In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols – some are conferred by government bodies, whereas others are the result of informal public polls. The term floral emblem, which refers to flowers specifically, is primarily used in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the term state flower is more often used.

National plants

Africa

Mauritius

The national flower of

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

is '' Ruizia boutoniana''.

Nigeria

The national flower of Nigeria is '' Costus spectabilis'' which is commonly known as Yellow Trumpet.

Seychelles

The national flower of the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

is the tropicbird orchid (known locally as ''orkid payanke''), '' Angraecum eburneum''.

South Africa

The national flower of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

is the

King Protea ''Protea cynaroides'', also called the king protea (from , ), is a flowering plant. It is a distinctive member of ''Protea'', having the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also known as giant protea, honeypot, or king sugar bush. ...

, ''Protea cynaroides''.

Tunisia

The national flower of

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

. It was chosen as a symbol for the 2010 Tunisian Revolution.

Zimbabwe

The national flower of

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

is the flame lily, ''

Gloriosa superba ''Gloriosa superba'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. Common names include flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw,Scheper, J''Gloriosa superba''.Floridata.com. and fire lily. De ...

''.

Asia

Afghanistan

The national flower of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

is the

Tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

. It is called ''Lala'' (لاله) in the

Farsi language Persian ( ), also known by its endonym Farsi (, Fārsī ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoke ...

and ''Khatol'' in the

Pashto language Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

Bangladesh

The national flower of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

is the

water lily Water lily or water lilies may refer to: Plants * Members of the family Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae () is a family of flowering plants, commonly called water lilies. They live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in temperate climate, temperate ...

'' Nymphaea nouchali''. It is called ''Shapla'' (শাপলা) in the

Bengali language Bengali, also known by its endonym and exonym, endonym Bangla (, , ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Iranian languages, Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. ...

Bhutan

The national flower of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

is the blue poppy. Previously misidentified as the non-native '' Meconopsis grandis'', national flower of Bhutan was identified in 2017 as '' Meconopsis gakyidiana'', a new distinct species.

Brunei

The national flower of

Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...

is Simpoh Ayer (''Dillenia suffruticosa'').

Cambodia

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

formally adopted the '' romduol'' () as its national flower in the year 2005 by a royal decree. The royal decree designates the taxon as ''Mitrella mesnyi'', however, this is a taxonomically illegitimate synonym for ''

Sphaerocoryne affinis ''Sphaerocoryne affinis'' is a species of flowering plant in the soursop family, Annonaceae. It is a liana (woody climbing plant) growing in lowland wet tropical forests at an elevation of up to . It is distributed within west and central Malesi ...

'', which does not occur in Cambodia. The accepted species name for romduol is ''Sphaerocoryne lefevrei''.

India

The lotus (''

Nelumbo nucifera ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as the pink lotus, sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant taxon, extant species of aquatic plant in the Family (biology), family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a ...

'') is the national flower of India. It is a sacred flower in the art and mythology of ancient India.

Indonesia

There are three types of floral emblems used to symbolize

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

: * The ''puspa bangsa'' ("national flower") of Indonesia is ''melati'' (''

Jasminum sambac ''Jasminum sambac'' (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine) is a species of jasmine native to Bhutan and India. It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is naturalised in many scattered locales: Mauri ...

''). * The ''puspa pesona'' ("flower of charm") is ''anggrek bulan'' or moon orchid (''

Phalaenopsis amabilis ''Phalaenopsis amabilis'', commonly known as the moon orchid, moth orchid, or mariposa orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It is widely cultivated as a decorative houseplant. It is an epiphytic or lithophyt ...

''). * The ''puspa langka'' ("rare flower") is ''padma raksasa rafflesia'' (''

Rafflesia arnoldii ''Rafflesia arnoldii'', the corpse flower, or giant padma, Its local name is Petimum Sikinlili. It is a species of flowering plant in the parasitic genus '' Rafflesia'' within the family Rafflesiaceae. It is noted for producing the largest in ...

''). All three were chosen on World Environment Day in 1990, and enforced by law through Presidential Decree (''Keputusan Presiden'') No. 4 1993, On the other occasion, ''bunga bangkai'' (''

Titan arum The titan arum (''Amorphophallus titanum'') is a flowering plant in the family Araceae. It has a large unbranched inflorescence; a tall single leaf, branched like a tree; and a heavy tuber which enables the plant to produce the inflorescence. ' ...

