Ethiopia's Most Common Flowers
Ethiopia’s biggest exports are coffee, teff (a hardy grain that can be cultivated under both drought-like and rainy conditions) and flowers. The Ethiopian government provides incentives for companies to obtain land and start-up loans, which interests many companies in starting businesses in Ethiopia. Floriculture has become one of Ethiopia’s fastest-growing industries.
Ethiopian Rose
The only rose native to the African continent is the cream-colored Ethiopian rose, also referred to as the African rose or the Abyssinian rose. It is widely exported to Europe and the United States. It is found throughout the Ethiopian highlands. This rose produces a vitamin-rich fruit regularly eaten in times of food shortages in the country. It is also used to fight tapeworms.
- Ethiopia’s biggest exports are coffee, teff (a hardy grain that can be cultivated under both drought-like and rainy conditions) and flowers.
- This rose produces a vitamin-rich fruit regularly eaten in times of food shortages in the country.
Hagenia Flower
Also known as kosso, the hagenia is a native Ethiopian plant that produces a fragrant white, green, orange or purple flower. A common herbal medicine in Ethiopia, this flower, taken in coarsely powdered form and diluted in water (typically infused without straining), can be used as an effective anthelmintic for pork tapeworm. This species of flowering plant is often found in elevated areas about 6,500 to 9,800 feet high and areas receiving about 40 to 60 feet of annual rainfall.
Red-Hot Poker
The red-hot poker grows during mid summer in fields throughout Ethiopia. It is one of the most popular attractions in the Bale Mountains, a top tourism spot in Ethiopia. These rocket-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds. With striking colors ranging from yellow to red, red-hot pokers are typically the most distinctive sight in Ethiopian open vegetation. The flower comes from a native aloe that usually grows to shrub height. Flowers bloom from the bottom upward and gradually fade to yellowish green as they age.
- Also known as kosso, the hagenia is a native Ethiopian plant that produces a fragrant white, green, orange or purple flower.
- With striking colors ranging from yellow to red, red-hot pokers are typically the most distinctive sight in Ethiopian open vegetation.
Eucalyptus Flower
While originally found in highland villages in Ethiopia, the planting of this flowering tree has expanded from state-owned plantations to community woodlots and household compounds. The eucalyptus flower has numerous fluffy stamens that can be white, cream, pink, red or yellow. These stamens start off enclosed in a cap composed of fused sepals or petals, or both. As the stamens expand, the fused sepals and petals split away from the cup-like base, leaving a full-grown eucalyptus flower with no petals.
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Rianne Hill Soriano is a freelance artist/writer/educator. Her diverse work experiences include projects in the Philippines, Korea and United States. For more than six years she has written about films, travel, food, fashion, culture and other topics on websites including Yahoo!, Yehey! and Herword. She also co-wrote a book about Asian cinema.
