culturally, Jasmine is used in covering the face of the bridegroom. Also, the Jasmine plant is believed to be related to Lord Shiva (one of the principal deities of Hinduism) and Lord Vishnu (Supreme Being).

Orchid Indian Flowers

Also known as dancing ladies, dancing doll or Butterfly orchids, orchids are found in all parts of India. They're mostly grown in the Namdapha National Park, Simlipal National Park and Singalila National Park though. Orchids have two growth types: monopodial and sympodial.

Monopodial orchids' central system grows from the tip of the orchid. They don't have pseudobulbs, but they do have new growth from the crown of the plant. Flowers are grown from the stem between the leaves and alternate from side to side.

On the other hand, sympodial orchids send out from the shoot. They can produce more flowers since they develop stems and leaves. New shoots develop through a continuous cycle, and a sheath sometimes protects buds. To grow orchids, they're propagated through the seeds.

Orchids need a lot of attention, rely on 60 percent humidity to thrive, need watering occasionally and like fertilizers every week. They flower regularly, so they require hot temperatures to grow properly. Orchids are eaten by the indigenous people of Nilgiris. They eat the dried tubular (tube-shaped plant) of the terrestrial orchids because it energizes them. You can also cook and eat the roots of orchids.

Popular Winter Flowers In India

Winter Indian flowers include amaryllis, anemone, bells of Ireland, camellia, carnation, daffodil, poinsettia, poppies, ranunculus, star-of-Bethlehem, sweet pea, tulips and waxflowers.

Bells of Ireland are native to Turkey and have been cultivated in India since the 1500s. The more you cut these flowers, the longer they grow.

Popular Bridal Bouquet Flowers

Amaryllis winter flowers are normally used as the focal point in a bouquet or centerpiece. These flowers come in a variety of colors including red, white, pink and salmon. Each stem of amaryllis can have three to six blossoms, so although a single stem can be expensive, you don't need that many.

The camellia flower has dark green waxy leaves and is often used in bridal bouquets or table centerpieces.

Multi-Colored Winter Plants

Anemone requires a lot of water to stay in bloom throughout the winter. They come in a variety of colors such as white, red, purple, pink and blue. This flower also has a black center.

Carnations are very inexpensive and are available year round. In the winter, they produce in various colors including yellow, red, pink, white, orange and purple.

Other Indian Winter Flowers

Daffodils, also known as jonquils and narcissus, is a winter bulb that comes in a variety of colors including yellow, white, orange, pink and tricolor.

Poinsettias are red flowers, but they also come in a marbled color. They're often sold as potted plants during Christmas.

Poppies are a popular wildflower in the United States that's initially from Asia. They come in a variety of colors including purple, red, white, orange, pink and yellow.

Popular Filler Flowers

Star of Bethlehem is considered to be a filler flower because they grow in clusters on long stems and are white.

Wax flowers have a citrus aroma, and they work great as a filler flower. The flowers come in lavender, white and pink.

Wedding Bouquet and Corsage Flowers

Ranunculus grows between January and May, and a lot of people use them as a substitute for roses because they cost less and look a lot similar. Ranunculus come in the colors red, pink, yellow, white and orange.

Sweet Pea is a fragrant flower that comes in red, white, pink and purple. They have a beautiful fragrance, so they're often used in wedding bouquets and corsages.

Tulips can be found in almost every color imaginable.