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Indigenous flowers Oklahoma
By
Oahu Wedding
florist at
http://alohaislandweddings.com
Mistletoe (phoradendron serotinum) is Oklahoma’s state floral emblem.
This Oklahoma indigenous flower has been in use ever since 1893. This
means that it has been a symbol for Oklahoma even before it became a
state.
Of course, mistletoe is quite popular because of Christmas tradition.
Traditionally, mistletoe is hung on top of doorframes and if two people
get under it, they should kiss. This has been oft-used by Hollywood as a
device for triggering romantic relationships in Christmas stories. The
myth itself is of Scandinavian origin, and has also provided some
songwriters lines for classic Christmas tunes.
Actually, the mistletoe is a parasitic plant. This Oklahoma indigenous
flower can be found clinging to different host trees, relying on the
hosts for water and nutrients. The leaves of the mistletoe do a bit of
photosynthesis, but the bottom line is that it gets most of its
sustenance by absorbing the host’s. This usually causes the stunted
growth of the host tree, however too large an infestation of mistletoe
can kill the host tree.
However, the mistletoe is not all bad. Recent studies have shown that
this indigenous flower of Oklahoma can actually be more supportive of
the ecosystem than initially thought. It was found that the mistletoe
serves as a sort of “keystone” and removing it could lead to some pretty
serious consequences. For one thing, many animals depend on this
indigenous flower of Oklahoma for food.
The mistletoe also provides nesting locations for a huge variety of
birds. This helps increase the diversity of plant life, in a particular
spot as birds are important agents in spreading seeds. In turn, this
also causes a huge diversity of animal life. Because of this, the
mistletoe is no longer considered as a mere pest, but as something that
has a positive effect on the ecosystem.
This indigenous flower of Oklahoma shares the status of “state flower”
with another plant: the Indian Blanket. This is considered the state’s
wildflower. This Oklahoma indigenous flower is distinctive because of
its orange-red and yellow petals. Being a wildflower, the Indian Blanket
is actually quite hardy, able to grow in any type of soil. If you wish
to cultivate it, however, it will thrive if planted on sandy and
well-drained land.
This indigenous flower of Oklahoma also thrives under the heat of the
sun. It can actually be seen carpeting places beside roads and highways
in the summer. If you are attempting to cultivate this, you might want
to “deadhead” the plant in order to promote further blooming.
These two indigenous flowers of Oklahoma are certainly special in their
own ways. Whether it’s the beauty or the symbolism, you can definitely
associate them with different ideals. And that is what counts in a state
flower.
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