Philippines and its Exotic Flowers

Philippines is one of the most wonderful countries in the world, known for its beautiful tourist spots, beautiful people, and of course, beautiful flowers. Several unique species of flowers can only be found in the Philippines. These exotic flowers grow almost anywhere in the hot and moist atmosphere of the country. From well-trimmed hedges to the natural setting of the countryside, vacant lots smack in the middle of the metropolis.

One of the unique kinds of flower found in the Philippines is the sampaguita. It is known to be the national flower of the country because of its popularity among the natives and its deep involvement in the culture and tradition of the people. Its English name is ‘Arabian Jasmine’ while ‘jasminum sambac’ is its botanical term. This species of jasmine with small, white, heavily-scented flowers is a native in South Asia, specifically in Southeast Asia. This flower is so popular because of its distinct fragrance known by every Filipino. As a matter of fact, it is being sold on streets, stringed together like a necklace used as a cheap car air freshener or as a tribute to the statues of saints in Churches and in homes. It grows almost anywhere and does not need a lot of fussing.



Hibiscus or rosemallow is another exotic flower locally known as the gumamela. This popular ornamental plant has a brightly-colored, five-petal blooms in red, yellow, pink, purple, white, orange, and various other combinations. Aside from being an ornamental plant, it is also used as a medicinal plant. Its flowers and leaves are used as a treat for coughs, fever, dysentery, UTI, headaches, swelling, bronchitis, high blood and other common illness.



Another distinctive flower found in the country is the ylang-ylang. This kind however has a small, greenish yellow flower which has petals that extend like a starfish. Its name is derived from two Tagalog words---ilang or ‘wilderness’, and ilang-ilan, or ‘rare’. This flower is widely known for its essential oils used in aromatherapy, lowering blood pressure, treating skin problems and as an aphrodisiac.



There are nearly thousands of other unique flowers that serve to highlight the breathtaking beauty of the Philippines. Sampaguita, gumamela and ylang-ylang are just some of those kinds. Truly these exotic flowers in the Philippines are some of the best and most captivating in the world.