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symbolism of flowers
dahlia - ASTERACEAE
rose - ROSACEAE
lily flower - LILIACEAE
mums - ASTERACEAE
orchid - ORCHIDACEAE
sunflower - ASTERACEAE
tulips - LILIACEAE
peony - PAEONIACEAE
The SYMBOLISM of flowers
Floriography (language of flowers) is the ability of a flower to symbolize and communicate a range of sentiments, ideas, and feelings. Throughout our history, people believe flowers hold power and meaning.This symbolism appears from hieroglyphs, mythology, ikebana, Selam, paintings, poems, to kitchen tiles and stamps.
The beliefs, color variety, floral combinations is vast, therefore in this class, we focus on the origin story for each flower. The symbolism is demonstrated through historical travels, myths, cultural traditions, and visual art.
3250-3300 BCE- HIEROGLYPHS - Flowers were very important in Egyptian culture, ceremony, tradition, & represented in Hieroglyhs
794-1185 - HANAKOTOBA - "flower words" in Japan. A subtle way to communicate meaning with flowers - Heian Period (ikebana is emerging at this time)
1600 - SELAM - In a restricted culture flowers were used to secretly express feelings and ideas - Ottomon Empire (Turks, also included Arabs, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians, & other minorities)
1819 - Le Language des Fleurs, an encyclopedia of flowers and their meanings
1829 - Symbolical Language of Flowers - Almira H. Lincoln Phelps’s Familiar Lectures on Botany: Explaining the Structure, Classification, and Uses of Plants, with a Flora for Practical Botanists
1837-1901 - Victorian era when public displays of affection were not acceptable 1. symbolic meaning: flower/color/arrangement/presentation/quantity/condition 2. floral dictionaries to create and decipher
2024 - Floral Folklore written by Alison Davies
family - ASTERACEAE
genus - Dahlia
SYMBOLISM:
pride
elegance
beauty
creativity
inner strength
DAHLIA
DAHLIA
ORIGIN: Mexico / Central America
cocoxichtle in Nuatle - water tube flower
HISTORY:
1345-1521 - Aztecs used Dahlia stems to carry water. tubers eaten as food and medicine. Traditional alfombra (carpet) art made from flower heads. Nation flower of Mexico - botanical richness and culture of Mexico - pride
1500 - tree Dahlias brought back to Spain from Mexico and Guatemalan mountains by King Phillip II
1800 - introduced to Queen Victoria in England (elegance and grace as one of her favorite flowers)
TODAY - The Netherlands are the leading producer of Dahlias. There are over 57,000 different registered cultivars! - beauty & creativity
MEDICINE: INULIN - reduces glucose levels (2) SULFURETIN - fights multiple sclerosis & some cancers (2) cooking water can be saved for: teas, coffee, chocolate, fruit drinks (3) - inner strength
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
flower head / inflorescent- composite flower w/ cone and ray florets - one head per stem
leaves - compound and opposite (typically), long petiole, serrated margin
root system - tuber w/ "eye"/bud for reproduction (perennial)
COLOR: no blue!
National Flower of Mexico
1976 stamp
alfombra art from Huamantla, Mexico
"Dahlias" by Claude Monet created in 1883 (impressionist)
vintage botanical illustration
($1.25 for 4 images! on etsy)
Resources:
molaa.org 2. journal of biological chemistry 3. milkwood.com 4. saffronmarigold.com 5. americanscientist.org 6. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ 7. http://www.cuexcomate.com/
ideas to consider:
Do you have a Dahlia story? If yes, what senses and colors are included in this memory? If not, what do you want it to be?
family - ROSACEAE
genus - Rosa
SYMBOLISM:
love
passion
adoration
devotion
Rose
Rose
ORIGIN: The rose originates in the northern hemisphere 35 million years ago (antarctic sheets first forming and Himalayas were young - big diversity and changes).
HISTORY:
-1299-1922 - Ottoman Empire - cultivate for rose water, deserts (turkish delight), used in weddings and religious celebrations - adoration
Syria farming legacy, cultivation of the Damask rose (cultivated for it's smell), celebration, medicine, & song in Arabic: "the roses are wondering who will have them. I promise you, my roses, only the sweetest & the most beautiful deserve you, I tell them..."
