An A-Z Bouquet

By Ella Wong

Amaryllis

The amaryllis—referring here to flowers in the genus hippeastrum—is a stunningly bold, trumpet-like bloom, typically red, pink, or white; the word derives from Greek amaryssein, meaning to sparkle.

A common myth holds that these vibrant flowers were named after Amaryllis of Greek mythology, a maiden who fell fervently in love with shepherd and flower-enthusiast Alteo.

Alteo declared that whoever could bring him a flower he’d never seen before would win his love. Amaryllis sought advice from the Oracle of Delphi, who told her she needed to sacrifice her own blood for Alteo’s love. She stood before his house and pierced her heart with a golden arrow, night after night. On the thirtieth day, scarlet flowers grew from her blood; the amaryllis that won her Alteo’s heart.

However, some doubt the authenticity of this myth and claim it was manufactured long after the Ancient Greeks, possibly as a marketing strategy.

Although Amaryllis was actually an Ancient Greek girl’s name, and the name of a shepherdess in Latin poet Virgil’s Eclogues, hippeastrum flowers are native to Central and South America; and the amaryllis belladonna (a separate species in a separate genus) are native to South Africa. There's little evidence to suggest the Ancient Greeks, who lived all the way in the Mediterranean, encountered this flower early or often enough to grow mythology around it.

Nonetheless, the amaryllis is a gorgeously named flower, and its myth, whether truly Ancient or more modern, remains a thought-provoking story of devotion.

Baby’s breath

Used to adorn wedding bouquets and baby showers, baby’s breath is a symbol of an enduring relationship; representing everlasting love, innocence and hope. As a filler flower in floral arrangements, they could be a message of support and companionship; as a central flower, they create a whimsical, charming aesthetic.

Baby’s breath grows best in soils rich in gypsum, a sulfate mineral, and is incredibly resilient to environmental conditions.

White baby’s breath is easily dyed myriad colours. Simply cut the stem at a 45º angle, place in a 6:1 mixture of water to food colouring, and let sit until they reach your desired pastel shade. The sprigs of delicate, small flowers can now be transported into clear water, and you’re done!

They’re also easy to press and dry between the pages of a book; truly an enduring and endearing gift.

Camellia

First known to be cultivated in China and Japan for both ornamental and medicinal use, the camellia is associated with love, affection, and loyalty, for the way its petals and sepals fall together when the blossom wilts.

This elegant, beautiful flower serves culinary use as well. Camellia sinensis bears forth an incredible diversity of teas. Here are just a few.

Green tea is brewed from camellia sinensis var sinensis leaves, gently steamed or roasted, then rolled and dried. Depending on the specific preparation process and harvest times, there are many varieties of green tea such as hojicha, sencha and longjing.

Black tea, such as assam tea, is made from camellia sinensis var assamica leaves allowed to wither, before being crushed, rolled and dried.

White tea is created only from young camellia buds, left to wither, and then baked, rolled and dried.

We have the camellia plant to thank for oolong, pu’er, darjeeling and yellow tea too.

Dahlia

In Victorian floriography (the language of flowers), dahlias embodied devotion, love and beauty. Their ability to bloom after many flowers have already died is seen as a symbol of commitment and inner strength.

The dahlia was grown by the Aztec people for their starchy tubers as a food source. Their tubers also contain inulin, a soluble fiber and prebiotic. Inulin can be taken today as a supplement to help manage blood glucose. The Aztecs named the dahlia acocoxochitl, meaning “water pipe flower”, because they used the hollow stems of dahlia imperialis to transport water.

Echeveria

As a succulent, echeveria thrives off sunlight. When they receive sufficient light, their compact body grows rosy at the tips.

Their ancestors hail from the Mexican desert, and they store water in their thick leaves, stem and roots. Because of this, they’re easy to overwater; mirroring how it’s important to pay attention to a partner’s specific needs, wants and love languages. After all, a healthy amount of water for, say a rose, might not be what an echeveria needs.

Forget-me-not

Forget-me-nots represent a promise you’ll keep your significant other in your heart and your thoughts. In Hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, forget-me-nots mean true love and remembrance.

According to medieval legend, a knight was strolling along a river bank with his lady love. Upon bending to pick her a pretty blue flower, his heavy armour made him fall into the river. Before he was swept away by the current, he threw the flowers to his lady and called to her not to forget him. The flowers were henceforth known as forget-me-not.

Curiously, the sentiment of these small blooms’ English name is also incorporated into their names in German, Spanish and Icelandic: vergissmeinnicht, nomeolvides, and gleym mér ei respectively.

Galanthus

Also known as snowdrops, galanthus means “milk flower.” This white flower comprised Queen Victoria’s bouquet on her wedding day to Prince Albert.

When wild snowdrops begin to flower, it’s a sign Winter is drawing to an end, evoking connotations of hope and new beginnings. The galanthus is one of two birth flowers for January, the other being carnations.

