Three National Flowers

As you know, tomorrow is Easter, and I always thought of Spring as the season of new beginnings, with nature’s bold colours coming to life. Nature is one of my favourite subjects to write about, but today, I’m writing about the national flowers of countries and the meaning behind them. My first question was: Does every country have a national flower? The answer is no, but the ones that do are symbols related to history, culture or native to the country.

Rose:

The USA declared the red rose the nation’s flower in 1986, and each state adopted a type, such as the wild prairie rose in Iowa and North Dakota and the Cherokee rose in Georgia. Historically and politically, the red rose is tied to the White House rose garden, where announcements and updates are given to the press.

Red Carnation:

Red Carnation AKA as the flower of Spain, the scientific name Dianthus Caryophyllus coming from the Geek language ‘dianthus” which translate to flower of the Gods and in Latin “carnation” meaning the incarnation of God. Spain, being predominantly of Catholic beliefs, has a religious metaphor for the blood of Christ. Each colour represents something, such as the white one’s purity and luck.

Cheirolophus Crassifolius:

Cheirolophus Crassifolius is the national flower of my country, Malta. In Maltese, the name for it is Widnet il-Baħar, which translates to the sea’s ears. This name is likely due to its habitat, which is coastal cliffs and rocky ground, especially on the western cliffs of Malta. It became our national flower symbol in 1971; I thought it was older since I remember it on one of our coins when we used the “Lira” as currency. It’s endemic to us. Therefore, it grows only here and is a protected species. I also read that it is in the same family as daisies and sunflowers.