Yes, pink and white daisies are pretty but for a little variety, scroll down 
Let’s rack our brains here and think of the many things that are synonymous with Malaysia: durians, ‘Mamak’ restaurants, Ramly burgers, nasi lemak (yes, I’m aware of the constant mentioning of food-related items, I love food that much!) and palm oil? But did you know that Kenyir Lake alone is home to more than 8,000 different species of flowering plants? You can almost imagine the sheer number that our whole country might be host to. But for now, we’re only going to highlight three very sought-after flowers.
Gerberas
These brilliant-coloured blossoms are called Gerberas (pronounced as JUR-bras), and they belong to the daisy family. It was named in honour of the German naturalist Traugott Gerber, who was well-known for his extensive knowledge in botany. They don’t only make you want to embrace your inner-child; in Hollywood, their delicate florets are commonly used in ‘he loves me / he loves me not’ scenes. Funny, but true! These versatile flowers are available all-year round and they come in a miscellany of colours, such as red, orange, pink, yellow and white.
Lilies
(top left) Stargazer Lilies, (top right and bottom left) Oriental Lilies, (bottom right) Asiatic Lilies
The Stargazer is well-known for its intoxicating scent, hence why it is a commonly used ingredient in fragrances. These beauts are easy to grow and on top of that, they have a fast growth rate. Word of caution though, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASCPA), this plant is poisonous to cats (sorry Thomas!). The Oriental Lily isn’t too different from the Stargazer, it too has a biting scent and is available in an array of shades. The Asiatic Lily, also known as the Tiger Lily, is large, black-spotted, reddish-orange with reflexed petals and purplish bulbils in the leaf axils. Here’s an interesting fact: most parts of this plant are edible, but again, bear in mind that it has harmful effects on cats. Many believe that this flower stands for wealth and prosperity (we all can use some of that in this recession).
Orchids
800 species, that’s how many species of orchids Malaysia plays host to. This flower is so universally liked that even our beloved former first lady, Datin Seri Endon couldn’t have enough of them. In fact, the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) even specially bred the Mokara Datin Seri Endon and presented it to her in May 2005. This exquisite flower is especially prolific in tropical regions.
All this talk about flowers is making me want to go out and pick some. Ta!
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