Last updated on May 8th, 2022 at 12:30 am
Flowers not only look beautiful but are good for the environment and mental health. Flowers are said to uplift the mood, reduce stress, and increase positive energy. Having fresh flowers around the home can be a mood booster and is one of the best ways to include colors in a home. Flowers are also connected to emotions and are said to heal and strengthen relationships. The language of flowers or Floriography has been developed over the centuries. The same is used when meaningful flower arrangements are sent to people to express feelings like love, friendship, grief, hope, and good luck. Communication with flowers has been practiced traditionally for thousands of years throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa.
With the myriad benefits of flowers to enjoy, here are some interesting facts about flowers that start with R.
1.Rose
Scientific name: Rosa
Origin: Asia, Europe, North America
When listing flowers that start with R, rose is the first name that comes to mind. Roses are perennial shrubs that include about 100 species from the family Rosaceae. Roses thrive best in temperate regions and a wide variety of roses are cultivated for their fragrant, showy flowers. Roses bloom in a wide range of colors including shades of red, yellow, orange, pink, and white. Most rose varieties have a delightful fragrance. Depending on their variety, roses can grow erect, as climbers, or trailing shrubs. Most varieties have thorny stems.
In the language of flowers, roses symbolize different things depending on their colors. A red rose in bloom signifies romance, beauty, and courage. Yellow roses stand for friendship, happiness, and new beginnings. Orange roses mean desire, admiration, and sensuality.
2.Red hot poker
Scientific name: Kniphofia
Origin: Africa
Also known as torch lilies, red hot pokers are a species of flowering plants that belong to the family Asphodelaceae. The red hot poker gets its name from the vibrant red, orange, yellow color and the shape of its flowers. The flowers grow on dense erect spikes and create an eye-catching display of colors. The color of red hot pokers changes as the bloom matures. The buds have the deepest shades and the color lightens as the flowers bloom.
Depending on their variety, these beautiful flowers bloom from late spring to early fall and bloom best in full sun. These hardy plants are easy to grow and should be planted in moist, well-drained soil. Dwarf varieties, like the ‘Little Maid’, can also be grown in containers as houseplants to add a splash of color indoors.
3.Rain Lily
Scientific name: Zephyranthes
Origin: North America, Central South America
Rain lilies, also known as rainflower, magic lily, fairy lily, zephyr lily, and Atamasco lily are tropical wildflowers. These flowers tend to bloom profusely after rainfall. And thus the name ‘Rain lily’. Several species of rain lilies bloom in different shades of yellow, pink, and white.
Mostly the flowers bloom on erect stalks that support a single flower each. These funnel-shaped flowers usually have six petals and look like crocus. Each flower lasts only a few days. Some varieties have a mild, sweet scent. The grassy foliage is bright green and often cannot be recognized when growing in grassy patches in the wild. When growing in pots or outdoor gardens, lilies thrive best in well-drained soil and bright sunlight. Gardeners often plant rain lilies to fill empty garden patches as they require minimal care, survive long, and produce bright flowers usually after rains.
Some common varieties of rain lilies are
- Apricot Queen
- Bangkok Peach
- Beni Tama
- Big Dude
- La Buffa Rosea
- Prairie Sunset
- Rose Perfection
- Star of Bethlehem
- Fedora
- Lily Pies
- Midas Touch
4.Rockrose
Scientific name: Cistus
Origin: Mediterranean Countries
Rockrose is a genus of evergreen shrubs. About twenty species of rockroses grow in the Mediterranean and a few more are cultivated in North America. Not all flowers that start with R are as popular as roses but they are grown for their ornamental look. These hardy plants produce delicate, papery, aromatic flowers, dense green foliage.
Rockroses bloom in shades of white, pink, and yellow depending on the species. These ornamental flowers make great additions to rock gardens, and for controlling erosion from bare garden patches. These shrubs make wonderful flowering plant choices for their cheerful, and colorful look. Fragrant flowers start to blossom in late spring and continue to bloom till late summer. Extremely easy to grow, rockroses can even thrive in poor quality soil that may not support other flowering plants.
5.Rhododendron
Scientific name: Rhododendron ferrugineum
Origin: Asia, North America
Rhododendron is a genus of woody plants of about a thousand species. These flowering plants can grow up to different heights depending on their species and may be evergreen or deciduous. Rhododendron plants grow in sunny areas, have glossy leaves, and bear showy bunches of flowers. Several rhododendron varieties are grown for ornamental purposes. The flowers may or may not be fragrant. Rhododendron flowers are usually funnel-shaped and blossom in a wide range of shades of red, yellow, pink, purple, white, and blue.
