Flowers
Collection Items
Snake's Head Fritillary
native to the Netherlands, native to Belgium before going extinct in 1899, grows in grasslands in damp soils, river meadows
True Forget-Me-Not
origins in Europe and Asia, grows in bogs and wet places, beside streams and rivers
Grape Hyacinth
origins in the Eastern Mediterranean, appeared in European gardens in 1871 (see the "Blue River" in the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands)
Lily of the Valley
native to much of Europe but avoiding the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions, highly poisonous and frequently a symbol of humility in religious painting
Apothecary's Rose
origins in southern and central Europe, and eastwards towards Turkey and the Caucasus
Tulip
tulip likely originated in Persia, and was first brought to the Netherlands in 1594 for the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden; the Tulip Breaking Virus caused the distinctive stripes—making those bulbs particularly rare—although the flowers died after only…
Rosemary
native to Asia and the Mediterranean, can be hardy on some cool climates, said to improve memory and used as a divinitory herb
White Rose
originated in the Caucuses, traveled west through Greece and Rome; mentioned in Pliny's Natural History