Types of Flowers in Dubai
- The United Arab Emirates consists of primarily desert. Because of the arid conditions, the only types of native flowers that can survive without irrigation are desert wildflowers, flowering shrubs and grasses. These plants grow in areas outside the city and in more remote parts of the Emirate, as well as throughout the region.
- These plants bloom only during two months during the spring. The Cornulaca monacantha is a tall shrub or bush with tiny green leaves. It also produces small white flowers. Another type of shrubbery, the Crotalaria persica, also has no leaves. It sometimes blooms with small yellow flowers with pointed petals.
- The Cistaanche tubulosa, or a desert hyacinth, has tube-like yellow or maroon flowers on its sturdy cone-shaped stalks. Another plant, the Calotropis procera, or giant milkweed plant, is known to be poisonous. It has broad green leaves and small pointed white and purple flowers. It grows in UAE and Oman, and goats and other animals have learned to avoid it due to its lethal qualities.
- The extensive building boom in Dubai has expanded the city. To beautify the city, landscapers often use imported plants that rely heavily on irrigation for survival in the intense heat. Many native plants are removed, since they are regarded as weeds. However, the government is slowly encouraging the use of native plants in city landscaping to conserve water.
- In July 2006, the Dubai Flower Centre, or DFC, was opened to promote the flower trade in Dubai. The DFC provides a convenient hub for vendors to store, import and export fragile fresh cut flowers in a modern, climate controlled environment. Flowers are imported from growers in Asia and Africa, and then resold to retail and wholesale flower markets in major world cities. Although you may not find many native flowers for sale in Dubai, you can always purchase imported cut flowers.