10 Most Exotic Flowers Around the World | Unwrapped| Lifestyle | Lovingly (2024)

As we’re sure you’ve noticed, exotic, tropical flowers are all the rage right now. Yes!

You may have begun to see them used in weddings or artistically sprinkled in an arrangement your BFF brought to your summer barbecue last summer.

Well, surprise, surprise!

This method of floral design actually has a name:

Tropical Nouveau!

Without further ado, let’s jump into the top 10 most exotic flowers around the world!

10. Salvia Splendens

The glossy, vibrant red of these salvia’s simply scream ‘tropical paradise.’

Picture this:you’re overlooking the clear blue sea and find these confident blossoms sneaking their way into your picturesque view. Now you can’t decide which is more stunning, the sea or the salvias!

Often referred to asscarlet sage, the red salvia plant is actually part of the mint family! These ruby reds are indigenous to Brazil where, due to its hot climate, they grow asperennials. They are treated as annual plants in a more temperate climate, as they will not survive harsh frosts and frigid weather.

While most will recognize salvia splendens in their most popular form, scarlet, they do, in fact, come in other colors!

• burgundy
• lavender
• salmon
• white
• pink
• orange

Quite the variety, huh?

They can grow from 18-30 inches in height and are known for their spiky, electrifying blooms.

Because of their shocking red color, they are most often used around Memorial Day and the 4th of July.

Pro Tip:If you’re an Autumn lover (like us), bydeadheadingand pinching them throughout the summer, you can actually make these vivacious treasures last through the fall season.

My oh my, just imagine these beauties artfully mixed in with your orange and yellowChrysanthemums!

9. Plumeria

Did somebody saypretty in pink?

Do these sweet little blossoms not just scream“put me in your hair”?

We can tell you why! Plumeria is most commonly used inHawaiian leis!

Ah, it’s all coming together now.

Commonly known as Frangipani, plumeria is actually named after Charles Plumier, thebotanistof King Louis XIV of France.

Do we have aroyalamong us?

Not quite.

Sir Charles Plumier was a clergyman of the Franciscan Order ofMinims. This strict Roman Catholic order basically lived in a perpetual state of Lent.But a clergyman who discover an iconic staple of tropical gardens everywhere, nonetheless.

Plumeria itself is thought to be native to South and Central America. However, some reports claim they are native to the Caribbean and were later taken to the Americas bySpanish priests.

These pretty blossoms bloom from a relatively small tree, with the tree itself only growing to a height of 5-6 meters. However, they do have a tendency to grow as wide as they are tall!

With a sweet perfume, and even sweeter appearance, and a long bloom life (as long as you live in a warm climate, that is), you can bask in plumeria’s loveliness for months!

8. Heliconia

Yes, we’re talking about lobster-claws.

Not really, but they sure do look like them!

Heliconia, otherwise known as lobster-claws, actually comes with quite an interesting, God-like backstory, if you will.

Named after theGreek Mount Helikon, where the Museslived, these tropical treasures symbolize beauty and youth, for they always remained fresh.

The moral of the story is if you want to stay young and beautiful, buy yourself a heliconia. And that’s the Gospel Truth(insert shameless Disney plug here).

Heliconia originates from Central and South America but is now found planted in tropics all around the world.

7. Blue Passion Flower

Blue Beauty Alert!

ThePassiflora caeruleaor blue passion flower is said to have been first discovered in Peru, where it was then formally presented to Pope Paul V by the Spanish Jesuits.

If you’re looking forsymbolism, the blue passion flower is officially up to bat.

16th-century scholar Giacomo Bosio described the passion flower as“La Flor de las cinco Llagas,”meaning theflower with the five wounds.Many believe that this unique bloom was used as a symbolic teaching tool in the quest to convert the native Indians of Peru to Christianity. Let’s break it down just a bit:

• 5 petals and 5 sepals = 10faithfulapostles (minus Judas and Peter)
• Tips of the leaves = The point of the centurion’s spear
• Central flower column = The pillar of the scourging
• It’s tendrils = The whips used in the flagellation

• Corona filaments = Christ’s crown of thorns

• Three stigmas = The nails
• Five anthers= The five sacred wounds
• Red-ish stains = The blood of Christ

Now that’s what we call some good ol’ fashioned symbolism!

Fun Fact:The Passion Flower has quite ahigh medicinal value,and can aid in ailments such as headaches, cramps, and anxiety.

6. Lily of the Valley

We don’t know about you, but when we think oflily of the valley, we picture Julie Andrews as Maria frolicking through the hills and valleys of Germany in the Sound of Music.If you were to guess the backstory behind these tiny, delicate blossoms, you would assume it would be quite a sweet one, right?

Wrong.

We’re talkingblood and tears.

The lily of the valley’s history is deeply rootedin the Christian religion, wherein it symbolizes purity and humility. (Perhaps why we see many brides utilizing these little blooms in theirwedding bouquets!) Kate Middleton, we’re talking to you!

The Bible actually mentions lily of the valley 15 times. It is commonly referred to as ‘Mary’s Tears’or‘Our Lady’s Tears,’as the plant originates from the place where Mary’s tears fell to the ground upon the crucifixion of Jesus.

As these blossoms are springtime bloomers, they have also come to represent thereturning of Christ.

