Flower news
In bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodIndiaGardening Tips: Night-Blooming Jasmine to Gardenia, 5 Flowers to Plant Early for Blissful WintersIn bloomAftershock PC x Zotac Gaming Pops First Blooming Cherry Blossom DesktopIn bloomSeeds for spring blooms are available for freeGardensFalling glass and ‘decapitated’ plants: the race to protect Edinburgh botanic garden’s plantsGardensHow to create a vibrant cutting gardenIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama DesertIn bloomColorful wildflowers bloom across Chile's Atacama Desert in wake of 'super' El NiñoFloristryHoltschlag Florist and Frericks Gardens mergeGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodGardensNew York Botanical Garden event explores how crop diversity could shape the future of foodIndiaGardening Tips: Night-Blooming Jasmine to Gardenia, 5 Flowers to Plant Early for Blissful WintersIn bloomAftershock PC x Zotac Gaming Pops First Blooming Cherry Blossom Desktop
Phool

🇨🇴 The flowers of Colombia

45 pages from Colombia: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 15 cities and regions.

Colombia is home to over 32,000 plant species, with unmatched richness in orchids and endemic flowers. Its national flower is the orchid Cattleya trianae, and the Quindío wax palm stands as the national tree. The country's diverse climates and landscapes support the highest number of unique plant species in the world.

The plant life of Colombia

Colombia's plant life is among the richest on Earth, with about 10% of the world's species found within its borders. This diversity comes from a wide range of habitats, shaped by variations in altitude, climate, soil, and sunlight across coasts, mountains, and rainforests. The country is especially known for its orchids, holding more species than any other nation. Many plants are unique to Colombia, a result of its complex geography and isolated ecosystems.

From region to region in Colombia

Plant diversity in Colombia shifts with the landscape. The Amazon basin, Pacific coast, Catatumbo and Magdalena river basins are hotspots for unique species. High-altitude areas like the Andes support plants such as the Quindío wax palm, while lowland rainforests and coastal regions each harbor their own sets of endemic flowers and trees.

Flowers to know in Colombia

The orchid Cattleya trianae, named for a Colombian naturalist, is the national flower. The Quindío wax palm, found only in the Cocora Valley, is the national tree and the tallest monocot in the world. Colombia leads the globe in orchid species and has many unique genera and species, including the Inírida flower and a variety of endemic magnolias and palms.

Threats and protection in Colombia

Many Colombian trees are endangered, often due to logging for timber or use in industries like leather tanning. Endemic species are especially vulnerable because of their limited ranges. The Quindío wax palm was the first tree to be officially protected in Colombia. Conservation efforts focus on rare species and regions with high endemism.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of Colombia", 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 Colombia

All 5
🇨🇴 Bogotá · All yearThe dawn flower market at PaloquemaoAt first light, growers from the Bogotá savanna fill the forecourt of Paloquemao market with roses, lilies and sunflowers. 🇨🇴 Bogotá · All yearVisiting a flower farm on the Bogotá savannaA day trip to the greenhouse farms outside Bogotá, to see how export roses and carnations are grown, cut and packed. 🇨🇴 Medellín · All yearMaking a silleta with a grower family in Santa ElenaSpend half a day on a small flower farm above Medellín, hear the family's story and build a small silleta yourself. 🇨🇴 Medellín · All yearThe Orquideorama at Medellín's botanical gardenA city garden with free entry, known for a tall honeycomb canopy of wood and steel that shelters its orchid displays. 🇨🇴 Medellín · AugustThe silleteros parade at Medellín's Feria de las FloresEach August, flower growers from the hills carry huge arrangements on their backs through the streets of Medellín.

