Many countries around the world are recognized by a plant that symbolizes their geographic area. These emblems are sometimes determined by public opinion or by government officials. The plant of a nation is sometimes called a floral emblem. Below are some of the major countries in the world and the floral emblems that represent them.
Australia: The national flower of Australia as a whole is the Acacia pycnantha, also known as the Golden Wattle. However, each territory within Australia has its own floral emblem.
France: The Iris or Fleur de lis, meaning lily flower, is the national floral emblem of the country of France. The meaning of the Iris flower is hope, wisdom, courage, faith and admiration.
Japan: Japan’s government officials have never determined a national flower for their country. The cherry blossom is generally considered their national flower with the chrysanthemum flower used by the Japanese imperial family as their official seal. The chrysanthemum means friendship.
China: The national floral emblem of China is unofficial. However, the country of China is represented by the peony, the chrysanthemum, the plum blossom or the sunflower. The peony represents a happy marriage, life and healing. The chrysanthemum represents a true friend. The plum blossom represents long life and beauty. The sunflower represents devotion.
United Kingdom: Consisting of four countries including England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the United Kingdom each has its own national floral emblem. The national floral symbol of England is the Tudor rose. The national floral symbol of Wales is the leek, sessile oak or daffodil, which represents unrequited love. Northern Ireland is represented by the shamrock, flax or orange lily, which represents pride, wealth and hate. Scotland’s national floral emblem is represented by the heather, the bluebell, which represents humility, or the thistle.
United States: In 1986, our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, determined what our national flower would be and signed it into our legislation making it official. The beautiful rose represents the United States of America. A rose represents a variety of things depending on its specific color.
Canada: The floral emblem that represents Canada is the maple leaf. The maple leaf is seen on their flags as well as many coats of arms. The maple leaf symbolizes the nature that surrounds all of Canada and the tree that grows there. It has helped Canada in producing revenue.
Greece: The flower that represents the country of Greece is the laurel branch or the violet. The laurel represents success. Violet represents simplicity and a sense of modesty.
Germany: The national flower that represents Germany is the oak or cornflower, which means delicacy.
These are just some of the nations, their floral emblems, and what they stand for. For more information on other countries and their floral emblems, check your local library or the World Wide Web.