Flowers: The Fodder for Scientific Experiments

Flowers have since forever been a source of contentment and happiness for us, a name synonymous with beauty and delicacy. We compare flowers to a lot of things in our everyday lives, from beauty of a person to becoming part of those motivational speeches where you compare the life of a flower and the adversities it survives, how it blossoms without caring about competing with its fellow flowers. But Flowers can do alot more then just that.

The categories of flowers

Broadly, flowers can be divided into two categories, ornamental and medicinal.

• OrnamentalRoses and orchids being the most common examples of ornamental flowers perfect for decorating your house or warming up hearts. At present more then 150 different varieties of roses can be found though only a few make it to the markets. Orchids on the other hand are highly valuable flowers owing to their longer shelf life.
• MedicinalFlowers have long been a source of wonder for the scientific world as well. Their medicinal and therapeutic properties never fail to surprise the world. Natural and herbal products are said to be better than pharmaceuticals due to the fact that they have much less side effects. They have healing capabilities, much of which has been known to mankind for centuries.

Science and flowers

Scientifically flowers have much higher prospects. From research to medicine all fields of science exploit flowers on daily bases. Experiments are carried out to study the contributions of flowers to the successful reproduction of the plant and their uses as a safer alternate to pharmaceutical drugs.

Begonia, for example, is a flower which is said to be a relaxant for pain, especially headaches and healing sores and burns. Bellisperennis, commonly called daisy is a flower which despite its not so attractive appearance has long been used by locals for relieving physical disorders like arthritis and rheumatism. Blood root is yet another example of a flower possessing healing properties, especially for respiratory diseases. Certain types of teas are also made by boiling flowers in water in order to treat fever, cough and other digestive problems.

Their utilities are immense

In earlier times flowers and herbs were the only source of medicine and food for people. Broccoli, cauliflower and artichoke are some examples of flowers as food items while saffron, cloves and capers are examples of flowers being used as spices. Flowers contribute highly to the economy of a country as well, being of primary interest to importers and exporters.

Flowers and their impact on human psychology

Having said all that, flowers have excellent effects on our mental health as well. Studies prove that customers in restaurants decorated with flowers were in relatively better modes as compared to those customers who visited restaurants with no flowers to lighter the ambiance. Cognitive performance is also enhanced by the presence of flowers in a work place. Even the simple act of smelling the good fragrance of a flower makes our mood better and reduces anxiety.

Visitors to the sick have known this instinctively since ages and today science backs the norm of taking flowers as a present to sick as well by proving that patients having flowers in their room were more optimistic about their treatment and showed better response to medications then those present in rooms with no flowers or plants.

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” The words of Lady Bird Jackson sum up everything that flowers represent in human life.