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Phool

🇲🇽 The flowers of Mexico

159 pages from Mexico: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 28 cities and regions.

Mexico is home to one of the richest collections of flowering plants in the world, shaped by its varied climates and landscapes. Its flora stands out for its diversity, with many species found nowhere else. The country is especially known for its cacti, agaves, and the dahlia, which is its national flower.

  • Mexico ranks fifth in the world for natural biodiversity.
  • It has the most species of cacti worldwide.
  • The dahlia is Mexico’s national flower.
  • Many Mexican flowering plants are found nowhere else.

The plant life of Mexico

Mexico’s plant life is among the most diverse on the planet, thanks to its wide range of climates and terrain. From deserts to rainforests, the country supports a huge number of flowering plants. Its position between North and Central America allows species from both regions to mix, while mountains and valleys create unique habitats. This has led to a high number of plants that grow only in Mexico. The country’s flora includes everything from towering trees to tiny wildflowers, and it is especially rich in cacti and succulents.

From region to region in Mexico

Flora changes sharply from region to region. The north is dominated by deserts and semi-arid lands, where cacti and agaves thrive. Central Mexico has temperate forests with oaks and pines, while the south and southeast are home to lush tropical forests full of orchids and other flowering plants. Coastal areas support mangroves and palms. Mountain ranges create pockets of unique plant life, with many endemics found only at certain elevations.

Flowers to know in Mexico

Mexico is famous for its cacti, with more species than any other country. The dahlia, native to the mountains of central Mexico, is the national flower. Agaves, used for making tequila and mezcal, are also iconic. The country is home to many orchids and unique wildflowers, and its forests shelter rare trees found nowhere else.

Threats and protection in Mexico

Mexico’s plant diversity faces threats from habitat loss, agriculture, and urban growth. Many species are rare or endangered, especially those with small ranges. The country has set up protected areas and reserves to help conserve its unique flora, but ongoing efforts are needed to safeguard these plants for the future.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Mexico", 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 Mexico

All 5
🇲🇽 Atlixco · OctoberCempasúchil fields around AtlixcoFields of orange Mexican marigold below the Popocatépetl volcano, grown for the Day of the Dead and cut in late October. 🇲🇽 Mexico City · All yearThe plant markets and flower farms of XochimilcoThe canal district in the south of Mexico City whose name means place of the flower fields, and which still grows them. 🇲🇽 Mexico City · All yearMercado de Jamaica, Mexico City's flower marketA huge covered market open day and night, with more than a thousand stalls of cut flowers and finished arrangements. 🇲🇽 Oaxaca · Oct to NovBuilding a Day of the Dead altar in OaxacaBuy marigolds at the market and help dress an ofrenda, the home altar that welcomes the dead in early November. 🇲🇽 Mexico City · Mar to AprJacaranda season in Mexico CityFrom late February into April, jacaranda trees turn the avenues and parks of Mexico City violet.

