Every country has the right to present what is most beautiful about where they live. So, what better national symbols to show off than flowers? You might think that Arab countries might not have a diverse flora. Obviously, we understand why, considering the vast areas of desert. Certainly, other factors contribute, such as lack of adequate soil or rain. This makes life tough for plants in this region. However, one of the most beautiful sights is when the desert turns green. Don’t be fooled. A lot of Arab countries have quite a considerable amount of rain water per year. Some even have snow! Flowers have long been an important facet of national identity. You can find floral patterns and motifs in the Arab world dating back since the Islamic period. So, here are the national Arabic flowers of some countries of the Arab league.

Our examples and a few interesting facts

CountryNational FlowersInteresting Information
AlgeriaRoof Iris (Iris Tectorum)This used to be planted on the house roofs in Japan and China.
BahrainSunflower (Helianthus)On May 4 2019 they adopted the sunflower as the national flower
EgyptLotus (Nymphaea Lotus)The only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously.
IraqRose (Rosa)Said to be originally from Persia. It was introduced to the west by Alexander.
JordanBlack Iris (Iris Nigricans)The Iris has six petals. Three are drooping and three upright.
KuwaitArfaj (Rhanterum Epapposum)Arfaj is used as a fuel source by Bedouins and in local traditional medicine.
LebanonCyclamen (Cyclamen)Though there is no “official” flower, Cyclamen is unofficially known as the national flower.
LibyaPomegranate blossom (Punica granatum)The flowers are with fiery red blossoms.
MauritaniaMauritanian Mallow (Mauritanian Malva)It’s an edible flower and said to taste great in salads.
MoroccoWild Rose (Rosa acicularis)The M’Goun Valley has become famous for these flowers. 
OmanDesert rose (Adenium obesum)Also called floral Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, Impala lily. This flower was made famous in a song by the British musician Sting.
PalestineFaqqua Iris (Iris haynei)This is actually a member of the asparagus family.
Qatar  Sea-Lavender (limonium)Mainly found near the coast and has beautiful pink and lilac flowers
Saudi Arabia, Syria and TunisiaRoyal Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum)Jasmine flowers are used for a variety diseases. It is also a popular flavoring in tea. 
Sudan
Rose mallow or Shoeblack plant (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Mallows are fine for wild gardens and places with damp soil.
UAETribulus (Tribulus Omanense)There are 13 known species of Tribulus many of which have no official name.
YemenArabian Coffee (Coffea Arabica)Individual coffee flowers are white, fragrant, with waxy, linear petals.

In conclusion

In the floral world, the rose is king. While roses might be the flowers of choice for many people, however, as you can see, we can see how different nations have different tastes when it comes to flowers. So, Arabs think slightly different. Some of these flowers have a higher meaning for the country that selected them as their favorite one. So, you can see that this is a pretty interesting topic and why we wrote it. If you liked this article and would like to start learning Arabic, why not head over to our website? You can and download the Kaleela Arabic learning app and learn to speak Arabic today. With the Kaleela Arabic learning app you can start learning Arabic on your own, at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want. It really is the best way to learn Arabic! Try it now and find out why.



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