FUN FLOWER FACTS

       A local nursery included these fun flower facts in a recent newsletter.  I thought you might be interested in them, too.   I also created a link to each plant for easy access in case you aren't familiar with the plant, or wanted to know more about it.  Just click on the flower name to access it.

FUN FLOWER FACTS:

~Tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold in Holland in the 1600s.

~Tulip bulbs can be substituted for onions in a recipe.

~The very expensive spice, saffron, comes from a type of crocus flower.

~Hundreds of years ago, when Vikings invaded Scotland, they were slowed by  
     patches of wild thistle, allowing the Scots time to escape.  Because of this, the wild   
     thistle was named Scotland’s national flower.

~The juice from bluebell flowers was used historically to make glue.

~Foxglove is an old English name, derived from the belief that foxes slipped their feet
     into the leaves of the plant to sneak up on prey.

~Dandelions might seem like weeds, but the flowers and leaves are a good source

      of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and potassium. One cup of dandelion greens

      provides 7,000-13,000 I.U. of vitamin A.

~The flower buds of the marsh marigold are pickled as a substitute for capers.

~Sunflowers move throughout the day in response to the movement of the sun from east
      to west.

~Moon flowers bloom only at night, closing during the day.

~Gas plants produce a clear gas on humid, warm nights. This gas is said to be  
      ignitable with a lit match.

~When Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they subsisted on the roots of  
      the Sego Lily Plant. This plant is the state flower of Utah.

~Angelica was used in Europe for hundreds of years as a cure for everything from the
       bubonic plague to indigestion. It was thought to ward off evil spirits.

~During the Middle Ages, lady’s mantle was thought to have magic healing properties.

~When Achilles was born, his mother dipped him head first in a bath of yarrow tea,
        believing it had protective qualities. Yarrow is still known for healing and was used

        during World War I to heal soldiers’ wounds.