*Damask common name comes from Damaskus, the capital of Syria
-5-15 C - The Middle Ages - Christianity devotion and association with the purity of the virgin Mary (Christianity, crusades, & black death)
-1480 - The Birth of Venus, the ancient creek Goddess of love, painted by Botticelli ("Ancient times"
-1700 - China rose came to Europe wild rose becomes cultivated and changes from the "old rose" to the "modern rose"
LOCAL - Portland is the city of Rose - test garden set up to protect the roses from WWI
MEDICINE:
petals: salad & tea (eye wash is good for irritated eyes)
rosehips: syrups & jam (antimicrobial = helps the bodies immune system & diuretic = increases the flow of urine)
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
flower head / inflorescent- wild have 5 petals, are open, & pollinated - cultivated roses are "rosette" like/closed to pollinators (the stamens have been modified into petals)
leaves - compound and opposite
root system - rhizome (perennial) and hearty
ottomon empire (Mediterranean area) - 476AD-1600AD
The Birth of Venus
ancient greek goddess of love painted by Botticelli, 1480 (renaissance)
Elizabeth Blackwell
1707-1758 - A Curious Herbal
Georgia O'Keeffe
1957 - Rose
rose resources: 1. Held by the Land- a guide to indigenous plants for wellness by Leigh Joseph 2. Kew gardens - wild at heart 2. https://www.dailysabah.com/ 3. world history.com
further thought:
How did the rose become a symbol of passion? What color draws you in?
family - LILIACEAE
genus - Lilum
SYMBOLISM:
love
innocence
purity
fertility
rebirth
Lilly
Lilly
ORIGIN: native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America. Some fossil records suggest lilies have existed for at least 58 million years, but their widespread cultivation began roughly 3,000 years ago. Some evidence, however, suggests that they were grown as early as the second millennium BCE in Asia Minor for both ornamental and medicinal purposes. - Thursd.com
over 100 Lily species
3250-3300 BC Egyptian garlans - possibly the blue lotus?
1550 BC Minoan fresco - possibly crocus/saffron?
800-146 BC Ancient Greece, the Lily was connected to Goddess Hera - purity & motherhood
Persian Lily - Fritillaria persica is a Middle Eastern species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to southern Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and Israel.
Modanna lily (Lilium candidum) often painted without pistil and stamen - purity
Lily Asiatic - native to several areas in Asia - Hong Kong Lily / Chinese Lily "bai he" - "unity of spirits and 100 years of love" - The Princess Lily - Chinese Folktale - love & innocence
Lily oriental - native to Japan (stronger smell and larger flowers) - Japanese Lily festival in Sakai city every June ("Yuri" is Lily in Japanese)
Native PNW Lily: 8 species of Lily grow naturally in Oregon
MEDICINE: Chinese Lily (Lilium brownii) "BAI HE" is considered a super food and herbal remedy -
Treating sore throat, hoarseness, and other respiratory conditions -Promoting digestion and treating stomach ulcers
-Reducing inflammation and treating skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis -Improving vision and reducing eye fatigue
-Enhancing the immune system and promoting overall health and vitality -Lily contains a variety of nutrients, including carbohydrates, protein, fat, and dietary fiber. -It is also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin B1, calcium, and potassium. Additionally, lily contains a variety of active compounds, including saponins, polysaccharides, and alkaloids, that are believed to have medicinal properties.
Chinese LilyLilium brownii var. viridulum - petals can be candied, sauteed, dried or raw
orange Lily - Hemerocallis fulva - similar to zucchini & asparagus too much can be a laxative
tiger Lily Lilium lancifolium - roots sauteed with high nutrients
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
flower head / inflorescent- 6 petals made up of 3 outer calyx (each is called a sepal). 6 stamen and 1 fused pistil
leaves - simple with parallel veins, & no petiole/leaf stem ("sessile")
root system - perennial bulbs
Minoan (reconstructed) painting at the (Greek) palace of Knossos - 1550 BC crocus/safron?
spring fresco - santorini (1500 BCE)
lily, papyrus, or crocus?
flower of life - gold chalice found in Marlic burials - 15 c BC
lily?
Madonna Lily - by Melozzo da Forli in the Pantheon, Italy - 1470
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎
Japanese, 1760-1849
(famous tsunami block print artist)
Marianne North - Night Flowering Lily and Ferns, Jamaica 1872 (painting nature in nature!)
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent - 1885 (American)
Mary Vaux Walcott, Columbia Lily (Lilium columbianum), 1925, American considered the audubon of botany
Resources:
International Journal of Agricultures & Nutrition
family - ORCHIDACEAE
genus - Corallorhiza
species- mertensiana Bong.
common name: western coralroot is native to Oregon
photo credit: Gerald D. Carr
SYMBOLISM:
patience
acceptance
resilience
healing power of nature
-Verena an Orchid expert after her parents lost The Madeira Jardim Orquidea to fire in 2016
ORCHID
ORCHID
ORIGIN: Northern hemisphere 85 million years ago (living 20 million years with dinosaurs)
HISTORY:
If plants were conscious and capable of intelligence, orchids would be the most wise of them all
If plants were conscious and capable of intelligence, orchids would be the most wise of them all
successfully survived a number of mass extinctions - resilience
30,000 different wild orchid species, they made up 10% of the total number of plant species on Earth
100,000 hybrids and cultivated varieties (cultivars) that exist today
these ancient and variable plants do not need soil, (epiphyte) can trick bees and fungi, and use humans to multiply their diversity and distribution (orchidelirium)
-Darwin's dilemma - so many seeds but so few survivors - wild orchids need unique fungus 1. from original location and 2. enough of it
-"orchidelirium" / Orchid fever in the Victorian era
-named after the Greek word for testicles
-"An orchid in a deep forest sends out its fragrance even if no one is around to appreciate it" - Confucius
LOCAL: 28 native orchid species in Oregon - oregonflora.org has maps! How many more are in the trees?
