Flowers of Da Lat

Flowers of Da Lat- Vietnam:  Nature has granted Da Lat a graceful beauty making it an ideal tourist destination. Da Lat is most impressive as a city of flowers.

1. The peach blossom

is a sentimental symbol of Da Lat. It reminds many natives of springtime in northern Viet Nam. Though slender, the peach blossom branch also exudes the solemnity and determination of the Vietnamese people. Flower connoisseurs often prefer peach blossoms that are bright red as rubies. Years ago, Da Lat used to have an entire forest of peach trees. Up until the 1970's, one could walk along Cam Ly Springs. It flowed slowly from Xuan Huong Lake in the west to a cliff and dropped abruptly to make a majestic waterfall. Tourists could then see the brilliantly red shawl of peach blossoms up on the Da Cat Hill each spring. That forest now only remains in the memory of Da Lat elders and older tourists, as deforestation has nearly wiped it out completely. Fortunately, there are still quite a few peach trees grown near Xuan Huong Lake. They blossom during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (January-February).

2. The orchid

is another Da Lat attraction. Named "queen of the world of flowers," the orchid is a common sight wherever you go in Da Lat. Among the world's 100,000 species of orchids, Viet Nam already has 500, many of which grow in Da Lat. Da Lat grows all four types of orchids found worldwide:

- Those on other plants and trees as parasites.
- Those  on   high   rocks and cliffs
- Those in leaves and mud
- Those on other kinds of vegetation.

Lang Biang and Da Lat have a very interesting kind of orchid, Ian hai. In Vietnamese, hails a beautifully embroidered shoe that used to be worn by noble ladies. The flower is so named as it has the shape of a hai. It originates from the species P. Delnatii. The flower received attention and praise at an international orchid exhibition in 1995 in Tokyo, Japan.

3. The mimosa

is popular in Da Lat not only because it appears in many places in town, but also because it has found itself into the hearts of locals and visitors through the lyrics of songwriter Tran Kiet Tuong: "Dear Darling Mimosa, where do you come from? Da Lat's mountains and hills wave majestically... Da Lat with immense sky and water..."

The mimosa, which originally came from Australia, is three to six meters tall. It has bright yellow flowers and leaves that are green with a silvery luster. The tree blossoms two or three times each year and flourishes during the sunny seasons. Da Lat has two types of mimosa trees: long and short-leafed. Its scientific name is Acacia Podaly-riaefolia Cunn, Mimosaceae.

According to folklore, Da Lat girls often like to place the mimosa between the pages of a book, then send it to their boyfriends. The flower retains its sweet scent, which is a reminder of her affection. Like the mimosa itself, this practice emanated from a love story of Australian origin:

Once upon a time, the son of an Australian fisherman fell in love with the wealthy daughter of an ari