'') was also added as ''puspa langka'' together with ''rafflesia''. ''Melati'' (''Jasminum sambac''), a small white flower with sweet fragrance, has long been considered a sacred flower in Indonesian tradition, as it symbolizes purity, sacredness, graceful simplicity and sincerity. For example, on her wedding day, a traditional Indonesian bride's hair is often adorned with arrangements of jasmine, while the groom's

kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...

is often adorned with a lock of jasmine. However, jasmine is also often used as a floral offering for spirits and deities, and also often present during funerals, which has caused it to be seen as having mystical and sacred properties. Moon orchid was chosen for its beauty, while the other two rare flowers, ''Rafflesia arnoldii'' and ''Titan arum'', were chosen to demonstrate uniqueness and Indonesia's rich biodiversity. Each of the 34

provinces of Indonesia Provinces are the first-level administrative divisions of Indonesia. They were formerly called first-level provincial regions (), before the Post-Suharto era in Indonesia, Reform era. Provinces have a local government, consisting of a List of ...

also has a native plant as its provincial flower.

Iran

The national flower of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

is the water lily which is also called

nymphaea ''Nymphaea'' () is a genus of hardiness (plants), hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some ta ...

(''Niloofare Abi'', in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

). The flower is the national flower of

since the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...

era (552 BC). Darius In Parse

Israel

The national flower of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

is the poppy anemone (''

Anemone coronaria ''Anemone coronaria'', the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. Description ''Anemone coronaria'' is a herbaceous perennial ...

''; ''calanit metzuya'' in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

), chosen in 2013 to replace '' Cyclamen persicum''.הכלנית: הזוכה בתחרות "הפרח של ישראל"

ynet Ynet (stylized in all lowercase) is an Israeli news and general-content website, and the online outlet for the '' Yedioth Ahronoth'' newspaper. History Ynet launched on June 6, 2000, in Hebrew, following other Hebrew outlet's website launches ...

, 25 November 2013.

Jordan

The national flower of

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

is black iris ''(Iris nigricans)''.

Kuwait

The national flower of

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

is Arfaj ('' Rhanterium epapposum'').

Laos

The national flower of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

is the plumeria (''champa''), despite it no longer being endemic.

Malaysia

The national flower of

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

is the ''bunga raya'' (Chinese hibiscus, ''

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising List of Hibiscus species, several hundred species that are Native plant, native to warm temperate, Subtropics, subtropical ...

'').

Maldives

The national flower of the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

is the pink polyantha rose ('' Rosa polyantha''), called ''fiyaathoshi finifenmaa''.

Mongolia

The national flower of

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

is '' Scabiosa comosa'' (, ''ber tsetseg'').

Myanmar

The national flower of

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

is ''

Pterocarpus indicus ''Pterocarpus indicus'' (commonly known as Amboyna wood, Malay padauk, Papua New Guinea rosewood, Philippine mahogany, Andaman redwood, Burmese rosewood, narra (from Tagalog) and asana in the Philippines, angsana, or Pashu padauk) is a species ...

'' (''paduak'').

Nepal

The national flower of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

is the tree rhododendron ('' Rhododendron arboreum'').

North Korea

The national flower of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

is the Korean mountain magnolia (''

Magnolia sieboldii ''Magnolia sieboldii'', or Siebold's magnolia, also known as Korean mountain magnolia and Oyama magnolia, is a species of ''Magnolia'' native to east Asia in China, Japan, and Korea. It is named after the German doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold ...

'',

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

: 목란/ ''mongnan'').

Palestine

The national flower of

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

is the Faqqua iris ('' Iris haynei'').

Pakistan

The national flower of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

is common jasmine also known as ''Jasminum officinale.''

Philippines

The

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

adopted the ''

sampaguita ''Jasminum sambac'' (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine) is a species of jasmine native to Bhutan and India. It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is naturalised in many scattered locales: Mauri ...

'' (Arabian jasmine, ''Jasminum sambac'') in 1934 as its national flower because it symbolizes purity and cleanliness due to its color and sweet smell. It is popularly strung into garlands presented to visitors and dignitaries and is a common adornment on religious images. ''Sampaguita'' in the Filipino language is a direct

loan word A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing (linguistics), borrowing. Borrowing ...

from the Indian

sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word "campaka". William Henry Scott, 1984
Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History
accessed 1 July 2021.Jean-Paul G. POTET, 2013, Arabian and Persian loanwords in Tagalog, p. 250. Plants of some species of flowers like Sampaguita, fruits like

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

and nangka, vegetables like ampalaya, patola, malunggay, name of Philippine's pre-Christian chief god

Bathala In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathalà/Maykapál was the transcendent Supreme God, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathalà, a term or title which, in ...