*all orchids grow in association with specific fungi, and these fungi are rarely present out of the orchids' original home - never collect from their native habitats
MEDICINE: The main flavor molecule in vanilla, vanillin, has antimicrobial properties.
Vanilla has been used as an aphrodisiac and stimulant, and to relieve fevers and aid digestion
Perfumers copy orchid fragrances for cosmetics or laundry powder aromas
Ma Lin Chinese
second quarter of the 13th century
Goodyera pubescens by Blanche Ames. Rhodora, 1922, plate 135.
Debora Moore shaping blown glass
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
flower head / inflorescent- 6 petals made up of 3 outer calyx (each is called a sepal). Inner Corolla (petals) include lip to guide pollinators. Pistil and stamen fused to form a reproductive "column". Ovary is in the peduncle
leaves - simple with parallel veins, thick with smooth margin
root system - epiphyte lives on trees not in soil
Resources:
https://oregonflora.org/taxa/index.php?taxon=176 2. https://www.kew.org/about-us/press-media/orchids-dinosaurs 3. The Wild Orchids of North America, North of Mexico 4.https://www.kew.org/plants/vanilla 5. https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/four-women-dedicated-science-and-art-orchids
family - ASTERACEAE
genus - Helianthus
speices- annuus
etymology: helio= sun + anthus = flower
SYMBOLISM:
loyalty
devotion
happiness
SUNLOWER
SUNLOWER
ORIGIN: North America / Mexico
HISTORY: "chimalacatl" (shield reed) or "chimalxochitl" (shield flower)
3000 BC - propagated in the Americas
Aztecs shields and illustrated in Aztec codices - loyalty & devotion
story of Chimalxochitl II - royalty of the Aztec empire. Her name in Nautle is sunflower.
1510 - ornamental garden set up in Madrid, Spain
~1550 - illustrated by Francisco Hernanez - 4 bks of nature & virtues of plants & animals
1698 - Peter the Great introducing the sunflower to Russia via Holland
1996 - Throughout Ukraine’s history, the flower has been used as a symbol of peace. In June 1996, to celebrate Ukraine giving up nuclear weapons, U.S., Russian and Ukrainian defense ministers planted sunflowers in a ceremony at southern Ukraine’s Pervomaysk missile base - happiness
MEDICINE: Coarsely textured sunflower leaves are medicinal, growing more bitter and potent as they age. For headaches, the large leaves can be blanched and draped over the forehead warm or cool, according to preference. The warm infusion is diaphoretic: It induces a sweat and brings down heat. A traditional curandero (healer) might treat a fever by rubbing a sunflower leaf liniment over the body with friction, then wrapping the person up in blankets to elicit sweating.
The leaf is also used as an expectorant. A leaf syrup or simple decoction can be taken to clear the phlegm of bronchitis, and dried leaves added to herbal smoke or tobacco leaves facilitate expectoration.
Sunflower leaves are astringent and can be used to dress and dry out a wound. A spit poultice is a quick remedy for bee stings, itchy insect bites, and scrapes. The leaves can be soaked in rum to make a liniment for achy, swollen joints and sprains. A similar remedy calls for sunflower greens and cayenne soaked in alcohol or vinegar to be used as an embrocation, a pain-relieving liquid like a liniment, to rub into sore muscles. The yellow rays surrounding the flower disk are rich in flavonoids, and an infusion of these petals can nourish healthy collagen. A flower infusion also makes a restorative gargle for bleeding gums or a sore throat.
Seed was ground or pounded into flour for cakes, mush or bread. The seed was also cracked and eaten for a snack. There are references of squeezing the oil from the seed and using the oil in making bread.
Non-food uses include purple dye for textiles, body painting and other decorations. Parts of the plant were used medicinally ranging from snakebite to other body ointments. The oil of the seed was used on the skin and hair. The dried stalk was used as a building material. The plant and the seeds were widely used in ceremonies.
