In some countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-widefloral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols – some are conferred by government bodies, whereas others are the result of informal public polls. The term floral emblem, which refers to flowers specifically, is primarily used in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the termstate flower is more often used.
The national flower of Ethiopia isZantedeschia aethiopica, commonly known ascalla lily.[1]
The national flower ofMauritius is theRuizia boutoniana.[2]
The national flower of Nigeria isCostus spectabilis which is commonly known as Yellow Trumpet.[3]
The national flower of theSeychelles is the tropicbird orchid (known locally asorkid payanke),Angraecum eburneum.[4]
The national flower ofSouth Africa is theKing Protea,Protea cynaroides.[5]
The national flower ofTunisia isjasmine. It was chosen as a symbol for the2010 Tunisian Revolution.
The national flower ofZimbabwe is the flame lily,Gloriosa superba.[6][7]
The national flower ofAfghanistan is theTulip. It is calledLala (لاله) in theFarsi language andKhatol in thePashto language.[8]
The national flower ofBangladesh is thewater lilyNymphaea nouchali. It is calledshapla (শাপলা) in theBengali language.[9]
The national flower ofBhutan is the blue poppy.[10] Previously misidentified as the non-nativeMeconopsis grandis, national flower of Bhutan was identified in 2017 asMeconopsis gakyidiana, a new distinct species.[11]
The national flower ofBrunei isSimpoh Ayer (Dillenia suffruticosa).[12]
Cambodia formally adopted theromduol (Khmer:រំដួល) as its national flower in the year 2005 by a royal decree.[13] The royal decree designates the taxon asMitrella mesnyi, however, this is a taxonomically illegitimate synonym forSphaerocoryne affinis, which does not occur in Cambodia.[14] The accepted species name for romduol isSphaerocoryne lefevrei.
The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of India. It is a sacred flower in the art and culture of ancient India.[citation needed]
There are three types of floral emblems used to symbolizeIndonesia:
All three were chosen onWorld Environment Day in 1990,[15] and enforced by law through Presidential Decree (Keputusan Presiden) No. 4 1993,[16] On the other occasion,bunga bangkai (Titan arum) was also added aspuspa langka together withrafflesia.
Melati (Jasminum sambac), a small white flower with sweet fragrance, has long been considered a sacred flower inIndonesian tradition, as it symbolizes purity, sacredness, graceful simplicity and sincerity. For example, on her wedding day, a traditional Indonesian bride's hair is often adorned with arrangements of jasmine, while the groom'skris is often adorned with a lock of jasmine. However, jasmine is also often used as a floral offering for spirits and deities, and also often present during funerals, which has caused it to be seen as having mystical and sacred properties. Moon orchid was chosen for its beauty, while the other two rare flowers,Rafflesia arnoldii andTitan arum, were chosen to demonstrate uniqueness and Indonesia's rich biodiversity.
Each of the 34provinces of Indonesia also has a native plant as itsprovincial flower.
The national flower ofIran is the water lily which is also callednymphaea (Niloofare Abi, inPersian). The flower is the national flower ofIran since theAchaemenid Empire era (552 BC).[17]
The national flower ofIsrael is the poppy anemone (Anemone coronaria;calanit metzuya inHebrew), chosen in 2013 to replaceCyclamen persicum.[18][19]
The national flower ofJordan isblack iris(Iris nigricans).[20]
The national flower ofKuwait is Arfaj (Rhanterium epapposum).[21]
The national flower ofLaos is theplumeria (champa),[12] despite it no longer being endemic.
The national flower ofMalaysia is thebunga raya (Chinese hibiscus,Hibiscus rosa-sinensis).[12][22]
The national flower of theMaldives is the pink polyantha rose (Rosa polyantha), calledfiyaathoshi finifenmaa.[23]
The national flower ofMongolia isScabiosa comosa (Mongolian:бэр цэцэг,ber tsetseg).[24]
The national flower ofMyanmar isPterocarpus indicus (paduak).[12]
The national flower ofNepal is the tree rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum).[25]
The national flower ofNorth Korea is the Korean mountain magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii,Korean: 목란/木蘭mongnan).[26]
The national flower ofPalestine is the Faqqua iris (Iris haynei).[27]
The national flower ofPakistan iscommon jasmine also known asJasminum officinale.[28]
ThePhilippines adopted thesampaguita (Arabian jasmine,Jasminum sambac) in 1934 as its national flower because it symbolizes purity and cleanliness due to its color and sweet smell.[12] It is popularly strung into garlands presented to visitors and dignitaries and is a common adornment on religious images.