In Greek mythology, after Persephone, goddess of Spring, was abducted by Hades, god of the Underworld, to be his wife, she returned to the realm of the living carrying snowdrops—leading to the flowers’ ambiguous symbolism of both life and death.

Hydrangea

According to Japanese legend, an emperor gifted the girl he loved gorgeous blue hydrangeas as a heartfelt apology for neglecting her in favour of work. This birthed hydrangea’s connotations of sincere apology, gratitude and deep care. Hydrangeas have double-faced meanings, with associations of arrogance and vanity in Europe.

Interestingly, hydrangeas are natural pH indicators. In more acidic soils, hydrangeas are blue. In weakly acidic soils, hydrangeas can be purple or a mix of pink and blue. And in neutral or more basic soils, hydrangeas are pink.

Ivy

Ivy is a perennial plant that, once bound to a plant or structure, doesn’t let go, symbolising fidelity and faithfulness.

It is the titular plant in The Ivy Crown, a poem by William Carlos Williams on the pursuit of love and life. In the poem, love is a choice: “We will it so / and so it is / past all accident.”

This beautiful poem makes ivy’s symbolism all the more poignant.

Jasmine

Jasmine flowers symbolise young love and grace, and its sweet fragrance is associated with sensuality and passion.

Jasmine tea promotes heart health, lowers the risk of cancer and protects against stroke, and jasmine oil can act as a mosquito repellent.

Kikyo

Embodying mature, eternal love; honesty; and the wish for a friend’s return in Hanakotoba, this vivid, bell-shaped flower is a common motif on kimonos and obi, and is regarded as one of the seven traditional Japanese flowers of Autumn.

Kikyo are also called Chinese bellflowers and balloon flowers, for their buds reminiscent of hot air balloons. They’re the stars of this evocative haiku by Kyoko Kaneko:

“under thunderheads

the purple of the bellflowers

begins to sway”

Kikyo are also called Chinese bellflowers and balloon flowers, for their buds reminiscent of hot air balloons.

Its roots are used in Chinese medicine to treat respiratory conditions, congestion, pus and inflammation. Hong Kong is the Southernmost region of this flower’s distribution range.

Limonium

These papery, delicate blooms symbolise remembrance. Limonium grows in saline soils, such as along the coast. When hung upside down, they make dried flowers that last and retain their colour for years, making them the perfect gift as a keepsake.

Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet is also called bridewort, because it was traditionally used for bridal garlands and strewn in weddings or handfasting ceremonies. The flowers were known for their sweet fragrance, and were used to flavour mead, beer, wine, and other drinks; in fact, the name meadowsweet originated from the name “meadesweet”, as it was used to sweeten mead.

All parts of the meadowsweet plant contain salicylate compounds, compounds created by the plant to protect against diseases, and in humans have anti-inflammatory effects. In 1897, Felix Hoffman synthesised acetylsalicylic acid—better known as Aspirin—by using salicin from the meadowsweet plant and the willow tree. Aspirin’s name comes from meadowsweet’s botanical name at the time; spiraea ulmaria. Today, the drug is used to treat fever, inflammation and pain.

Narcissus

A popular decorative flower at Lunar New Year, narcissus blooms symbolise good fortune, prosperity, renewal and perseverance, and announce the arrival of Spring.

The name “narcissus” comes from a well-known Greek myth, that of Narcissus; a beautiful youth born to the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope.

Echo was a nymph cursed by Hera; when she spoke, she could only repeat others’ last words. She was infatuated with Narcissus, and when he spurned her love, she faded away until only her voice remained; as the echo we know today.

One day, as he was gazing into a pond, Narcissus fell deeply in love with his own reflection. Unable to grasp his own beauty in the water, he pined away. When he died, the flower narcissus sprouted beside the spring.

The narcissus is one of two birth flowers for December, the other being holly.

Oriental Lily

With large, elegant petals curling out, the oriental lily can grow up to an astonishing 152 cm high. They’re popular for their strong fragrance.

Oriental lilies are true lilies, and depending on the colour of their blooms their symbolism can change. For example, red lilies often represent passion and love; white lilies fertility and innocence; yellow lilies playfulness and gratitude; and so on.

Peony

Denoting love, honour, and a happy marriage, and a motif to represent wealth and prosperity, peonies are prized for their exquisite colours and globular petals.

According to Greek mythology, peonies are named after the god Paeon; a skilled physician who healed Hades’ and Ares’ wounds, using a milky liquid extracted from a beautiful flower. However, Asclepius, Paeon’s teacher and god of medicine, grew bitter and jealous of Paeon, believing his student to be undermining and threatening him.

Asclepius threatened to kill Paeon, to neutralise this threat, and in answer Zeus turned Paeon into the beautiful flowers he’d used to help Hades and Ares; this flower was henceforth known as the peony, in order to protect him.

Peonies are the official flower for a 12th wedding anniversary.

Quince

There are two kinds of quince; chaenomeles, which flower in shrubs and are grown for ornamental use, and cydonia oblonga, which grow in trees and, though also flowering, are more often cultivated for their fruits. Here, we focus on the cydonia oblonga.

