What is the national flower of Greece? Why was it chosen?

I am making a blog about flowers around the world.





Easy 10pts to whom ever can provide me with a picture link and historic details.





Thanks :)

What is the national flower of Greece? Why was it chosen?
I am not sure if Greece has a national flower but Cyprus has one for sure. It's the Cyclamen, this flower can grow and bloom on a rock and because of its strength and its capability to survive it was chosen as a symbol for the millions of years of Greek existence in Cyprus, an existence which usually was under harsh conditions.


The Greeks in Cyprus continue to bloom just like the Cyprus Cyclamen baby!





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen_cy...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen





http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/fd/fd.nsf/a5e0...





http://www.kontoyiannis-house-cyprus.com...











Edit: I agree with Marcus. Greece has national leafs and those are the leafs of laurel and the leafs of the olive tree.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Em...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Coat_...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne
Reply:There is no national flower as such. However, the national coat of arms is surrounded by laurels.
Reply:For me,it is the Chalkidice moonflower and the honeysuckle.


I've grown up taking care of and arranging these beautiful flowers in my summer home.
Reply:They do not have one....not a national flower
Reply:The Greek national flower, well weed actually, is γιαδουραγκαθο. Unfortunately I do not know the English word.
Reply:Greece doesn't have a national flower I would now I m greek
Reply:isn't it the anemone? Because it's from there.
Reply:It is said that the violet is the National flower of Greece


Read this - may be the reason wht the violet is condsidered the national flower





http://www.americanvioletsociety.org/His...





Here's a pic


http://www.geocities.com/pelionature/Vio...


Violets growing on Pelion
Reply:Hmm, I did not know we have a National flower.


Violet is very nice, as it is one of my Very favorites, commonly called in Greece Menexes or official name: Ion to Evosmon(good smelling violet). My grandmother used to tell me that we call them Forget-me-Nots (Mi me lismoni) and that's the meaning when offered to someone. We always had them in the garden. They used to be sold in Athens at corners in winter, by poor women or kids. Even 4 years ago down town.


There is also an old nostalgic song about Menexethes.


Flowers used in cooking and the honey from its flowers is popular.


http://www.ontariowildflower.com/images/...





Kimon, I like Gaithouragatho too! Milk Thistle in English, good for liver and food poisoning. My grandmother again pointed out the beauty of the flower of this thorny weed. Gaithouragatho means Donkey thorn and it is eaten by donkeys. (tends to be used also as to have the meaning of beautiful but poor, or meaning that someone is a Beautiful Thorn, or to mean that someone gave such quality flowers as wild thorns)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_thistl...
Reply:I agree with some of the previous answerers, Greece hasn't got a national flower...


I found a similar question in Y!A, here's the best answer: "The national plant of Greece is the olive since the ancient years. For what concerns a national flower I do not think it exists. Flowers there are a lot but to have been characterized as national I do not think so."


And here's another one, stating: "I've seen conflicting info. Some say Greece doesn't have a flower or a bird. Some say it's flowers are Violet, and Laurel"





And from WikiAnswers:


"Truth is Greece has no set national flower or bird......While the most famous varieties of flora in the Greek nation are the 'violet', 'laurel', and the 'Bear's breech', none have been adopted as the national flower"





Hope I've helped...Good luck with your blog!





EDIT: To those wondering what a Bear's breech is, here's a website with some info:


http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/A...





And here's a laurel and an olive tree:


http://www.montalbano.toscana.it/immagin...


http://mgonline.com/laurusnobilis05.jpg
Reply:Anis
Reply:that would be violets


or


olive trees~
Reply:Yeah. Laurel should be it.