Sampaguita in the Filipino language is a directloan word from the Indiansanskrit word "campaka".[29][30] Plants of some species of flowers like Sampaguita, fruits likemango andnangka, vegetables likeampalaya,patola,malunggay, name of Philippine's pre-Christian chief godBathala (fromsanskritBhattara Guru), came from India during pre-SpanishIndianisedtrade and influences.[31] Among strong traces of continuity ofHindu influence in Philippines are placing of Sampaguita garland around the neck of visitors to show hospitality and friendship,throwing the rice over bride and groom for prosperity, performingpaninilbihan, paying dowry, visiting a shrine to pray for fertility, etc.[32]
The national flower ofSaudi Arabia is Royal Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum).[33]
The national flower of Singapore is a hybrid orchid cultivar known as the Singapore orchid orVanda Miss Joaquim (Papilionanthe teres ×Papilionanthe hookeriana).[34]
The national flower ofSouth Korea isHibiscus syriacus.[35] Known in South Korea asmugunghwa (Korean: 무궁화), the flower's symbolism relates to the Korean wordmugung, which means "eternity" or "inexhaustible abundance".[36] Despite being made the national flower officially after Korea regained its independence from Japan,mugunghwa has been associated with Korean culture for many centuries, with theSilla kingdom having called itself the "Country of the Mugunghwa" (Korean: 근화향, Romanized:Geunhwahyang).[37]
The national flower ofSri Lanka isNil mānel (නිල් මානෙල්), the blue-star water-lily (Nymphaea stellata).[38][39] Althoughnil means "blue" inSinhala, the Sinhalese name of this plant is often rendered as "water-lily" in English. This beautiful aquatic flower appears in theSigiriya frescoes and has been mentioned in ancientSanskrit,Pali and Sinhala literary works.Buddhist lore in Sri Lanka claims that this flower was one of the 108 auspicious signs found on PrinceSiddhartha's footprint.[40][41]
The national flower ofTaiwan was officially designated as theplum blossom by theExecutive Yuan on 21 July 1964.[42] The plum blossom, known as themeihua (Chinese:梅花;pinyin:méihuā), is a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum trees often bloom most vibrantly even during the harshest winters.[43][44] The triple grouping of stamens represents Dr.Sun Yat-sen'sThree Principles of the People, while the five petals symbolize the five branches of the government.[42][43]
The national flower ofThailand is theGolden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula). The tree (which is also the country'snational tree) is locally known asratchaphruek (Thai:ราชพฤกษ์), while the flower itself is known asdok khun (Thai:ดอกคูน).[12]
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The national flower ofVietnam is thelotus flower(Nelumbo nucifera).[45]
The national flower ofAustria isedelweiss (Leontopodium nivale).[citation needed]
The flower of the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is the national flower of Italy.[57] The strawberry tree began to be considered one of thenational symbols of Italy in the 19th century, during theItalian unification, because with its autumn colors is reminiscent of theflag of Italy (green for its leaves, white for its flowers and red for its berries).[58][59] For this reason the strawberry tree is considered thenational tree ofItaly.
The Italian poetGiovanni Pascoli dedicated a poem to the strawberry tree. He refers to theAeneid passage in whichPallas, killed byTurnus, was posed on branches of a strawberry tree. He saw in the colours of that plant a prefiguration of theflag of Italy and considered Pallas the firstnational cause martyr.[60] Pascoli's ode says:
(in Italian)
O verde albero italico, il tuo maggio
è nella bruma: s'anche tutto muora,
tu il giovanile gonfalon selvaggio
spieghi alla bora
— Giovanni Pascoli
Oh green Italian tree, your
May month
is in the mist: if everything
dies,
you, the youthful wild banner
unfold to the northern wind
The national flower is the Maltese rock-centaury (Cheirolophus crassifolius).[62]
While most people believe it to be thetulip, the actual national flower ofthe Netherlands is the daisy (Bellis perennis). It was elected in a public vote in 2023.[63]
The national flower ofNorth Macedonia is thepoppy.[64]
Portugal does not officially have a national flower, though thelavender is commonly cited.[66][67] Thecarnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) is also a symbol of the nation's triumph against the authoritarian far-rightEstado Novo dictatorship, known as theCarnation Revolution.
