Flower Symbolism More Favorite Flowers

Flower symbolism is a fascinating and ancient means of communicating a very personal message. The symbolism of flowers gives us a glimpse into the cultures and histories of people who have gathered and cultivated them. Amazing stories are associated with many flowers, including bluebells, marigolds, impatiens and poinsettias.

Bluebells are symbolic of humility and gratitude. They are associated with constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. Bluebells are also closely linked to the realm of fairies and are sometimes referred to as fairy thimbles. To call fairies to a convention, the bluebells would be rung.

Bluebells can be found in North America, Western Europe and North Africa. In some areas they are referred to as wild hyacinths. Bluebells grow in forests, grasslands, mountainsides, along the ocean and in brush areas. Bluebells are members of the lily family and native to Portugal and Spain. A favorite flower around the world for many centuries, the bluebell is a particularly beloved flower in Britain.

Bluebells are easy to grow, can handle both sun and shade and even thrive in neglected gardens. Bluebells are usually grown from bulbs and reproduce by creating smaller offset bulbs as well as seeds. Bluebells will also grow in pots, tubs and urns.

Bluebells normally flower early in the year from April through June. The delicate flowers hang from a central stem. The plant also features narrow leaves in light to medium green. Many butterflies just leaving winter hibernation are fans of the bluebell's nectar. To add some fairy charm to your garden, try growing a few of these unique and beloved flowers!

Marigolds are known as the Herb of the Sun and are symbolic of passion and creativity. The Welsh believed that if marigolds were not open early in the morning, then a storm was on the way. Marigolds have been used as love charms and incorporated into wedding garlands. Water made from marigolds was thought to induce psychic visions of fairies if rubbed on the eyelids. In some cultures, marigold flowers have been added to pillows to encourage prophetic or psychic dreams.

The marigold is also associated with the lion and the astrological sign Leo. Early Christians named the flower Mary's Gold and offered the blossoms in place of money at the foot of her statues. The Portuguese introduced marigolds into India. Eventually the flower was offered to the Hindu gods Vishnu and Lakshmi. The marigold is also considered to be sacred among the Aztec Indians, who decorate their temples with the flower.

The marigold was once thought to protect against the plague and to be effective in stopping gossip. Interestingly, the marigold can also symbolize cruelty and jealousy. When used in combination with spells, however, the marigold is an anti-dote for the sharp-tongued and promotes cheery conversations.

Marigolds can be found in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Marigolds can adapt to a wide range of conditions, but prefer full sun and rich soils.

The leaves of marigolds have been used to remove warts. Marigolds are also grown and harvested in Mexico to be added to chicken feed. Chickens eating marigold-enriched feed produce eggs with a deep yellow color. The flesh of chickens fed marigolds also take on a rich color to make them more appealing for human consumption.

The blossoms themselves are quite edible for humans, too, and are often used in egg and cheese dishes. The blossoms can be used to make a yellow dye for fabric.

The marigold is a hardy plant with yellow, orange or rusty red blooms. Marigolds are grown from seeds and range in height from 6 to 36 inches. The blossoms can be from 1/2 inch to 5 inches across.

Marigolds have what many people consider to be a disagreeable odor. Some varieties have been bred to be odor-free, but this negates their use as a plant that wards off insects in gardens. Marigolds are a favorite garden flower with men and a useful, cheerful addition to many types of gardens.

Impatiens flowers come in a wide variety of forms including flat flowers and orchid-like shapes. Impatiens flowers are traditionally symbolic of motherly love. In the medieval Mary gardens devoted to the Virgin Mary, impatiens plants were called Our Lady's earrings.

Many species of impatiens grow only in very narrow climatic ranges and will not grow in other geographical locations. There are approximately 1,000 species of impatiens flowers, but only a few are normally grown in modern gardens. Impatiens flowers come in many different colors from reds to blues to near blacks and browns. Many species are difficult to grow from seed. Instead, impatiens flowers are often grown from cuttings.

Impatiens plants have a strange ability to change sex. The impatiens flower is male when it first opens. After a few days the pollen cap is shed and reveals female organs. This process is to keep the plant from self-pollination. However, it doesn't always work. Some species naturally set seed without even opening their flowers. Other species are self-sterile.

Another unique features of the impatiens plant is the explosive nature of the seed pods. Under extreme pressure, the ripe pods explode when they are disturbed. This scatters the seeds as much as twenty feet from the parent plant!

Impatiens flowers grow in highly specific ecological niches. Some forms epiphytes in trees. The plants rely on the tree for mechanical support but not nutrients, which they produce themselves. The plants are therefore not truly parasitic. Other impatiens plants are hardy perennials with underground rhizomes and tubers. This allows them to survive bitter freezing temperatures in arctic climates. Some impatiens plants are semi-aquatics that grow in edges of streams.

Perhaps the most well known symbolic flower is the poinsettia. The ancient Aztecs considered the poinsettia to be a symbol of purity. Today, poinsettias are the most easily recognized flower symbolic of Christmas. Poinsettias are also known as the Christmas flower and Mexican flame leaf.

Poinsettias originally came from Mexico and Central America. According to legend, one day near Christmas a child who was too poor to buy a present for the Christ child picked a weed from the side of the road. When he reached the church, the plant blossomed in red and green flowers.

The bright petals of poinsettias are actually leaves or bracts, and the flowers themselves are very small and yellow. The Mexican poinsettia is bright red, but poinsettias also come in cream, yellow, pink and peach.

Poinsettias are named after Dr. Joel R. Poinsett, a US ambassador to Mexico who introduced the plant to the United States. Recent research has shown that poinsettias are not poisonous, as they were long believed to be. Poinsettias can grow to a height of 16' and thrive in climates where the temperature remains between 50 and 70F.

All of these unique flowers can be beautiful additions to your home or garden, and knowing their interesting stories and the symbolism associated with them can make them great conversation pieces, too!



By Kathleen Karlsen