The world of flowers is intriguing indeed! Colorful, fragrant, showy; flowers are not only pretty but also contribute to improving the mood. Several flowers are also tied to meanings and symbolize emotions like happiness, grief, love, admiration, innocence, etc. Flowers are also one of the most popular gifts worldwide. With so many options available to pick from the array of flowers, here are some interesting facts about flowers that start with w.
1. Wallflower
Scientific Name: Erysimum cheiri
Place of origin: Southern Europe
Wallflowers belong to the genus Erysimum and include almost 180 species of plants. Though they belong to the mustard family, their habit of growing from narrow cracks in walls has earned them the name. Wallflowers mostly grow in the northern hemisphere and have attractive four-petaled flowers. Wallflowers come in a range of pretty colors and are often grown extensively for their ornamental look. Western wallflower, a wild-growing, tall perennial grows in the open woods, sandy hills, and the prairies in North America.
Sweet smelling and colorful, wallflowers of many varieties are often grown by gardeners to add a dash of color to their containers. Mostly blooming in shades of yellow and orange, wallflowers are an easy growing option in spring for rock gardens and sunny gardens.
2.Water Lily
Scientific name: Nymphaea
Place of origin: Temperate and tropical regions
As the name suggests, water lilies grow in freshwater habitats like streams, ponds, and lakes. These aquatic plants have waxy leaves called lily pads which float on water. Water lilies are rooted to the muddy bottom of their aquatic habitat. Underwater stems provide support to long stalks on which flowers bloom. One stalk holds a single flower. Water lilies bloom in different colors. They can be found in shades of purple, white, red, pink, yellow, and orange. Water lilies are beautiful flowers with multiple layered petals that open up in the shape of a bowl. Water lilies are popular plants grown in landscape ponds and other water features for their ornamental flowers, and evergreen characteristics.
3.Wax Plant
Scientific name: Hoya carnosa
Place of origin: Eastern Asia and parts of Australia
Also known as porcelainflower, wax plants belong to the Asclepiadoideae species of the dogbane family. Wax plants are grown as common houseplants for their showy, mildly fragrant cluster of blooms, and green waxy foliage. Wax plants are evergreen vines that grow well in pots when placed in sunny corners. These perennials also make lovely flowering plant options for hanging baskets. Some of the Hoya species can also grow on rocks. The star-shaped, small, waxy, stiff flowers blossom on clusters. They bloom mostly in shades of pink and white during spring and summer.
4. Watsonia
Scientific name: Watsonia borbonica
Place of origin: South Africa
Watsonia, also known as bugle lily or Bulbil bugle-lily, belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae. They are native to southern Africa. These perennial herbs grow from hardy bulbs and corms and produce spikes of ornamental flowers that stand erect. The plants may grow from 30 cm to 1.7 m depending on their variety. Most of the watsonia species are found in the mountains with moderate amounts of rainfall. Some watsonia species also grow in marshy areas and sandy flats.
The green leaves grow erect like swords. The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in summer from long stalks. Watsonia blossoms in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, and white. Watsonia plants need well-watered, nutrient-rich soil, and sunny corners to bloom. Watsonia is an attractive cut flower and lasts for several weeks.
5. Wild Rose
Scientific name: Rosa acicularis, Rosa arkansana (wWild prairie rose), Rosa canina (Dog rose)
Place of origin: Asia, Europe, America
Among the flowers that start with w, wild roses are one of the most popularly grown blossoms. Any wild-growing species of the rosa genus is called a wild rose. Exceptionally hardy, evergreen wild rose species can thrive in nature without any special care. Wild rose plants are bushy, prickly, and grow best in sunny patches, well-drained soil, in areas that have mild weather. Sweet-smelling, wild roses bloom in clusters and attract honeybees. Each flower usually consists of five petals. However, wild roses are cultivated in various varieties that may blossom with flowers having multiple sets of petals. Wild roses can be usually seen in shades of red, pink, and orange. Spring and summer are the blooming periods and flowers become scarce during fall through winter. Wild roses have been grown in gardens for centuries and add a medieval or classic country touch to a landscape garden.
Some popular wild rose species are
- Apple Rose – Rosa pomifera
- Austrian Copper – Rosa foetida bicolor
- Father Hugo – Rosa hugonis
- Wood’s Wild Rose – Rosa woodsii
- Lady Banks Rose – Rosa banksiae lutea
- Pasture Rose – Rosa carolina
- Sweetbriar – Rosa eglanteria
- Prairie Rose – Rosa setigera
- Red Rose of Lancaster – Rosa gallica officinalis
- Memorial Rose – Rosa wichuraiana
6. Witch Hazel
Scientific name: Hamamelis
Place of origin: North America, Japan
There are three species of witch hazel found in North America and they are often called winterbloom, or snapping hazel. Witch hazels are small deciduous shrubs or trees bearing fragrant flowers during winter. These plants like full sun and can grow without much care. The ember-yellow flowers with spidery, strap-like petals grow wild in woodland settings. They can thrive in gardens with well-drained, acidic soil, and ample sunlight.
