The symbolic blooms of Britain: secrets of our national flowers (2024)

FAQs

The symbolic blooms of Britain: secrets of our national flowers? ›

The national flower of England is the rose, but not just any rose. The Tudor rose was adopted by Henry VII as England's emblem of peace at the end of the War of the Roses, the civil wars between the royal house of Lancashire, who wore a red rose, and the royal house of York, who wore white.

England's symbol is the rose, Scotland's is the thistle, Wales' is the daffodil, and Northern Ireland's is the shamrock.

While most flowers are symbols of love, peace and a joy, there are a select few that have more somber connotations. Carnations, for example, often fill homes and churches during times of mourning.

The rose is England's national flower. A Tudor rose is officially used, signifying the unification of the warring parties of the Wars of the Roses under the Tudor dynasty.

The English Rose

The national flower of England is the Tudor rose. This rose was adopted as England's motif by Henry VII as a symbol of peace after the 'War of the Roses'; a 15th century civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

Rose. The rose is considered to be not only the most popular flower in Britain, but throughout the world. Roses are mostly associated with red and white, but they, in fact, come in a number of varieties. The red rose is the national emblem of England, which has been featured strongly throughout history.

Curiously, roses (which are England's national flower) ranked highest in the public opinion poll alone, but lost out on the top spot due to a lesser volume of online searches. There are also several joint placements within the top 10.

Blooms like the forget-me-not symbolize remembrance and are often associated with mental health, particularly acting as emblems for conditions such as depression and anxiety. Similarly, the calming fragrance of lavender is believed to have soothing effects on the mind, enhancing a sense of peace and relaxation.

Italian feminists selected the mimosa as the official flower for International Women's Day in 1946. They chose the bright yellow mimosa flower because it's a symbol of female strength, sensitivity and sensibility. Sturdy and resilient, it's the kind of bloom that catches the eye and puts a smile on everyone's faces.

Flowers that symbolize loneliness are: Butterfly Weed, Lilies, Bleeding Heart, Daffodils, Yellow Chrysanthemum, and Plum Blossom.

What flower represents London? ›

Lilies. Lilies are the most popular choice of flowers for funerals in the UK, as they have strong ties to views about life after death. Lilies signify purity and luminosity.

The War of the Roses

The final battle saw Lancastrian Henry Tudor finally defeat Yorkist king Richard III. Henry's emblem was a red rose; Richard's was white. The decision by England Rugby to use a red rose as their emblem was seen to symbolise the triumph of the red rose over the white rose.

The Wars of the Roses ended when Henry VII of England married Elizabeth of York symbolically uniting the white and red roses creating the Tudor rose, containing both the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster. This signified the unity between these two powerful and previously warring houses.

The white rose is traditionally supposed to represent purity and innocence - but to Yorkshire folk, it always means home.

Lavender flowers represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness. Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement, and luxury, too. The color is also associated with the crown chakra, which is the energy center associated with higher purpose and spiritual connectivity.

Remembrance poppies in Commonwealth countries are often worn on clothing in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, with poppy wreaths also being laid at war memorials on that day.