Now let us transport you all the way back to 6th century England, West Sussex, to be exact, where the blood of a French saint and martyr known asSt. Leonardsplattered onto the ground as he valiantly fought and defeated adragon.Legend has it that God made it so that white lilies of the valley would bloom wherever the Saint’s blood fell, and even to this day, the floor of St. Leonard’s forest remains a blanket of white.

Lily of the valley are also extremely poisonous and can cause death in children or pets.

Fun Fact: Despite being extremely poisonous,as a favorite for royal brides, (Queen Victoria, Princess Astrid of Sweden, Grace Kelly, and the duch*ess of Cambridge), these bell-shaped buds are a “must have for any elegant bride”, according to Carriage House of Flowers, a local florist in Columbus, Ohio.

5. Lotus

Oh, such a magical dream indeed!

Lotus flowersare one of the treasured wonders of the Eastern world. In Hinduism and Buddhism, lotus’ are considered the mostsacredflower of all.

EvenHieroglyphicsfrom Ancient Egypt show this mystical flower alongsidepriests and pharaohs.

Treasured statues of Buddhist monks often include these ancient blooms in their structure as well.

Associated withgods and goddessesby the Vietnamese, it’s pretty clear this transcendental blossom means business.

Not to mention that there is quite a bit of mystery surrounding these blooms, particularly regarding its survival.

The lotus flower is, in fact, aliving fossil,with their existence stretching back approximately 145.5 million years. Which means, yes, they did survive theIce Age.

We’ve got adinosauron our hands, ladies and gents.

Lotus flowers primarily appear in wetlands and usually grow in mud, but adapt quite quickly to their local environments. As long as their roots remain in either water or mud, they can survive(even underneath ice).

Fun Fact:Lotus flowers are known to be resistant to pollution and can even purify the water they are growing in.

4. Bird of Paradise

It’s a bird, it’s a flower, it’s abird of paradise— otherwise known as the very definition of an exotic flower.

Originally from South America, these eccentric tropicals were brought to western attention in the late1700s.

Alright, we know there’s a lot going on here, so let’s break this bloom down a bit.

• The flower itself is a group of bright blue petals with fluorescent, upright orange sepals.
• The blue petals are filled with sugar water (and lots of it).
• The red and green bracts, or spathe, underneath the flower can contain up to 6 buds, and of course, resembles the head of a bird.

Bird of paradise was originally brought to Kew Gardens in England in 1773 bySir Joseph Banks, a well known British botanist, and are the emblem of theSouth African National Biodiversity Institute. They also appear on the South African50 cent coin, on the coat of arms of the Providence ofKwaZulu-Natal, were chosen as the floral emblem ofLos Angeles, California, and are the emblem Aloha Air Cargo ofHawaii.

Talk about fame!

Want to see bird of paradise in real-time? Check out this stunning arrangement by Select Flowers, a Lovingly affiliated florist.

3. Amaryllis

If you don’t flood your house withamaryllisduring the winter, well, you should, we’ll leave it at that.

Who wouldn’t want these bigbeautiful blooms brightening up the dull despair of winter?

Native to the tropical regions ofSouth Africa, its bulbs range from 2-5 inches in diameter and, depending on the species, will bloom 2-15 large flowers each. They come in plenty of colors, including:

• pink
• white
• salmon
• orange
• rose
• various bi-colors

Now, brace yourselves for some moreGreek lore!

Legend has it, a shy maiden named Amaryllisfell in love with a shepherd by the name ofAlteo,who was graced with the strength ofHerculesand the beauty ofApollo.

Amaryllis, obviously head over heels for Alteo (who wouldn’t be?), dressed in white and patiently waited outside Alteo’s door for 30 nights. Alteofell in lovewith her the moment he discovered her outside his door, surrounded bybeautiful amaryllis flowers.

And so, amaryllis became a symbol ofstrength,determination, and etherealbeauty.

2. Protea

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow us to introduce you toSouth Africa’s national flower —the beautifully talented, and multi-purposefulprotea!(We know you’ve probably seen these beauties, just let us have this one).

This tropical wonder has a history dating back300 million yearsand is actually considered one of the oldest families of blossoms one can find on Earth today.

Studies show that protea is a genus originating from the continent ofGondwana. Scientists have theorized that the reason this genus has spread to all different sides of the planet is because of thesplitting of the continent.

And of course, we’ve got moreGreek mythologyfor you. Who would have guessed?

The name protea is taken fromProteus, son ofPoseidon, who is believed to have been ashape-shifter. This makes sense, as with 1,500 species, proteas clearly come in many different shapes and sizes!

These divergent tropicals symbolize diversity, courage, and transformation, meaning they are the perfect quirky, uniquegift to send!

1. Anthurium

If you’ve ever seenanthuriumin person, or happen to have any planted in your garden, we don’t have to tell you how incredibly unique and beautiful these blooms are.

These enticingly odd tropicals first sprung up in the rainforests ofSouth America, where they remained for hundreds of centuries.

In 1889, son of two missionaries,Samuel Damon, brought one species of anthurium over to the great land ofHawaii. Quite the well-established man, and by well-established, we mean acertified billionaire, his planting of anthurium in his gardens throughout his estate introduced them to those who could admire their beauty, and who then began growing them themselves.

And so anthurium’srise to stardombegan.

Alongside its popularity, this heart-shaped bloom has become a symbol of hospitality, good luck, protection, happiness, and wealth.

They’re also a fan-favorite in many tropical weddings.