Perus national flower is the "Cantua buxifolia".
The Cantua grow on bushes, these bushes can become up to 3 meters high, the leaves are small and rought and the flowers don't smell despite their captivating colors.
The flower has been cultivated, but to find it in the wild is difficult and dangerous. It grows mainly in a height of 1200 to 3800 meters, for example in the area of the Yungas of Peru. It is hard to access, since it likes to grow on the valleys on top of steep cliffs.
Perus fascination for its flower is thus also not based on the colors or anything, but on history. Or, more precisely, a historic story. A old legend from the Incas, Perus ancient ancestors...
Illimani and Illampu had been two powerful inca kings, both blessed with proud sons. Both their kingdoms florished and were full of harmony and riches. But, despite not displaying any danger for the others wealth, the kings felt threatened by the others prosperity. They began a war and fought long and mercyless, until both hit each other with a fatal wound.
They forced their sons - who had been against the war from the beginning - to revenge them and died. And thus, the sons continued the war, despite not feeling any anger or hate for the other. They, too, hit each other with a fatal wound. And as they were lying on the battle field with their last breaths, they asked their servants to stop the war and put both of them in graves that are next to each other as a sign of peace.
Pachamama, "Mother World" and godess of fertility, appeared then and found pity in the upcoming death of the two sons, for they had died due to their fathers stupid hostility. She made the stars of Illimani and Illampu fall from the sky as punishment and as they touched the earth, they became two gigantic, snow-covered mountains. Whenever the snow melts, running down as rivers, then they are crying out of regret, nourishing the valleys of their former kingdoms. Pachamama also created then the Cantua, a present for the kingdoms to show their unity, displaying the sons colors red and yellow, as well as green (which stands for hope).
Those mountains indeed excist and are named after those kings. They are the highest mountains of Bolivia and at least Illampu is, despite being smaller then Illimani, very dangerous because of it's multiple steep cliffs.