The national flower ofSerbia isNatalie's ramonda (Ramonda nathaliae). It is considered a symbol of Serbia's struggle and victory inWorld War I, with the country sufferingthe largest casualty rate relative to its population.[69] To commemorate Serbian soldiers who died in the war, as well as the resurrection of the country after the devastation, people wear artificial Natalie's ramonda as a symbol of remembrance, especially during the week leading up toArmistice Day, which is a public holiday.[70]
The national flower of Slovenia is acarnation. It is traditionally present at all significant moments of someone's life. White carnations can be traditionally present at Slovenian christenings and at Slovenian weddings, where the bride has a white carnation flower stuck in her hair and the groom wears a white carnation pinned to his breast pocket or buttonhole. While white carnation represents happiness and celebration, red carnation has a more diverse meaning in Slovenian culture. First meaning comes from French and Russian revolutionaries and symbolises revolution and workers. Red carnations also symbolise love and courtship. In folksongs and folk traditions, when young men in the country villages were calling girls in the night under their windows and serenading them, receiving a red carnation bouquet meant, that the serenaded girl accepted their courtship. Finally, at the funeral of a loved one, their acquaintances, friends and family bid a final farewell to the deceased by each throwing a red carnation into the open grave.
Furthermore, carnations often appear embroidered on tablecloths, handkerchiefs, blouses, bed linen, lace and on parts of Slovenian national costume, such as skirts, trouser legs and traditional headwear, especiallyavba. Additionally, carnations are often flowers hanging from flowerbeds on balconies and windows, which is a source of pride for Slovenian homes. This can be observed throughout Slovenia, most prominently inGorenjska andŠtajerska regions.[71]
The national flower of Sweden isCampanula rotundifolia.[74] It won a public vote in 2021.[75]
The national flower ofSwitzerland isedelweiss (Leontopodium nivale).[citation needed]
The national flower ofTurkey is thetulip.[citation needed]
Each of theUnited Kingdom's four constituent countries has one or more national flower:
Themaple leaf is widely used as a symbol forCanada. The maple tree was officially recognized as Canada's arboreal emblem in 1996.[83]
Canada's provinces and territories also have official provincial or territorial floral emblems:
Many Canadian flags and coats-of-arms have floral emblems on them. Theflag of Montreal has four floral emblems. On the right side of theflag of Saskatchewan overlapping both green and gold halves is the western red lily, the provincial floral emblem. Thecoat of arms of Port Coquitlam has the city's floral emblem, theazalea, displayed on a collar. Thecoat of arms of Prince Edward Island displayslady's slippers, the floral emblem of the island. Whencoat of arms of Nova Scotia were reassumed in 1929, thetrailing arbutus or mayflower, the floral emblem of Nova Scotia, was added.
The national flower ofMexico is the dahlia (Dahlia pinnata).[citation needed]
In 1986, PresidentRonald Reagan signed legislation to make therose the national floral emblem of theUnited States.[98][99] Adopted as representative symbols by state legislatures, each of the 50states has astate flower andtree. Each of the fiveinhabited territories, namelyAmerican Samoa,Guam, theNorthern Mariana Islands,Puerto Rico, and theU.S. Virgin Islands, also have an official territory flower.
The national flower ofAntigua and Barbuda isAgave karatto, also known as "dagger log" or "batta log".[100]
The national flower ofthe Bahamas is the Yellow Elder (Tecoma stans).[101]
The national flower ofBarbados is known locally as thePride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima).[102]
The national flower ofBelize is the black orchid (Prosthechea cochleata).[103]
The national flower ofCosta Rica is theguaria morada (Guarianthe skinneri).[104]
The national flower ofCuba since 13 October 1936, is thewhite ginger lily.[105]
The national flower ofDominica isSabinea carinalis, commonly known as Carib wood orBois Caraibe.[106]
TheDominican Republic's national flower was originally the flower of thecaoba (West Indian mahogany tree,Swietenia mahagoni). In 2011, the mahogany was instead dubbed thenational tree, vacating the national flower spot for theBayahíbe rose (Leuenbergeria quisqueyana) in order to bring attention to its conservation.[107]
The national flower ofEl Salvador is theflor de izote, of theYucca gigantea.[108]
The national flower ofGuatemala is themonja blanca (Lycaste skinneri var.alba).[109]
The national flower ofHaiti is theChoeblack orrose kayenn (Hibiscus).[110][111]
The national flower ofHonduras is the orchidRhyncholaelia digbyana.[112]
The national flower ofJamaica is the lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale).[113]
The national flower ofNicaragua is known as the sacuanjoche (Plumeria rubra), which grows on a conical tree that flowers around May. Sacuanjoche flowers are most fragrant at night in order to luresphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, and simply dupe their pollinators.
The golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially proclaimed the floral emblem ofAustralia on 1 September 1988.[114]
The national flower ofFiji istagimaucia (Medinilla waterhousei), a vine with red and white flowers endemic to the highlands of the island ofTaveuni.[citation needed]
TheTahitian gardenia (tiare flower) is the national flower ofTahiti,French Polynesia, and theCook Islands.[citation needed]
New Zealand does not have an official national flower, but thesilver fern (foliage) is acknowledged as its national emblem.[115] TheKōwhai (Sophora spp., native trees with yellow cascading flowers) is usually regarded as the national flower. Other plant emblems areKoru (a curled fern symbol) and the crimson-flowered Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa), also called New Zealand's Christmas tree.[citation needed]
Theheilala (Garcinia sessilis) isTonga's national flower. The name of Tonga's beauty pageant, the Heilala Festival, is taken from this flower. Resorts as well as consumer products are also often named after this flower, such as the Heilala Lodge and Heilala Vanilla. The flower is also used in Tonga for medicinal and ornamental purposes.[citation needed]
The national flower ofArgentina is the flower of theceibo tree (Erythrina crista-galli), also known asseibo orbucaré.[116]
Bolivia has two national flowers: thekantuta (Cantua buxifolia) andpatujú (Heliconia rostrata).[117]
Brazil has no official national flower. It is popularly considered to be the flower of the golden trumpet tree (Handroanthus chrysotrichus;Portuguese:Ipê-amarelo) – so much so that multiple proposals have been put forth over the last 70 years to recognize it officially. However, for various reasons, none have ever been voted on byCongress to be ratified.
The national flower ofChile is thecopihue (Lapageria rosea).[55][118]
Cattleya trianae is the national flower ofColombia[55] and is the orchid which flowers in May. The May flower was chosen because the colors are the same as those of theColombian flag.[citation needed]
The national flower ofGuyana is theVictoria regia lily (Victoria amazonica).[citation needed]
The national flower ofParaguay isMburucuyá.[citation needed]
The national flower ofPeru isCantua buxifolia (cantuta, also spelledkantuta orqantuta, fromQuechuaqantu).[119][55]
Calledfaya lobi ("fiery love") inSranantongo, the jungle geranium (Ixora coccinea) is commonly considered a symbol ofSuriname.[citation needed]
The national flower ofUruguay is the flower of theceibo tree (Erythrina crista-galli).[120]
The national flower ofVenezuela is theFlor de Mayo (Cattleya mossiae), an orchid.[121]
Each of the fourcountries of the United Kingdom has a traditional floral emblem:
Acounty flower is aflowering plant chosen to symbolise a county. They exist primarily in the United Kingdom, but some counties in other countries also have them.
One or two county flowers have a long history in England – thered rose of Lancashire dates from theMiddle Ages, for instance. However, the county flower concept was only extended to cover the whole United Kingdom in 2002, as apromotional tool by a charity. In that year, the plant conservation charityPlantlife ran a competition to choose county flowers for all counties, to celebrate theGolden Jubilee ofQueen Elizabeth II.
Plantlife's scheme is loosely based on Britain'shistoric counties, and so some currentlocal government areas are not represented by a flower, and some of the counties included no longer exist as administrative areas. Flowers were also chosen for thirteen major cities:Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol,Cardiff, Edinburgh,Glasgow,Leeds, Liverpool, London,Manchester,Newcastle upon Tyne,Nottingham andSheffield. TheIsles of Scilly was also treated as a county (distinct from Cornwall) for the purpose of the scheme. TheIsle of Man was included, even though it is not a county, but a self-governing territory outside of the United Kingdom with an existing national flower: the ragwort orcushag.[131] TheChannel Islands were not included.
A total of 94 flowers were chosen in the competition. 85 of the 109 counties have a unique county flower, but several species were chosen by more than one county.Foxglove orDigitalis purpurea was chosen for four counties –Argyll, Birmingham,Leicestershire andMonmouthshire – more than any other species. The following species were chosen for three counties each:
And the following species were chosen for two counties:
In addition,Sticky CatchflyLychnis viscaria was chosen for both Edinburgh andMidlothian, the county containing Edinburgh.