In the language of flowers, rhododendron symbolizes light and warmth due to its sunny growing conditions. It is connected to good vibes, positive thoughts, energy, serenity, love, and appreciation. Various colors of rhododendron are connected to different emotions in different countries. Rhododendrons are among the popular flowers that start with R and are often given as gifts.
6.Rondeletia
Scientific name: Rondeletia odorata
Origin: Central America
Rondeletia is a genus of evergreen flowering plants belonging to the family Rubiaceae. There are more than 150 species of Rondeletia which may be shrubs or trees. Many of them are grown as ornamental plants. Most of the species bear red and orange flowers in different shades. The fragrant flowers bloom in flat-topped inflorescence and grow in clusters. Each flower has four to five brightly colored petals with a yellow throat. These flowers attract a variety of birds and butterflies to gardens.
7.Russian Sage
Scientific name: Perovskia atriplicifolia/Salvia yangii
Origin: Southwestern and Central Asia
Russian sage, a herbaceous perennial is admired for its fragrant, silvery gray foliage and its beautiful lavender-purple and blue flowers on erect stems. The flowers bloom in abundant, spiky clusters starting from late spring till fall. During the flowering season, the leaves are almost obscured by the dense flush of flowers. Russian sage is an excellent choice for ground cover in open garden patches.
8.Rattail Cactus
Scientific name: Disocactus flagelliformis (L.) Barthlott/Aporocactus flabelliform
Origin: Central America
Rattail cactus is a flowering cactus from the family Cactaceae, genus Aporocactus. It is often grown as an ornamental house plant in pots and baskets for its ease of care and maintenance and pretty floral display.
The plant produces several slender, moplike, hanging stems. It can also be trained into different shapes as the branches are flexible and long. The stems of the rattail cactus are dark green when the plant is young and gradually turn beige with maturity. The stems are covered with tiny reddish-yellow hairy spines. The plant produces tubular flowers in shades of pink, red, and orange. If provided with the proper environment, this cactus cornflower profusely. Rattail cactus can be grown indoors as well as outside and flowers usually appear in spring and summer. In its wild habitat, rattail cactus does not grow on soil but host trees, crevasses of rocky landmasses, and or on the surface of the soil.
9.Ranunculus
Scientific name: Ranunculus
Origin: Central Asia, Europe
Also known as buttercup, Ranunculus is a genus consisting of almost six hundred species. These flowering plants belong to the family Ranunculaceae. The word Ranunculus means ‘little frog’. That refers to the plant’s wetland habitat. Some other members of this genus are spearworts and water crowfoots.
This bulbous perennial is widely grown in gardens for its showy, elegant flowers. The flowers bloom in a variety of colors in spring and brighten up gardens. Easy to grow and maintain, buttercups like partially shady areas. Buttercups are a popular courting flower. These delicate flowers are also a popular choice for wedding bouquets and personal floral arrangements. The flowers have a shiny, waxy texture with the petals loosely arranged in several layers. The ranunculus flower represents charm, attraction, timidity.
10.Rocktrumpet
Scientific name: Mandevilla
Origin: North America, Central America, the West Indies, South America
Also known as Dipladenia, rocktrumpet flowers bloom in shades of pink, and white in early summer. The funnel-shaped flowers grow semi-woody evergreen vines. Tocktrumpets bloom profusely when exposed to full sun or partial shade.
They thrive well in warm tropical, humid weather. Mostly grown as outdoor ornamental annuals, the trumpet-shaped flowers consist of five broad petals flaring out from a tube-like throat. These flowers do not have any notable scent but are bright and beautiful. These climbing vines are often used for covering trellises, fences, and to cover arbors. Growing conditions include well-drained and fertile soil.
11.Rock cress
Scientific name: Arabis sp. and Boechera sp.
Origin: Africa
There are 120 species of rock cess belonging to the mustard family, Brassicaceae. These flowering plants grow throughout the northern hemisphere in different shapes and colors. These tiny herbs blossom in shades of pink, white, and purple in early spring through summer. The flowers are four-petaled and are often grown in sunny, rock gardens and rough terrains. Rock cesses are sometimes considered a weed but many people grow them as ornamental plants with thick green foliage.
