Flowers with 5 petals are common to see but those with three petals are rare and are special gifts of Nature. Below is a list of 10 beautiful but rare flowers having three true petals or a combination of six tepals consisting of three petals and three sepals.
Asiatic Dayflower- Commelina communis
An annual weed plant native to East Asia and some parts of Southeast Asia growing to about 1 to 3 feet long. It bears a single flower about ½–1″ in diameter on a flower stalk about 1-2″ long . The three-petal flower has two large blue petals at the top and one white petal at the bottom, which will only last for a day.
Mariposa Lily
Mariposa Lily is any of the 28 species of Calochortus native to California that resembles tulips. This bulb plant grows from 45 to 60 cm tall. Flowers bloom on a stem from a bulb consisting of three furled petals and three sepals that resembles petals. Flower colors vary from white, pink, yellow, bluish, deep red or even purple that bloom from April until June.
Trillium
Trillium comprises about 40 – 50 species of perennial plants widespread in North America and some parts of Asia. The plant grows on rhizome reaching to 4.5 dm tall. Flowers are large and curve upward consisting of three long white leaf-like petal with pink marking at the base. Other flower colors include red, pink, yellow and pale purple. There are some species that bear flowers bent downward just under the leaves. Flowers bloom in spring.
Wild Iris - Iris missouriensis
Wild Iris, also known as the Blue Flag Iris or Rocky Mountain Iris, is a perennial herb that occurs in British Columbia, South Dakota to California. The weed plant can reach up to a foot tall with flowers occurring in late spring. At first look, the flowers seems to have six petals but at a closer look, reveals only three true petals curve upward and three sepals bent downward. The showy flower petals come in bright blue, purple, or, rarely white one; while the sepals come in deep purple with yellow-white markings.
Daffodil - Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Daffodil, also known as trumpet narcissus or common daffodil, are perennial flowering plants native to Europe and widely cultivates in North America and Asia comprising about 50 species and thousands of known cultivars and hybrid. The plant grows to about 14 cm tall with 5 to six leaves appearing from bulb.
The complex structure of the flower shows a disc-shaped corona at the center, a perianth – a group of flower leaves consisting of three petal and three sepals encircling the corona. Flower colors vary from the common white and yellow, with other cultivars producing red, pink or orange coronas. Currently, there are about 26,400 named daffodils!
Nodding Onion - Allium cernuum
Nodding onion or lady’s leek, is a perennial plant widespread in North America that grows to about 12-18” tall. Cultivated for its beautiful flowers, the plant features slim conic bulb with bunches of flat, slender , grass-like leaves. A single flowering stem occurs in a mature bulbs producing clusters of tiny bell-shaped flowers bend downward usually pink to lilac pink in color and rarely white ones. The flowers have tepals – three true petals and three sepals that bloom June to July.
Calypso Orchid – Calypso bulbosa
The Calypso Orchid, also called as the fairy slipper, deer’s head orchid, or Venus’ slipper, is a perennial plant found in North America, Scandinavia, Russia and Japan. A member of the orchid family, Calypso orchids grows to about 7 to 21 cm in height. Its erect-spreading reddish stalk bears a single flower typically white or pink in color with yellow and deep purple markings. Just like other species of orchids, Calypso orchid’s flower has a pouch-like lip that is ringed by five slender and pointed tepals – two front petals and three sepals below it .
Corn Lily – Veratrum californicum
Corn Lily or False Hellebore is a coarse perennial plant that grows abundantly in California and other Western part of the United States. This poisonous herb with erect flowering stalks can reach 1.2 to 2.4 meters in height. The long stalks bear clusters of small star-shaped flowers normally white in color with green centers. Just like other lilies, it has six tepals – three petals and three sepals, all similar.
Elegant Camas – Anticlea elegans
Elegant Camas, also called White Camas or Wand Lily, is a perennial flowering plant found throughout North America. The bulb that grows into stem can grow to about 60 – 90 cm. The disk-like greenish-white flowers are arranged in racemes – six tepals, all similar (three petals and three sepals). The flowers which bloom in June-July are extremely poisonous.
Yukka or Soapweed
Yucca are perennial shrubs widespread throughout hot areas of North America and Mexico. There are about 40-50 known species producing fragrant flowers on tall stalks. Flowers are bell-shaped with five to six tepals ranging in color from greenish white, creamy white to light purple. The flowers that occur in clusters bloom between July and August.