(from

'' Bhattara Guru''), came from India during pre-Spanish Indianised trade and influences.M.c. Halili, 2004
Philippine History

Rex Bookstore Dominador Buhain Rex Book Store, Inc. (RBSI), stylized REX Book Store, is an educational book publisher and bookstore chain in the Philippines. It was incorporated in 1950 and established branches in the provincial cities of Angeles City, Bacolod ...

, p. 49. Among strong traces of continuity of Hindu influence in Philippines are placing of Sampaguita garland around the neck of visitors to show hospitality and friendship, throwing the rice over bride and groom for prosperity, performing paninilbihan, paying dowry, visiting a shrine to pray for fertility, etc.Cecilio D. Duka, 2008
Struggle for Freedom

, p. 35.

Saudi Arabia

The national flower of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

is Royal Jasmine (''

Jasminum grandiflorum ''Jasminum grandiflorum'', also known variously as the Spanish jasmine, Royal jasmine, Catalan jasmine, Sicilian jasmine, is a species of jasmine native to South Asia, the Arabian peninsula, East and Northeast Africa and the Yunnan and Sichuan re ...

'').

Singapore

The national flower of

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

is a hybrid orchid

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

known as the Singapore orchid or Vanda Miss Joaquim (''Papilionanthe teres'' × ''Papilionanthe hookeriana'').

South Korea

The national flower of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

is '' Hibiscus syriacus''. Known in South Korea as ''mugunghwa'' (

: 무궁화), the flower's symbolism relates to the Korean word ''mugung'', which means "eternity" or "inexhaustible abundance". Despite being made the national flower officially after Korea regained its independence from Japan, ''mugunghwa'' has been associated with Korean culture for many centuries, with the Silla kingdom having called itself the "Country of the Mugunghwa" (Korean: 근화향, Romanized: ''Geunhwahyang'').

Sri Lanka

The national flower of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

is ''Nil mānel'' (නිල් මානෙල්), the blue-star water-lily (''

Nymphaea stellata ''Nymphaea nouchali'', often known by its synonym ''Nymphaea stellata'', or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus ''Nymphaea' ...

''). Although ''nil'' means "blue" in Sinhala, the Sinhalese name of this plant is often rendered as "water-lily" in English. This beautiful aquatic flower appears in the

Sigiriya Sigiriya or Sinhagiri (''Lion Rock'' , , pronounced SEE-gi-ri-yə) is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeologic ...

frescoes and has been mentioned in ancient

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

and Sinhala literary works.

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

lore in Sri Lanka claims that this flower was one of the 108 auspicious signs found on Prince Siddhartha's footprint.

Taiwan

The national flower of

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

was officially designated as the

plum blossom ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...

by the

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...

on 21 July 1964.Government Information Office, Taiwan - National Flower
The plum blossom, known as the ''meihua'' (), is a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum trees often bloom most vibrantly even during the harshest winters. The triple grouping of stamens represents Dr.

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

Three Principles of the People The Three Principles of the People (), also known as the Three People's Principles, San-min Doctrine, San Min Chu-i, or Tridemism is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to improve China during the Republi ...

, while the five petals symbolize the five branches of the government.National Flag, Anthem and Flower
/ref>

Thailand

The national flower of

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

is the Golden Shower Tree (''Cassia fistula''). The tree (which is also the country's

national tree This is a list of countries that have officially designated one or more trees as their national trees. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. Additionally, the list includes trees that we ...

) is locally known as ''ratchaphruek'' (), while the flower itself is known as ''dok khun'' ().

Vietnam

The national flower of

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

is the

lotus flower ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as the pink lotus, sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant taxon, extant species of aquatic plant in the Family (biology), family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a ...

''(Nelumbo nucifera)''.

Europe

Albania

*Albania –

Papaver rhoeas ''Papaver rhoeas'', with common names including common poppy, corn poppy, corn rose, field poppy, Flanders poppy, red poppy, and Odai, is an annual herbaceous species of flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is native to north Afr ...