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
flower head / inflorescent- composite flower w/ cone and ray florets - one head per stem
leaves - simple, broad, pinnate/ "webbed" veins, serrated margin, large heart shape leaves towards the bottom of plant
root system - deep taproot
not a seed but a fruit!
pre-hispanic sunflower motifs
Flowers as banquet gifts (notice the sunflower in the centre), Florentine Codex Book 9
illustrations in the medicinal herbal of F. Hernández (~1550) naturalist and physician to Phillip II of Spain
Author(s): Miller, John - Weiss, Friedrich Wilhelm -1789
"Sunflower" by (Dutch artist) Vincent Van Gogh 1888-89 (11 paintings)
set of cards to promote the W. Duke Sons & Co. branch of the American Tobacco Company - 1892
golden ratio of the Fibonacci sequence: 13/21 = 1.6158
(0+1=1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5...)
H. Vogel in 1979 - fibonacci sequence
Resources:
sunflowernsa.com 2. https://theherbalacademy.com/ 3, https://a-curious-nature.com/2023/11/26/nature-sleuthing-resumes-sunflowers-and-fibonacci-natural-spirals/
4. https://www.kew.org/plants/sunflower# 5.https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chimalxochitl 6.https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/423400 6. https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/flora-and-fauna/sunflower/1000 5. https://time.com/6154400/sunflowers-ukraine-history/
family - LILIACEAE
genus - Tulipa
SYMBOLISM:
true love
perfection
innocence
Tulip
Tulip
ORIGIN: Central Asia, the Middle East, parts of Eastern Europe, and North Africa, including countries like Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, and the Himalayan mountains
HISTORY:
The tulip originates in Iran. True love and symbols of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Their current flag is designed with the red tulip the word "Allah". The red representing martyrdom.
10th century - cultivated in Persia - Myth of the prince's blood creating the first red tulip from true love
15-16 century - most prized flowers & popular in northern Europe
"tulip mania" - Semper Augustus tulip was worth a lot! ( today 250k-1mil)
MEDICINE:
local:
Wooden shoe tulip festival in Woodburn, Oregon
Iznik Tiles - 15-17 century
modern day Turkey
Maria sybella Marian
German entomologist & naturalist
iznik tiles - 15-17 century
modern day Turkey
family - PAEONIACEAE
genus - Paeonia
native name:
white, yellow, orange, red, purple or pink
Peony
Peony
ORIGIN: Asia (w/ smaller numbers native to Europe, N America, & NW Africa)
SYMBOLISM: love, passion, adoration, devotion
HISTORY:
MEDICINE:
Tanigami Konan - block prints 1917 JAPAN
family - ASTERACEAE
genus - Chrysanthemum
native name:
purple, pink, red, yellow, bronze and white
CHRYSANTHEMUM
CHRYSANTHEMUM
ORIGIN: China
"If you would be happy for a lifetime, grow Chrysanthemums," - Chinese proverb
SYMBOLISM: love, devotion, longevity
HISTORY:
-Shang Dynasty (c.1600–1046 BC).
-15th Century B.C. in China, where the chrysanthemum was cultivated. Used as a culinary herb and leaves to brew tea
In China, it was believed to have the power of life and according to legend, its roots were used as a headache remedy.
Japanese adopted the flower and gave it the status of royalty.
MEDICINE: (eastern medicine) Meridians: Liver, Lung, Spleen, Kidney
Chrysanthemums, Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)
Chrysanthemums, by Claude Monet, 1897
mum resources: 1. https://libguides.nybg.org/chrysanthemumform 2. https://theartssociety.org/arts-news-features/become-instant-expert-art-chrysanthemums 3. https://thursd.com/
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717) German entomologist, naturalist and scientific illustrator
Margaret Mee
Marianne North - draw plants in nature
Elizabeth Blackwell -
Mary Vaux Walcott - American botanical illustrator considered the audobon of botany
timeline:
35 million years ago (antarctic sheets first forming and Himalayas were young - big diversity and changes) - rose origins in the northern hemisphere
3.3 million years ago - STONE AGE - Basque people and language roots
15,000-30,000 years ago migration across the Bering straight
3250-3300 BC- HIEROGLYPHS - Egypt - Flowers were very important in Egyptian culture, ceremony, tradition, & represented in Hieroglyhs
3000 - 1100 - MINOAN CIVILIZATION (BRONZE AGE) - Crete
3100 BC - STONEHENGE - UK - sundial and burial
1500-300 BC - PHEONICIANS - Mediterranean - maritime city states on the eastern Mediterranean. our written language roots are pheonician
PERSIA - SW Asia, modern day Iran
600 BC - JAPAN founded
800-146 BC - GREEKS - Greece
753 BC- 476 AD - ROMANS - Italy
794-1185 - HANAKOTOBA - JAPAN "flower words" in Japan. A subtle way to communicate meaning with flowers - Heian Period (ikebana is emerging at this time)
1095 - 1291 - the crusades
1345-1521 AZTEC - the "meshika"
1600 - OTTOMAN EMPIRE - SELAM - In a restricted culture flowers were used to secretly express feelings and ideas - Ottomon Empire (Turks, also included Arabs, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians, & other minorities)
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