The National Flower of Mexico - The Dahlia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339586)
Rockingham, Australia
February 19, 2017 6:06am CST
We recently visited a retirement village in Bunbury, Western Australia, after receiving several invitations to various 'open days'. Currently there are about nine units up for sale and we were able to look through these at our leisure. We were also shown through the various other facilities onsite and finally given a very nice morning tea.
There is a full-time gardener who has done a great job with the gardens. I was really impressed with the various dahlias that have been planted and couldn't help taking a photo of this stunning white one.
The dahlia is native to Mexico and was declared its national flower in 1963. The Aztecs used the tubers are a food source.
Dahlia blooms are classified according to their shape and petal structure. The one shown is, I think, a semi-cactus dahlia. Some of the other types are ball, pompom, collarette and cactus.
Do you know the national or state flower of your district or country?
32 people like this
32 responses
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Feb 17
my county is Lancashire, the Red Rose County - according to Shakespeare the war of the roses started when supporters of the house of Lancaster grabbed red roses in a garden to show their alliance to their cause and their Yorkist opponents grabbed white roses
6 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
19 Feb 17
@JudyEv the thorns give poets their inspiration, the love and beauty we can't have without risk of pain
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Feb 17
@arthurchappell That sounds logical. There is always an 'opposite' isn't there? You can't have a view without a climb uphill first.
2 people like this
@allknowing (136100)
• India
20 Feb 17
Dahlias need a particular climate which is not available where I live. I have had success with them a long time ago.
2 people like this
@allknowing (136100)
• India
20 Feb 17
@JudyEv My niece keeps telling me about her success with her dahlias in NSW
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Feb 17
@allknowing They are very popular I know and there are Dahlia Societies here and there.
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Feb 17
My mother was very proud of her English lilac as they were hard to grow in our town because of the frosts.
Do you remember the instrumental 'Orange Blossom Special'? I love that tune.
@dpk262006 (58676)
• Delhi, India
19 Feb 17
I didn't know about it. Thanks for sharing.
We get Daliya flowers in the months of December and January only (winter months).
I rate it as second best flower after rose.
National flower of India is lotus flower.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 17
@dpk262006 Thanks for that information. It is certainly a lovely flower.
@Tampa_girl7 (50205)
• United States
19 Feb 17
The Magnolia is Mississippi's flower
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50205)
• United States
20 Feb 17
@JudyEv I love the Magnolia Trees.
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16571)
• Ireland
19 Feb 17
this is an amazing picture, didn't realise you can eat it too
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 17
The national flower of England is the Red Rose and the county flower of Kent is the Hop!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Feb 17
I went looking for a hop flower and if you don't mind me saying it's a bit insipid. 
but I guess hops were/are very important to the economy of the county. WA's floral emblem is the red-and-green kangaroo paw which is much prettier. 
but I guess hops were/are very important to the economy of the county. WA's floral emblem is the red-and-green kangaroo paw which is much prettier. 1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 17
@JudyEv Yes I thought so too. How boring when the county is alive in the spring with cherry, apple and pear blossom. There is a blossom drive which will take you around the county on a really picturesque route taking in ancient villages. It is well worth doing!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Feb 17
@garymarsh6 Sounds magic. I don't think we'll get to England next visit unfortunately.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Feb 17
The state flower of California is the poppy.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Feb 17
@JohnRoberts That would be nice to see.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
20 Feb 17
@JudyEv Yes, the poppies grow wild. You see them along roads.
1 person likes this
@Samia786m (522)
• India
19 Feb 17
I am from india.And naional flower of india is rose.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Feb 17
@Samia786m @WriterAI So both your countries have the rose. England does too but it's a great choice.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
21 Feb 17
Our state flower is the red clover. Simple little bloom that grows wild.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
21 Feb 17
@JudyEv you can remove the petals and suck the sweet nectar from them. We did this when we were children.
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@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 17
@ElusiveButterfly Some of our common weeds you can do that with too.
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@snowy22315 (180469)
• United States
20 Feb 17
I didn't know that about Dahlias. I knew it was a flower..and the title of a movie and book too , The Black Dahlia,I think my grandmother may have grown them though..she was a big flower grower.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
19 Feb 17
Dahlia, huh? I've seen something that looks like that, but I've never heard of it.
2 people like this
@ichchhe_mrityu (1144)
• Bangalore, India
19 Feb 17
I did not know Dahlia is the National flower of Mexico.. In my small garden there are different varieties of Dahlia which bloomed few days back...
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339586)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Feb 17
They are lovely flowers. Do you have any photos of them?
