What is the national flower of Mexico?

The Dahlia flower is the symbol of Mexican floriculture. The president of Mexico, Adolfo Lopez Mateos, declared the dahlia to be the official flower of Mexico on May 13, 1963.

The dahlia is a perennial plant with mostly tuberous roots that is native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. There are 42 species of dahlia, and Mexico is home to 31 of these species. The flowers are separated into two groups, one designated for ivory to magenta colors and the other designated for yellow, orange and scarlet. The flowers were used as food by the indigenous peoples of early Mexico, and the Aztecs used the plants for medicine.