From the alpine north to the warm Mediterranean south, Italy is blessed with natural scents and colors. Due to its geographic diversity, the country has thousands of vascular plant species.

Here we look at some beautiful flowers that are common in the country.

Lily

Lily is native and one of the most popular flowers in Italy. It has large and prominent flowers with a strong fragrance. It comes in a wide range of colors including whites, pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds. They are tall perennials and flowers can grow to a six-inch diameter.

Caution: Some lilies are toxic to cats. Make sure your cats don't eat or touch the flower.

Bougainvillea

It's hard not to notice the vivid bougainvillea blossoms over the windows in Italy. Their magenta bracts are so colorful that they become very popular ornamental plants across the Mediterranean Basin. The actual flower of this plant is small and usually white, the bracts surrounding them can be seen in all shades of pink, purple, red, white and yellow.

Corn poppy

Remember the fields of bright, red poppies in Tuscany, central Italy? As May approaches, the best time to see Tuscan poppies is arriving. These eye-popping scarlet flowers are widely grown in the region, in fields, beside roads, and on grasslands. The stems hold single flowers which are large and red.

Rosemary

Rosemary, the important Italian culinary herb, grows  wild over Italy. The herb has long been known for its aromatic flavor.

Native to the Mediterranean region, the woody herb has needle-like leaves and purple, white, pink or blue flowers. It is pest-resistant, easy to grow and drought-tolerant, so it's also used as a decorative plant.

(Cover images via VCG)

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