As a flower that represents romance and love, the rose has always been considered as one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. When people see a rose-like flower with multiple layers of soft petals, they may believe that this flower is a rose. Actually, there are many flowers that are just as beautiful as roses but very different in species. The lisianthus is one of them.

Lisianthus, also called the Texas bluebell, is a flowering plant in the gentian family. With blue-green waxy leaves and showy bell-shaped flowers in different colors, it is one of the most common plants used for bouquets and cut-flowers. Native to North America, the flower was introduced to Japan and became popular in Asia during the 70s.

Lisianthus flowers feature either single or double petals. The species with double petals can easily get confused for a rose as they look similar. To distinguish them, one should start from their petals. Rose petals are very similar to each other as they all have one round curve at the lower end. As for lisianthus, each of its petals curves differently, thus they looks softer. The stamen and pistil of lisianthus is quite distinctive from flowers like roses and peonies.

If one hopes to grow some lisianthus from seeds, one should follow instruction as the flower is somewhat difficult to grow. The flower has to be cultivated strictly in greenhouse conditions in order to become mature and flower. It needs full sun, but if grown under hot summer weather, the plant will require afternoon shade. Well-drained and rich soil is needed, with the soil pH maintained between 6.5 to 7.0, otherwise the leaves of the flower can quickly turn yellow. The plant should remain moist without overwatering it, therefore a drip irrigation system is recommented.

If growing is too difficult, one can always choose to purchase cut lisianthus flowers from a variety of prefered colors.

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(All images via VCG)

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