This file includes flowers, dandelions, wildflowers, cactus, goldenrod, flower ABC list, flower lore, flower meanings, month flowers, and state flowers.

Also see Specific Flowers, Gardening, Spring, Roses, and Trees.



Flowers


Page Toppers


Quotes


Page Ideas


Things to Do if You Are a Flower

Be a wonderful color, like purplish pink.
Stay out in the rain.
Understand what the wind says.
Dance to its rhythms.
Grow toward the sun.
Smell good.
Give bees honey.
Count every star.
Be beautiful.


Count Your Blessings

Count your garden by the flowers,
never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by garden hours,
don't remember clouds at all.

Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your years with smiles, not tears.
Count your blessing, not your troubles.
Count your age by friends, not by years.


The City

(David Ignatow)

If flowers want to grow
right out of concrete sidewalk cracks
I'm going to bend down and smell them.


Planting Flowers

Take some dirt, add some seeds,
Pour on water, pull the weeds,
Rest a minute, work for hours,
Then just wait to smell the flowers.


Songs about Flowers

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Dandelions


Two Dandelion Poems

A dandelion doesn't roar
Which is a lucky thing
With all the millions that there are
That would be frightening.

When I went out to play today
I found dandelions yellow and gay
And then when I came in tonight
The dandelions had turned to white.


Ode to a Dandelion

(Rea Williams)

Though others may curse you for a weed,
To destroy they deem their duty,
For me you are a lovely flower
And I revel in your beauty.

You're first to show your brilliant color
After winter's bitter cold.
You're truly springtime's harbinger
With your delicate mounds of gold.

Your flowers are food for a weary soul,
Your leaves a zesty tonic--
Such succulent flavor they contain
It makes us feel bionic.

I know your color soon will fade
But your seeds are avian food--
So, like the wind and thus the flower,
It's ill that blows no good.

In God's great plan for nature
Everything does have it's place
And I, for one, am always glad
To see your smiling face.


Dandelions

(Andrew Downing)

Bright coinage of the generous sun,
Down-flung, and scattered, one by one--
They star with gold the green plateau,
And light the landscape with their glow!


In Defense of the Dandelion

(Samuel Pickering, Jr.)

Spring has arrived and so have the dandelions. Here by the porch, there by the drive, everywhere. For years I struggled to get rid of them. One summer I wore out a pair of leather gloves digging them up. Another summer our dog Fred almost died from drinking the weed killer I mixed in the garage.

I'm older now and have learned better. I just sit on the porch and leave the dandelions alone. In fact, we have grown fond of one another.

I have decided that the real American Beauty isn't the rose but the dandelion. The common dandelion is not a native American. Like most of our ancestors, it didn't travel first class, and there is no record of its arrival on our shores. All we know is that it seems to have come from Europe, and like those "huddled masses" who sought a better life in a newer world, the dandelion put down roots and thrived.

Grateful for the opportunity to settle, it was content to make wayside and wasteland bloom. Unlike the cultivated rose, the dandelion is, in its stem of stems, a Populist. It generally prefers hard homesteading on barren ground to pampered living in potting soil. The dandelion smiles just as brightly amid backyard tenement clutter as it does beneath the boxwood border of an English garden. In contrast to the formal rose, which makes a sticking point of ceremony and can be prickly with those who do not show proper deference, the dandelion is friendly. It even enjoys the company of children as they weave it into garlands.

The dandelion lives a clean and simple life. It opens and blooms at sunrise and, closing up tightly, goes to bed at sunset. It keeps healthy and respectable hours because it is a family flower. One to two hundred florets compose its yellow blossom. As the florets mature and are finally pollinated, the dandelion's stem lengthens. Sacrificing its position in the world, the dandelion now lives for its children, closing one last time until the florets have grown into seeds and are ready to leave home. Then the gray globe expands so the seeds can catch a breeze and start out well in life.

No other flower embodies the American spirit as well as the dandelion. When the going gets tough, pansies and petunias wilt. Neither the strong winds nor heavy rains can break the dandelion. When the petals of the dogwood blossoms are scattered and the peony is beaten to the ground, the dandelion still holds its head up bravely.

Unlike the southern Magnolia or sagebrush, the dandelion is not tied to a particular region of the country. It is truly a National flower. Moreover, it is a flower for all months and all climates; from January to December, the dandelion blossoms somewhere. It may be found in Arizona under the shadow of the saguaro cactus, in Florida's orange groves or on a ledge in Colorado's mountains.

Such a flower is a bright sign of hope, and when winter comes and days and nights seem black, remember that somewhere in America, the dandelion is blooming.

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Goldenrod


from Goldenrod

(Blondie)

As sure as anything
As sure as I can be
That 99 percent, pure as Ivory
I caught the scent, followed the smell of it
Couldn't Ignore
Hey, why did you pick on me?

What's that pretty flower I see?
Tall and wild it waves at me
Mother says it's just a weed
Golden Rod, Golden Rod

Growing Wild, not in the city
Gave me an allergy
And my reaction's, what's gonna happen?
It gets no help from me

Another blonde, not from the city
Gave me an allergy
And you can see me drinking the poison
Taking it happily.


Songs about Goldenrod

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Wildflowers


Quotes


A Special Bouquet

A rose can say 'I love you.'
Orchids can enthrall,
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,
Oh my, that says it all!


The Wildflower's Song

(William Blake)

As I wander'd the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard a wild flower
Singing a song.

I slept in the Earth
In the silent night,
I murmur'd my fears
And I felt delight.

