Costa Rica National flower

Guaria Morada Orchid

The scientific name of Guaria Morada is "Guarianthe skinneri", and it was decreed national flower under the government of León Cortés Castro by means the Secretariat of the State, in the Office of Promotion and Agriculture, by agreement no. 24 of June 15 of 1939. Later, by means of executive agreement no. 24, in November of 1972, under the presidency of Don Jose Figueres Ferrer is decreed the second week of the month of March like the week of the Costa Rican Orchid.

It Tell the history that in 1939, in Argentina was founded the Botanical Garden called Garden of Peace (Jardín de la Paz) and they requested to the Costa Rica government that will send their national flower so that can be showed it with the other flowers of the different countries. In this time, the country did not have national flower, reason why the Gardens Club and the Rotary Cub made a contest to choose the national flower. In this contest it was valued Costa Ricans characteristics. The winner was the orchid, popularly known as Guaria Morada.

Although this orchid is distributed by all Central America, including until in Colombia and Venezuela is in Guatemala and Costa Rica where it abounds and it more cultivates in greater proportion.