Cities and regions of Colombia

Medellín 3Boyacá 2Sibundoy Valley 2Bogotá 1Cartagena 1Cauca River valley 1Cundinamarca 1Fusagasugá 1Nariño 1Pacho 1Páramo de San Antonio 1Páramo de Tambillo 1Santa Elena 1Turbaco 1Vélez 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
KindWildflowerGarden flowerCut flowerFlowering treeFlowering shrubBulb flowerClimberOrchidWater flowerCactus or succulentAlpine flowerTropical flowerHerb or useful flower
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
BromeliadsBromeliaceae A family of tropical flowering plants from the Americas, including the pineapple 🇨🇱 Chile and 7 more · Wildflower Black-eyed Susan vineThunbergia alata A fast-growing climbing plant with bright flowers and a dark centre 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower Flamingo FlowerAnthurium andraeanum A tropical plant with heart-shaped leaves and vivid red or pink spathes 🇨🇴 Colombia and 2 more · Garden flower Browallia A small genus of blue and violet-flowered plants from the Americas 🇨🇴 Colombia and 3 more · Wildflower Heliopsis Bright yellow sunflower-like flowers of the Americas 🇺🇸 United States and 7 more · Wildflower San Pedro CactusEchinopsis pachanoi A tall, night-blooming cactus from the Andes with white, fragrant flowers 🇵🇪 Peru and 5 more · Wildflower VanillaVanilla planifolia The climbing orchid behind most of the world’s vanilla flavour 🇲🇽 Mexico and 8 more · Wildflower Mexican twistLophospermum erubescens A pink and white climbing flower from Mexico, grown as a garden ornamental 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Garden flower Garden heliotropeHeliotropium arborescens A bushy shrub with fragrant purple flower clusters from the Andes 🇧🇴 Bolivia and 3 more · Garden flower Mexican flamevinePseudogynoxys chenopodioides A climbing vine with bright orange daisy-like flowers from Central and South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Climber Cockleshell orchidProsthechea cochleata An orchid with shell-like flowers and a hooded lip 🇭🇳 Honduras and 3 more · Wildflower Masdevallia A large group of cool-growing orchids from the high Andes 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Wildflower Dracula A genus of orchids with strange, long-tailed flowers from Central and South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Wildflower NasturtiumTropaeolum majus A bright edible flower with round leaves and trailing stems 🇧🇴 Bolivia and 5 more · Garden flower Cattleya trianae The national orchid of Colombia with petals in the flag’s colours 🇨🇴 Colombia · Wildflower Fuchsia Shrubs and small trees with pendulous, colourful flowers from the Americas and Pacific 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Espeletia High-altitude daisy-like plants of the northern Andes páramo 🇨🇴 Colombia and 2 more · Wildflower Tulip orchidsAnguloa Large, cinnamon-scented orchids from the Andes with tulip-shaped blooms 🇻🇪 Venezuela and 4 more · Wildflower Parakeet flowerHeliconia psittacorum A tropical plant with upright red and yellow flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil and 6 more · Wildflower Heliconia rostrata A tropical plant with hanging red and yellow bracts, native to South America 🇧🇴 Bolivia and 7 more · Wildflower Stanhopea Fragrant, short-lived orchids from Central and South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Purpletop vervainVerbena bonariensis A tall South American perennial with clusters of purple flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Calathea Tropical houseplant with striking patterned leaves and folding foliage 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 more · Wildflower Heliconia bihai A tall tropical plant with upright, water-holding flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 more · Wildflower Tigridia pavonia A striking summer bulb with three-petalled blooms and bold central markings 🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Wildflower Tagetes tenuifolia A small yellow-flowered marigold from Mexico and Central America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 more · Wildflower Mammillaria A diverse group of small, rounded cacti with funnel-shaped flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Wildflower Pansy orchidMiltoniopsis An orchid with flowers that resemble garden pansies 🇨🇷 Costa Rica and 5 more · Orchid Fire star orchidEpidendrum radicans A bright orange orchid that roots along its whole stem 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Orchid Desfontainia A glossy-leaved shrub with red tubular flowers from southern forests 🇨🇱 Chile and 7 more · Flowering shrub MashuaTropaeolum tuberosum An Andean climbing plant with edible tubers and bright bi-coloured flowers 🇵🇪 Peru and 3 more · Climber AraguaneyHandroanthus chrysanthus Venezuela's national tree with brilliant yellow trumpet flowers 🇻🇪 Venezuela and 6 more · Flowering tree Curled OncidiumOncidium alexandrae A cool-growing Colombian orchid with crisped white or rose flowers 🇨🇴 Colombia · Orchid Cattleya warscewiczii The Colombian orchid with the largest flowers in its genus 🇨🇴 Colombia · Orchid Cattleya schroederae A fragrant Colombian orchid that blooms around Easter 🇨🇴 Colombia · Orchid Florist's daisyChrysanthemum × morifolium The many-petalled autumn bloom of gardens and floral shows 🇨🇳 China and 4 more · Garden flower Bifrenaria A genus of robust, fragrant orchids from South America 🇧🇷 Brazil and 6 more · Orchid Indian shotCanna indica A tall tropical plant with red or yellow flowers and starchy rhizomes 🇨🇴 Colombia and 8 more · Wildflower FrangipaniPlumeria rubra A fragrant tropical tree with pink, white and yellow flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Flowering tree

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly bunch

Every Monday: what is in bloom, the flower festivals of the week, seven flowers you may not know and one tradition explained.