In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But O! met with scorn.


from Auguries of Innocence

(William Blake)

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.


Songs about Wildflowers

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Cactus


Quotes about Cactus


Songs about Cactus

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Flowers for each Month

MonthFlowerColorMeaningAlternate flowers
JANCarnation red, pink, whitedeep love, fidelitySnowdrop
FEBVioletviolet, purplefaithfulness, purityIris, Primrose
MARDaffodilyellowcheerfulness, new beginningsJonquil
APRDaisyvariousloyalty, playfulness, tenacitySweet Pea
MAYLily of the Valleywhitehumility, sweetnessHawthorne
JUNRosevarioushappiness, love, friendshipHoneysuckle
JULLarkspurvariousgood luck, humorWater Lily, Tulip
AUGGladiolusvariousbeauty, strength of characterPoppy
SEPAsterpink, purpledevotion, joyMorning Glory
OCTCalendulaorangecontentment, gratitudeMarigold, Cosmos
NOVChrysanthemumvariouscheerfulness, friendshipOrchid
DECHollygreen and redcelebration, prosperityPoinsettia, Narcissus
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Official State Flowers


Official State Wild Flowers

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Flower Meanings

(Compiled by Denny Davis)

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Flower Lore

(Compiled by Denny Davis)

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Flower ABC's

(Compiled by Bonnie Jasperson and Denny Davis)

A - annual, amaryllis, African lily, alpine thistle, arum, ageratum, amaranthus, aster, artemesia, allium, amaryllis, anemone, anthurium, azalea, arbutus, apple blossom, acacia
B - bloom, blossom, bulb, bouquet, baby's breath, bee balm, bell flower, bergamot, bottlebrush, bird of paradise, bouvardia, begonia, bindweed, bluebell, borage, buttercup, bachelor's button, blue salvia, biennial, black-eyed Susan
C - crocus, columbine, Christmas cactus, calla lily, carnation, cockscomb, cornflower, cone flower, corsage, cosmos, chrysanthemum, calendula, cherry blossom, camellia, clematis, clover, coreopsis, cowslip, candytuft, cyclamen, chives, calliopsis, catnip, Cherokee rose
D - daffodil, daisy, dirt, day lily, dianthus, delphinium, dahlia, dandelion, dendrobium orchid, didiscus, drumstick, dutch iris, dill
E - Easter lily, evening primrose, eremurus, everlasting, enchanter's nightshade, euphorbia, eustoma
F - fern, florist, flower, flower shop, fragrance, forsythia, feverfew, forget-me-not, foxglove, freesia, flax, fuschia
G - grass, grape hyacinth, greenhouse, gentian, geranium, gillyflower, goldenrod, gladiolus, gardenia, gerbera daisy, globe amaranth
H - hyacinth, hot house, herbs, heather, heliotrope, hemlock, hollyhock, hydrangea, heath aster, heliconia, hypericum, honeysuckle
I - iris, ixia, ivy, Indian plume, Indian pink, imperial montague, ice plant, Iceland moss, Irish heath, impatiens, Indian blanket, Indian paintbrush
J - jonquil, jasmine, justicia, Jacob's ladder, jubilee marigold
K - Kansas feather, kangaroo paw, king cups, kennedia
L - lilac, lily of the valley, lady's slipper, larkspur, lavender, lily, leptospermum, liatris, lisianthus, laburnum, lobelia, lupin, limonium, ladybell
M - marigold, mimosa, monkshood, moth orchid, mum, magnolia, maidenhair fern, marjoram, marguerite daisy, michaelmas daisy, mistletoe, mock orange, mullein, myrtle, morning glory, may flower, mountain laurel
N - narcissus, nasturtium, nettle, nightshade, nerine lily, night-blooming cereus, Nigella (fennel), Nemisia
O - orchid, ox-eye daisy, obedient plant, oleander, orange blossom, our lady's mantle, oriental poppy
P - perfume, potpourri, pots, poppy, petunia, poinsettia, pansy, perennial, peony, plumed thistle, prairie gentian, phalaenopsis orchid, passion-flower, periwinkle, phlox, primrose, pitcher plan, pompom, protea, primrose, peach blossom
Q - queen Anne's lace, queen Fabiola lily, queen's rocket, quince, quaking grass
R - rose, red-hot poker, ranunculus, rose moss, rosemary, rocket, ragged robin, rainbow aster, rhododendron, rose of Sharon, rambling rose
S - stemen, safflower, scarlet plume, sea lavender, snapdragon, spider orchid, star of bethlehem, sunflower, sweet pea, sweet William, scabiosa, star gazer lily, statice, stephanotis, stock, salvia, snowdrop, syringa, sea lavender, strawflower, sweetheart rose, shasta daisy, syringa
T - tulip, tansy, thistle, tuberose, tritoma, tassel flower, trachelium, transvaal daisy, teasel, thyme, trefoil, trillium, trumpet flower, Texas bluebonnet
U - ulster mary, uropilla, ucandillus, Utah petras flora (desert bonnet)
V - verbena, viburnum, violet, valerian, veronica, venus's trap, venice sumach, viola, vinca, vase
W - waxflower, windflower, watsonia, wormwood, wolfbane, water lily, white jasmine, woodbine, wood anemone, white clover, wildflower, wild prairie rose
X - xanthium, xeranthemim
Y - yarrow, yellow ox-eye, yellow flag, yucca, yellow rose of Texas
Z - zinnia, zantedeschia (arum), zantedeschia (calla lily), zephyr flower


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