Flowers of Brazil: national flower, native flowers, gardens and flower customs

Brazil is home to more plant species than any other country, with about 55,000 recorded kinds and a third found nowhere else. Its vast area includes the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado savanna, Pantanal wetlands, and more. Orchids, the pau-brasil tree, and many edible fruits are especially notable in its flora.

The plant life of Brazil

Brazil’s plant life is unmatched in its diversity, with around 55,000 known species and about 30% of them unique to the country. The landscape ranges from dense rainforests and moist Atlantic woodlands to open savannas and wetlands. The Amazon, which covers much of Brazil, is a major center of global plant diversity. The Atlantic Forest and Cerrado also support a rich mix of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Wetlands like the Pantanal add even more variety. This range of habitats makes Brazil the world’s richest country for flowering plants.

From region to region in Brazil

Plant life in Brazil shifts with the land. The Amazon rainforest is dense and humid, filled with towering trees and countless undergrowth species. The Atlantic Forest, though much reduced, mixes moist and dry forests and even mangroves along the coast. The Cerrado is a savanna with a great variety of grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers. The Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, supports thousands of plant species. In the far north, nutrient-poor soils on tepui plateaus allow unusual carnivorous plants to thrive.

Flowers to know in Brazil

Among Brazil’s best-known plants is the pau-brasil, or brazilwood, once common along the Atlantic coast and the source of the country’s name. Overharvesting for its red dye nearly wiped it out. Orchids are found throughout the country, with hundreds of species from groups like Cattleya and Laelia. Monte Roraima, on the border with Venezuela, is famous for its insect-eating plants adapted to poor soils. Brazil also leads the world in native edible fruit species.

Threats and protection in Brazil

Brazil’s forests are under severe threat from logging, agriculture, and biofuel production. More than a fifth of the Amazon and almost all of the Atlantic Forest have been cleared, putting many plant species at risk. Conservation areas protect some forests, but habitat loss continues. The pau-brasil tree is a symbol of these threats, having been pushed close to extinction by overuse. Ongoing deforestation and expansion of crops like sugarcane for ethanol remain major challenges.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Wildlife of Brazil", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in Brazil

All 5

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro · All yearThe Jardim Botânico of Rio de JaneiroA botanic garden founded in 1808 at the foot of Corcovado, with an avenue of royal palms, an orchid house and giant waterlilies.

🇧🇷 Curitiba · All yearThe glasshouse and parterres of Curitiba's botanical gardenThe postcard view of Curitiba: a white metal and glass greenhouse above French-style flower beds and fountains. 🇧🇷 São Paulo · All yearThe CEAGESP flower fair in São PauloTwice a week before dawn, a hall of São Paulo's giant wholesale market fills with flowers and plants from across the state. 🇧🇷 Brasília · Jun to SepThe ipê trees of Brasília in the dry seasonIn the dry months, leafless ipê trees across Brasília flower in turn: pink and purple, then yellow, then white.

🇧🇷 Holambra · Aug to SepHolambra, Brazil's flower town, and its ExpofloraA small town founded by Dutch settlers that grows a large share of Brazil's flowers and holds a big flower fair each spring.

AmaranthAmaranthus A tall, colourful plant grown for its flowers, leaves and edible seeds 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

Sensitive PlantMimosa pudica A touch-sensitive plant whose leaves fold up when disturbed 🇧🇷 Brazil and 8 more · Wildflower

LupinLupinus Tall, spiky-flowered legumes grown for gardens, food, and soil health 🇺🇸 United States and 7 more · Wildflower

BromeliadsBromeliaceae A family of tropical flowering plants from the Americas, including the pineapple 🇨🇱 Chile and 7 more · Wildflower

AchioteBixa orellana Shrub with spiky red pods, source of the natural dye annatto 🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub

Eryngium A spiny-leaved plant with blue or white flower heads, grown in gardens and used in cooking 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower

VanillaVanilla planifolia The climbing orchid behind most of the world’s vanilla flavour 🇲🇽 Mexico and 8 more · Wildflower

Urn plantAechmea fasciata A pink-bracted bromeliad from Brazil, grown for its striking rosette and blue flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil · Wildflower

Parakeet flowerHeliconia psittacorum A tropical plant with upright red and yellow flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil and 6 more · Wildflower

Sinningia Tuberous flowering plants from Central and South America, grown for their bright blooms 🇧🇷 Brazil · Wildflower

Purpletop vervainVerbena bonariensis A tall South American perennial with clusters of purple flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower

Amazon waterlilyNymphaea amazonum A night-blooming waterlily from Mexico to tropical South America 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 more · Wildflower

Violetflower petuniaPetunia integrifolia A wild South American petunia with violet blooms 🇦🇷 Argentina and 4 more · Wildflower

Indian shotCanna indica A tall tropical plant with red or yellow flowers and starchy rhizomes 🇨🇴 Colombia and 8 more · Wildflower

Silver cock's combCelosia argentea A tropical annual with feathery, vivid flower spikes 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Garden flower

🇧🇷 The flowers of Brazil