Cardinal Flower

This small flower grows up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Its orange stems grow in bunches of 8 and are thin with a curved tip, and the tiny, yellow-green leaves are asymmetrical with smooth edges. Many leaves grow along the entire length of the stem.

Each stem splits 6 to 10 times; a single tiny flower grows at the end of each split. The flowers are 5 cm (2.0 inches) wide, with solid olive petals decorated with crimson dots and a peach central disk. The flower head is largely flat with 43 raised narrow petals. They detach easily.

It has a strong scent that smells like marzipan, and it has copious amounts of pollen; it does not cause any allergic reactions. It is pollinated by the wind.