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Moluccella laevis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Bells of Ireland)Moluccella laevis Moluccella laevis, flowers.jpg persistent calyces Scientific classification Kingdom:	Plantae (unranked):	Angiosperms (unranked):	Eudicots (unranked):	Asterids Order:	Lamiales Family:	Lamiaceae Genus:	Moluccella Species:	M. laevis Binomial name Moluccella laevis L.

Moluccella laevis ,also know as Bells of Ireland, Molucca balmis, and Shellflower, is a summer flowering annual, native to Turkey, Syria and the Caucasus. Since Victorian times, flowers have had very special meanings. Each flower or flower color represents an emotion or expression. Native to western Asia, the genus Moluccella gets its name from the Indonesian Molucca Islands, which were once mistakenly thought to be the flower’s native land. In the language of flowers Bells of Ireland, symbolize luck, linking to the name the luck of the Irish. The tiny white flowers are surrounded by apple green calyces which are persistent. "Bells of Ireland are distinctive and stately plants, grown for their tall, dark green spires, thickly covered by lighter green, bell-shaped calyces (leaves). This annual plant grows 2-3 feet tall". The leaves are so lush, they all but hide the small white or pink flowers. Bells of Ireland hide tiny white or pink flowers under their luxuriated leaves. These flowers bloom once during the season, spring through fall, with a pleasant scent.The spikes of Bells of Ireland are used fresh or in dried arrangements. These flowers are used often for St. Patrick's Day arrangements and as lucky symbol, they are big in wedding bouquets and arrangements.The domestic plant is self-seeding, prefers full sun and regular water and are unlikely to do well in hot, humid climates. These plants are more likely to grow in the back of the flower garden, or in a container for your patio or deck. They do best in rich, loam soils, but will grow in average soils with regular applications of fertilizer.

External links[edit source] Jepson Manual Treatment Germplasm Resources Information Network: Moluccella laevis Wisconsin Master Gardener Features: Bells of Ireland USDA Plants Profile Photo gallery Moluccella laevis Flowers in Israel References[edit source] Jump up ^ Botanicas, Annuals and Perennials, Random House, Sydney, 2005 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Moluccella laevis.

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