For most counties,native species were chosen, but for a small number of counties,non-natives were chosen, mainlyarchaeophytes.
Theflame lily was designated as the national flower of the unrecognised state ofTamil Eelam by theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), because it contains all the colours contained in the Tamil Eelam national flag and because it grows during November, coinciding withMaaveerar Naal.[132]
No plant or flower seems to be among the current official symbols.[133] Some flowering plants from the area includeAlthaea armeniaca, Armenian Basket,Muscari armeniacum,Papaver lateritium, Armenian vartig (vargit), andTulipa armena.
Azerbaijan currently has no official national flower. Traditionally, various regions have different designations where national symbols are concerned. The city ofShusha named theKhari Bulbul (Ophrys caucasica) the floral emblem of theNagorno-Karabakh.[134]
The unofficial national flower ofBelarus is wild blueflax,[61]Centaurea.
China currently has no official national flower. Traditionally, various regions have different designations where national symbols are concerned.
In 1903, theQing dynasty named thepeony (牡丹) the floral emblem of the nation. The peony has long been considered a flower of wealth and honor in China.[citation needed]
The puppet stateManchukuo followed Japan's model of dual floral emblems: the "spring orchid" (Cymbidium goeringii) for the Emperor and the imperial household, and the sorghum blossom (Sorghum bicolor) for the state and the nation.[citation needed]
Theplum blossom,meihua (Chinese:梅花;pinyin:méihuā), has also been one of the most beloved flowers in Chinese culture. The Republic of China government named the plum blossom as the national flower in 1964.[42] The plum blossom is symbol for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum blossoms often bloom most vibrantly even amidst the harsh winter snow.[42][43][44]
The People's Republic of China, established in 1949, has not yet designated an official floral emblem. There have been several petitions in recent years to officially adopt one. However, the government has not taken any action yet. A poll in 2005 showed that 41% of the public supports peony as the national flower while 36% supported the plum blossom.[135] Some scholars have suggested that the peony and plum blossoms may be designated as dual national flowers. In addition, theorchid,jasmine,daffodil andchrysanthemum have also been held as possible floral symbols of China.
No flower has been officially declared as a national symbol. Unofficially therose and theorchid are claimed to hold that title.[136]
BothBlue Egyptian Lotus andWhite Egyptian Lotus are regarded asEgypt's national flowers, and they appear in manyAncient Egyptian paintings and monuments.[citation needed]
WhileFrance does not have an official national flower, thefleur-de-lis, which was a symbol of the royal family, as well as thecornflower (blue),marguerite (white), andred poppy, which together represent the tri-colorednational flag, are also generally treated as French national flowers.[citation needed]
In a 2018 public voteVernonia djalonensis was voted as the national flower ofGuinea, a decision which is currently awaiting government approval[137]
Japan's national government has never formally named a national flower, as with other symbols such as thegreen pheasant, which was named as national bird by a non-government body in 1947. In 1999, thenational flag andanthem werestandardised by law.
Ade facto national flower for Japan for many is thesakura (cherry blossom), while a stylised depiction of aChrysanthemum morifolium is used as the officialemblem of theimperial family (Imperial Seal of Japan). ThePaulownia blossom was also used by the imperial family in the past, but has since been appropriated by thePrime Minister and thegovernment in general (Government Seal of Japan).[citation needed]
While Vietnam does not have an official flower, four plants are traditional regarded as thefour graceful plants, namely: the lotus, the pine, bamboo, and the chrysanthemum.[12][138] The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is generally regarded as the unofficial national flower of Vietnam,[139] as portrayed, for example, on their postage stamps.[140] In Vietnamese tradition, the lotus is regarded asthe symbol of purity, commitment and optimism for the future.[12]
...Rose of Sharon is no longer the national flower, as in South Korea, but "mongnan" (magnolia). It is because [the rose of Sharon] cannot be grown for next generations with seeds, while [magnolia] can be.
The National Flower of Singapore is the Vanda Miss Joaquim (Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim), a hybrid orchid selected in 1981 for its vibrant colours and resilience.
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), and again the flag and lotus are on the bicentennial issue Scot #3233, Scott Standard Stamp Catalogue 2008 page 1032