As a symbol of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, quince fruits represent love and fertility. When they begin to grow golden, the pectin-rich fruits are commonly cooked and made into jam and jellies for consumption.

Some believe that the golden apples of Hesperides in Greek mythology were actually quince fruits. The word “aeppel” in Middle English referred not only to apples, but to any kind of fruit that weren’t berries; so it’s entirely possible that unnamed fruits of the past were coined apples and, as language evolved, this understanding was lost.

Rose

The classic flower of love. Roses are often metaphors for love; their gorgeous blossoms come at the risk of thorns, just as love comes at the risk of heartbreak. These iconic flowers feature in poignant literature such as The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde.

Roses’ colours are keys to their symbolism; red roses are for love and passion, often romantic. White roses for innocence, yellow for friendship, and purple for splendor, are just a few examples, with countless nuances and diverse interpretations in between.

The rose remains a popular flower for Valentine’s Day, making up an estimated third of global flower stem sales on February 14th.

Saffron

Saffron crocuses flower in Autumn, their petals opening in vibrant purples and lilacs. Their bright red stigmas are harvested and sold as a spice, for medicinal uses, and as a colouring agent. A whopping 150 flowers are required to produce just 1 gram of dry saffron, known as red gold because of its price; saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.

Although more research is needed, saffron crocus shows promise in treating mild depression, and as such is associated with joy and happiness.

Tulips

Symbolising deep, lasting love, beauty and elegance, tulips have long been a coveted commodity.

In the Dutch Golden Age, tulips sparked what became known as the “Tulipomania”. The flowers were imported from Central Asia and admired for their vivid colouring and the exciting, novel air about them. Because tulips developed much faster when grown from bulb than from seed, the cost of tulip bulbs skyrocketed and bulbs became highly valuable and desirable.

At the time, in the mid 17th century, the Dutch economy was faring spectacularly. Dutch merchants had money to spare and a growing taste for luxurious collector’s items, such as tulip bulbs. They paid exorbitant sums for bulbs, in the hopes of selling them off for even larger sums. The price of tulips jumped, and eventually crashed.

Some sources claim the collapse ruined the Dutch economy and destroyed entire fortunes. However, others argue that this is a massive exaggeration, inflating the real events to serve as a cautionary tale against greed. Only those who could afford to—wealthy merchants and successful craftsmen—were involved in the luxury trade, and the dramatic tulip price drop didn’t lead to crippling damage considering their wealth; at least not to their fortunes. People who retracted their promises to buy tulip bulbs for remarkable prices took a blow to their reputation, in an economy and culture largely centered around credibility. What truly happened is subject to further research.

Over the years, tulips were incorporated so thoroughly into Netherlands’ trade, craft and art that the flower is almost synonymous with the country. Today, the Netherlands is the world’s main producer of commercial tulip plants.

Ursinia

This small, warmly hued flower means innocent love in Victorian floriography.

Ursinia attracts pollinating bees with a “blue halo” effect. Essentially, bees prefer flowers ranging from blue to violet in colour because they tend to produce more nectar; but it’s hard for plants to have blue flowers. Blue is the rarest colour in nature, because there’s no one true blue pigment that occurs in nature.

So instead, ursinia and many other flowering plants have nanoscale structures on their petals that reflect and scatter blue or UV light, making them more attractive to potential pollinators.

Viola tricolor

Commonly called wild pansy, viola tricolor symbolises thought in Victorian floriography; thinking of someone you love, platonically or romantically. In the Shakespeare plays The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, viola tricolor is called love-in-idleness.

Pansies are linked to fertility and Venus, goddess of love in Roman mythology.

Wild pansy flowers are edible, and often used decoratively to top desserts and salads.

Wisteria

In Hanakotoba, purple wisteria means “drunk on your love.”

Fuji Musume, a famous Kabuki dance, is an originally five part dance performance. The story begins with a man strolling down the streets of Otsu, his attention snagging on a painting of a gorgeous wisteria maiden. As he admires the painting, the Wisteria Maiden grows more and more infatuated, dancing right out of the painting in a black lacquer hat. She pens heartfelt letters to her love, but he never answers. Through dance, she expresses the depth of her unrequited love; her anguish and despair, until at last, heartbroken—she returns to the realm of her painting.

Never bring wisteria to anyone sick in Japan; apart from deep love, they also evoke connotations of “incurable”.

Xeranthemum

Xeranthemum typically blooms from Summer through to Autumn, a relatively long time, and they make enduring dried flowers that retain their colour; giving birth to its associations of everlasting love and eternity.

Yarrow

Embodying the messages of healing and love, yarrow is a medicinal plant. Leaves, crushed or chewed into a poultice, can be applied to wounds to staunch bleeding. Yarrow was historically used in war as a battlefield remedy.

Yarrow tea may ease menstrual cramps and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Zinnia

Zinnia represents friendship, lasting affection, and remembrance. Zinnias grow quickly and easily, flourish with a long bloom time throughout Summer, and shine in a dazzling array of fresh colours.