They were surrounded by barren land which made them weep and as God took pity, He sent an angel to sprinkle them with snow and where the snow fell grew tiny, delicate snowdrops (4).Īlthough roses are given as gifts especially during Valentine’s Day, violet, in the English version, is the symbolic flower of February. Because of its medicinal property to treat aches, the flower has become a symbol of courage and when given as a gift, it helps one create new opportunities for happiness.Ī biblical story tells about the time when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. When it comes to symbolism of snowdrop, it is seen as the symbol of hope owing to the fact that they have the ability to bloom and make it through the harsh cold season. They are currently protected against international trade and efforts have been exerted to grow and propagate these beautiful winter plants (4). elwesii, with larger flowers and plant growing up to 16” in height.Īlthough over 1000 cultivars exist today, these delicate plants are now considered endangered. nivalis, with small dainty flowers in a 3-6” tall plant and G. Snowdrops only have about 20 known species. The delicate flowers give the plant its charm and masses of this plant are grown to make gardens and pathwalks pop (4). The plant is native to Europe and Asia Minor and was widely used as a remedy to arthritis and digestive problems. The genus name, Galanthus, translates to milk flower referring to the flower’s color. Snowdrops grow from bulbs, a known characteristic of the small family of Amaryllis. In the cold of winter, snowdrops are among the flowers that bloom that’s why the Americans associated them with the first month of the year. From then on, pink carnations became a symbol of mother’s love and are worn on Mother’s Day (1). As Jesus carried his cross, the Virgin Mary cried and where her tears fell sprung pink carnations. There is a Christian legend that tells about how the pink carnation first appeared on earth. Red means admiration, white means pure love and remembrance, striped denotes regret or refusal while yellow is both cheerful and rejection. In general, carnations mean distinction, love, and fascination. The fringed and deeply-scented flower of carnation has different meanings and comes in various colors. The three most cultivated kinds of carnations are annual carnations, border carnations, and perpetual-flowering carnations.Ĭarnations are perennial by nature but because of hybridization, they have developed an annual flowering habit producing continuous blooms especially in greenhouses.īorder carnations are generally planted in gardens and are the oldest carnation still being cultivated while the perpetual flowering carnations are the newest form.īreeder William Sim developed the popular perpetual flowering carnations, the Sim series, which became the basis of varieties used in the international cut flower market (3). The carnation plant is native to Europe and Asia and today, the world’s major areas of production are Colombia and China (2). The common name, carnation, may be attributed to “coronation” or “corone” since the flowers were used as garlands by the early Greeks and Romans (1). It is one of the classic flowers popularly cultivated all over the world.įrom the botanical family Caryophyllaceae, its scientific name is Dianthus caryophyllus from the Greek words “dios” and “anthos” and translates to “flower of the gods”. In the English version, carnation is the flower of people born in the month of January. They say flowers are given as substitutes for words and to learn about birth flowers brings a whole new meaning to flower giving, making one appreciate the flowers and the loved ones they are given to even more. The use of flowers to convey messages have become a popular tradition, especially in England and America that they both developed their own styles and versions of flower meanings. Throughout history, significant flowers have been selected to represent the months of the year because of their botanical significance, the stories associated with them, and their connotations. Like the zodiacs and gemstones, these flowers have their unique features and are believed to bestow certain characteristics to the individual born on their represented month.
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