Cities and regions of Mexico

Mexico City 4Puebla 4Veracruz 3Guerrero 2Michoacán 2Oaxaca 2Yucatán 2Chiapa de Corzo 1Chiapas 1Chihuahua 1Guadalupe Island 1Guanajuato 1Jalisco 1Northern Mexico 1Oaxaca City 1Puerto Vallarta 1Querétaro 1Quintana Roo 1San Luis Potosí 1San Salvador Huixcolotla 1Sierra Gorda 1Sonora 1Teotihuacan 1Toluca 1Villa Guerrero 1Xalapa 1Xilitla 1Zacatlán 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
Sulphur cosmosCosmos sulphureus A tall annual with yellow, orange, or red daisy-like blooms 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Datura innoxia A white-flowered night-blooming plant with spiny fruit and toxic parts 🇨🇺 Cuba and 4 more · Wildflower Mexican twistLophospermum erubescens A pink and white climbing flower from Mexico, grown as a garden ornamental 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Garden flower Mandevilla A tropical vine with large trumpet-shaped blooms in vivid colours 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 more · Climber Symphyotrichum A large group of North American asters with daisy-like flowers in many colours 🇺🇸 United States and 3 more · Wildflower BlanketflowerGaillardia A daisy-like wildflower with bold, blanket-patterned blooms 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 more · Wildflower SaguaroCarnegiea gigantea The towering cactus of the Sonoran Desert with white flowers and red fruit 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower Dutchman's pipe cactusEpiphyllum oxypetalum A night-blooming cactus with large, fragrant white flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Cosmos Tall daisy-like flowers grown in gardens and meadows 🇺🇸 United States and 5 more · Wildflower Mexican flamevinePseudogynoxys chenopodioides A climbing vine with bright orange daisy-like flowers from Central and South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Climber Yellow oleanderCascabela thevetia A tropical shrub with funnel-shaped yellow flowers and toxic seeds 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering shrub Echinacea North American wildflower with a spiny cone and drooping petals 🇺🇸 United States and 2 more · Wildflower Decoration Christmas decoration Ornaments, wreaths, and festive displays for the Christmas season 🇩🇪 Germany and 7 more · Arrangement, Jan to Dec Place Vallarta Botanical GardensJardín Botánico de Vallarta A botanical garden and forest reserve near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Puerto Vallarta, 🇲🇽 Mexico · Botanical garden Eastern redbudCercis canadensis A North American tree with magenta-pink spring flowers and heart-shaped leaves 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Flowering tree Flowering dogwoodCornus florida A small tree with white, pink, or red bracts, native to eastern North America 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Flowering tree Encyclia Epiphytic orchids of the Americas with long-lasting flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico · 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 Cistanthe Small succulent wildflowers called pussypaws, found in the Americas 🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 more · Wildflower Pink trumpet treeHandroanthus impetiginosus A tall South American tree with pink trumpet-shaped flowers 🇵🇾 Paraguay and 4 more · Flowering tree FirewheelGaillardia pulchella A daisy-like wildflower with red, orange, and yellow petals 🇺🇸 United States and 5 more · Wildflower Pink evening primroseOenothera speciosa A pink wildflower that opens at night and spreads across open ground 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower Hesperocallis A desert plant with white funnel-shaped flowers and deep-set bulbs 🇲🇽 Mexico · Wildflower Birdcage evening primroseOenothera deltoides A desert primrose with white flowers and a cage-like skeleton 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower Castilleja Wildflowers with bright bracts known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 more · Wildflower Castilleja exserta A pink-purple wildflower and butterfly host from the American Southwest and Mexico 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower GoldfieldsLasthenia Small yellow wildflowers found in meadows and coastal areas 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 more · Wildflower Fuchsia Shrubs and small trees with pendulous, colourful flowers from the Americas and Pacific 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Giant white bird of paradiseStrelitzia nicolai A tall, banana-like plant with striking white and blue flowers 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 more · Wildflower Decoration Papel picado Mexican folk art banners made by cutting designs into colored tissue paper 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 more · Flower craft Tree marigoldTithonia diversifolia A tall yellow-orange flower grown wild and as green manure in many warm regions 🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Wildflower Pink trumpet-treeTabebuia rosea A tall tree with pink to purple trumpet-shaped flowers, seen in parks and streets 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering tree Zinnia Bright, long-stemmed flowers native to dry grasslands from the US to South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Place Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca A living collection of Oaxacan plants beside Santo Domingo in Oaxaca City Oaxaca City, 🇲🇽 Mexico · Botanical garden March LilyAmaryllis belladonna A pink-flowered bulb from South Africa that blooms on bare stems in late summer 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 more · Garden flower California poppyEschscholzia californica The golden-orange wildflower and state flower of California 🇺🇸 United States and 6 more · Wildflower Desert sand-verbenaAbronia villosa A low-growing wildflower with sweet-scented magenta blooms in sandy desert places 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower Ivy-leaved geraniumPelargonium peltatum A trailing plant with fleshy, lobed leaves and pale mauve to pink flowers 🇿🇦 South Africa and 7 more · Garden flower Soapweed yuccaYucca glauca A hardy, spiky-leaved yucca of the central North American plains 🇨🇦 Canada and 2 more · Wildflower Tufted evening-primroseOenothera cespitosa A night-blooming white flower of dry western North America 🇨🇦 Canada and 2 more · Wildflower Catasetum A genus of unusual, showy epiphytic orchids from the Americas 🇧🇷 Brazil and 7 more · Wildflower Tabebuia Tropical trees and shrubs grown for their large, showy blossoms 🇨🇺 Cuba and 5 more · Flowering tree Stanhopea Fragrant, short-lived orchids from Central and South America 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Amazon waterlilyNymphaea amazonum A night-blooming waterlily from Mexico to tropical South America 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 more · Wildflower Selenicereus Night-blooming climbing cacti with large, fragrant white flowers 🇲🇽 Mexico · Wildflower Hedgehog cactusEchinocereus Small ribbed cacti with bright flowers and edible fruit from the US and Mexico 🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Wildflower Sweetscented marigoldTagetes lucida A golden-flowered herb from Mexico with anise-scented leaves 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 more · Wildflower
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Photo credits on this page

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

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