April brings the start of spring and the sweet smell of blooming flowers. It may also be the month when some of your close friends and relatives were born, and what better way to celebrate their birthdays than gifting them with their birth flowers?
In this guide, we’ll dive into the official birth flowers of April. We’ll talk about the meanings of their colors, their cultural significance, and their symbolism in various mythology and religions.
What are the official birth flowers for November?
April is represented by two birth flowers: daisy and sweet pea. The two flowers were chosen mainly because they bloom in spring, which usually starts in April in most regions.
Daisies are often seen as symbols of innocence and pure love, while sweet peas are associated with euphoric pleasure and farewell.
Everything You Need to Know About Daisies
Bellis, commonly known as daisy, is a genus of herbaceous plants from the Asteraceae family. There are 10 recorded species of daisies, including the popular English daisy or common daisy.
These are hardy flowers that can adapt to various environmental conditions. Hence, they can grow almost everywhere, including meadows, grasslands, and open fields.
What is the origin of daisy flowers?
Daisy flowers were first seen in Europe and later became widespread in many parts of the world. They’ve been around since 2,200 BC and are still among the most popular flowers in the world.
The name daisy is derived from the old English term “daes eage,” meaning “day’s eye.” The name was given to the flower because it blooms when the sun rises and closes when the sun sets, resembling the opening and closing of an eye.
Daisy flowers’ resemblance to the sun also played a major role in naming it.
What do daisy flowers look like?
Daisies typically have white, elongated petals that surround a yellow central disk. It has a very simple and classic appearance that’s easily recognizable even among other flowers.
The number of petals can range from 15 to 30, depending on the variety. Although the white varieties are the most popular ones, the petals can also come in pink, red, orange, and yellow.
What are the meanings of daisy flowers?
Daisies are known to symbolize a lot of positive things, like innocence, happiness, new beginnings, and loyalty.
Its soft and pristine white petals remind many of innocence and purity. The flowers are also widely used to represent childbirth, further emphasizing its symbolism of innocence.
Their habit of opening their petals during sunrise is also often associated with fresh starts and new beginnings. It represents the idea of a clean slate after a long, dark night.
What do the colors of daisy flowers mean?
What did daisy flowers symbolize during the Victorian era?
During Queen Victoria’s reign, daisies gained popularity because of their positive symbolism in floriography or the language of flowers. The flowers were seen as a symbol of true and honest love.
Giving someone daisies could convey a sense of genuine and unadulterated love. This symbolism made them popular gifts to partners during the period.
What are the religious and mythological associations of daisy flowers?
Everything You Need to Know About Sweet Peas
Sweet peas, scientifically known as Lathyrus odoratus, is a plant from the Lathyrus genus of the Fabaceae family. Most varieties have a climbing or vining growth habit, so they’re popularly used in fences and trellises.
They are renowned for their sweet fragrance. They emit a scent that’s quite similar to oranges and honey.
What is the origin of sweet peas?
Sweet peas are native to the eastern Mediterranean region, specifically around Sicily and Southern Italy. Its first record was written in 1695 by Francisco Cupani, a member of the third order of St. Francis, when he saw them in Sicily.
The first botanical illustrations of the flower were released in 1701 by Dr. Casper Commelin, a botanist from Amsterdam. It’s said that Cupani sent the flowers to the botanist in 1699.
Its popularity worldwide can be most attributed to the seeds Cupani sent to Dr. Robert Uvedale, an aficionado of rare plants in England. After the flower reached the English soil, many horticulturists started to cultivate newer varieties of the flower.
What do sweet peas look like?
One of the biggest charms of sweet peas is its unique, butterfly-like shape. It has a broad upper petal, called “standard,” and two smaller petals, called “wings,” located beneath the bigger petal.
The flower can come in various colors, like pink, purple, white, red, and blue. Some varieties are also bicolor or multicolored, giving the flower a more unique look.
Those who aren’t quite familiar with a sweet pea may mistake it for a variety of orchids because of the slight similarity among the flowers, but they’re from two different plant families.
What are the meanings of sweet peas?
Aside from being the birth flowers of April, sweet peas are also often associated with pleasure, goodbyes, gratitude, and friendship.
They are seen as representations of the delicate joy you can get from everyday experiences and appreciation for someone’s presence in one’s life. They can also be gifted to express gratitude for someone’s action.
While they generally carry positive meanings, they can also symbolize a bittersweet goodbye and the hope of meeting the person again.
What do the colors of sweet peas mean?
What are the cultural associations of sweet peas?