7. Wisteria
Scientific name: Wisteria
Place of origin: China, Japan, Canada, Eastern United States, Iran
Ten species of wisteria grow in different regions of the world. All are admired for their beautiful purple, lilac, blue, and pink flowers growing in playful, tapered, hanging clusters. All wisteria flowering plants belong to the legume or pea family, Fabaceae. It is one of the most delicate and dreamy-looking flowers among all flowers that start with w. For their graceful look, wisteria blooms have been connected to beauty, love, grace, and honor. The long-living plant also symbolizes longevity, endurance, harmony, and overcoming hardship.
8. Wishbone Flower
Scientific name: Torenia fournieri
Place of origin: Asia, Africa
The compact and versatile annual wishbone or bluewing flower belongs to the family Linderniaceae. These blooms symbolize happiness and charm. These plants grow in partially sunny to shadier areas in the garden and flower from spring through summer in frost-free climates. Wishbone flowers are easy to grow and often planted for their charming, vivid blue-purple, lavender, pink, rose, and white color. These two-lipped flowers are heart-shaped and look like open-faced snapdragons in a trumpet shape with visible markings on the petals. The flowers can be found in shades of blue, purple, pink, white, and yellow.
There are several varieties of wishbone flowers, the most common being
- Catalina White Linen
- Clown mix
- Moon yellow
- Kauai Rose
- Moon Purple
- Summer wave
9. Wand flower
Scientific name: Gaura lindheimeri
Origin: North America
Graceful and long-blooming, wand flower or gaura is a perennial plant. It produces bushy, vase-shaped flowers and has longish, spoon-shaped, toothed leaves on thin, soft, wand-like stems. The flowers are four-petaled, often white with a pink tinge. Also known as ‘whirling white butterfly bush’, some varieties of wand flowers bloom in shades of red, orange, and pink. Blooming in spring till autumn, these light, and airy flowers can add a cheerful and delicate look to flowerbeds. Wand flower plants grow well in well-drained, fertile soil, in sunny patches.
Some varieties of wand flower/gaura are
- Corrie’s Gold
- Crimson Butterflies
- Passionate Rainbow
- Siskiyou Pink
- Sparkle White
10. Wood Lily
Scientific name: Lilium philadelphicum
Origin: North America
Wood lily is known by several other names like Philadelphia lily, prairie lily, orange lily, Southern red lily, and western red lily. It is a perennial species that produces upright, cup-shaped, or funnel-shaped flowers. Wood lilies are found in shades of red, and orange with visible purple-brown spots. Wood lilies are known for their food and medicinal value.
Source11. Winged Monkey-Flower
Scientific name: Mimulus alatus
Origin: North America
Not all flowers that start with w are grown for ornamental purposes in gardens. Winged monkey flowering plants are wild-growing, herbaceous perennials that produce tiny, pale blue and yellow flowers. The flowers get their name from their resemblance to a whimsical monkey’s face. These wildflowers grow in tidal marshes, river banks, on the edges of lakes and wetlands habitats.
12. Wood Anemone
Scientific name: Anemonoides nemorosa
Origin: Europe
Wood anemone flowering plants from the buttercup family are also known as smell fox, windflower, and thimbleweed. The leaves of these perennial, herbaceous plants have a typical musky smell. Wood anemones are usually white but also blossom in shades of pink, blue, or lilac with interesting darker patterns on the edges of the petals. These pretty spring flowers grow wild in the woods and are often planted in gardens, graveyards, and parks.
13. Winter Jasmine
Scientific name: Jasminum nudiflorum
Origin: China
Although the name consists of jasmine, winter jasmine is a flower without any remarkable fragrance unlike other varieties of jasmine. Winter jasmine is a deciduous perennial and the vine belongs to the olive family. Native to China, winter jasmine was introduced in the United States and France. This moderate-growing plant can reach up to four feet in height and spread wide to up to seven feet when allowed to grow horizontally without support.
In winter, plentiful yellow blooms fill the branches. Among flowers that start with w, winter jasmine is one of the flowering plants that blossom even during peak winters adding color to gardens. Winter jasmine grows well in full sun and can also grow as an indoor, climbing vine.
14. Wax Begonia
Scientific Name: Semperflorens Cultorum Group
Origin: South America
Wax begonias are popular houseplants with waxy leaves and pretty pink flowers. The leaves are often green, bronze, and purplish-brown. These plants with fleshy stems have a compact fibrous-root system. The loose cluster of flowers blooms periodically from summer till fall. These plants make good potted indoor plants and excellent bedding plants for seasonal display.
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