Andorra

*Andorra –

Narcissus poeticus ''Narcissus poeticus'', the poet's daffodil, poet's narcissus, nargis, pheasant's eye, findern flower or pinkster lily, was one of the first daffodils to be cultivated, and is frequently identified as the narcissus of ancient times (although ' ...

Austria

The national flower of

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

edelweiss ''Leontopodium nivale'', commonly called edelweiss () ( ; or ), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about altitude. It is a non-toxic plant. Its leaves and f ...

(''Leontopodium nivale'').

Belgium

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

– ''

Iris pseudacorus ''Iris pseudacorus'', the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet ''pseudacorus'' means "false acorus", r ...

'' *

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

–

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...

Wallonia Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...

– ''

Gaillardia ''Gaillardia'' (common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was an enthusias ...

Bulgaria

*Bulgaria –

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

Croatia

*Croatia – '' Iris croatica'' (unofficial)

Cyprus

*Cyprus – '' Cyclamen cyprium''

Czech Republic

*Czech Republic – ''

Tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Great Bri ...

Denmark

*Denmark – The daisy, specifically either marguerite daisy (''Argyranthemum frutescens'') or oxeye daisy (''Leucanthemum vulgare''), the latter being native to Denmark and becoming more frequently used. Previously

red clover ''Trifolium pratense'' (from Latin prātum, meaning meadow), red clover, is a herbaceous plant, herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family, Fabaceae. It is native to the Old World, but planted and naturalised in many other regions ...

(''Trifolium pratense'') had been announced as the national flower in the 1930s, but this choice was not popular with the public and it was largely forgotten.

Estonia

*Estonia –

cornflower ''Centaurea cyanus'', commonly known as cornflower or bachelor's button (among other names), is an annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Europe. In the past, it often grew as a weed in cornfields (in the broad sense of "co ...

Finland

*Finland –

lily of the valley Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' ), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...

France

*France – '' Iris sibirica'' *Brittany – ''

Ulex ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are na ...

'' and heather

Guernsey

*Guernsey – '' Nerine sarniensis''

Iceland

*Iceland – White dryad (''

Dryas octopetala ''Dryas octopetala'', the mountain avens, eightpetal mountain-avens, white dryas or white dryad, is an Arctic–alpine flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is a small prostrate evergreen subshrub forming large colonies. The specific epithe ...

'')

Italy

The flower of the strawberry tree (''

Arbutus unedo ''Arbutus unedo'', commonly known as strawberry tree, also called madrone, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, the arbutus berr ...

'') is the national flower of Italy. The strawberry tree began to be considered one of the

national symbols of Italy National symbols of Italy are the symbols that uniquely identify Italy reflecting its history and culture. They are used to represent the nation through emblems, metaphors, personifications, allegories, which are shared by the entire Italian peo ...

in the 19th century, during the

Italian unification The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

, because with its autumn colors is reminiscent of the

flag of Italy The flag of Italy (, ), often referred to as The Tricolour (, ), is a flag featuring three equally sized vertical Pale (heraldry), pales of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side, as defined by Article 12 of the Constitution of t ...

(green for its leaves, white for its flowers and red for its berries). For this reason the strawberry tree is considered the

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli dedicated a poem to the strawberry tree. He refers to the

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...

passage in which

Pallas Pallas may refer to: Astronomy * 2 Pallas asteroid ** Pallas family, a group of asteroids that includes 2 Pallas * Pallas (crater), a crater on Earth's moon Mythology * Pallas (Giant), a son of Uranus and Gaia, killed and flayed by Athena * Pa ...

, killed by

Turnus Turnus () was the legendary King of the Rutuli in Roman history, and the chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas in Virgil's ''Aeneid''. According to the ''Aeneid'', Turnus is the son of Daunus and the nymph Venilia and is brother of the nymph ...

, was posed on branches of a strawberry tree. He saw in the colours of that plant a prefiguration of the

and considered Pallas the first ''national cause martyr''. Pascoli's ode says:

Lithuania

*Lithuania – ''

Ruta graveolens ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for it ...

''James Minahan. ''The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Vol. 1''. Greenwood Press. 2009.

Netherlands

While most people believe it to be the

tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

, the actual national flower of

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

is the daisy (

Bellis perennis ''Bellis perennis'' (), the daisy, is a European species of the family Asteraceae, often considered the archetypal species of the name ''daisy''. To distinguish this species from other plants known as daisies, it is sometimes qualified or known a ...

). It was elected in a public vote in 2023.

North Macedonia

The national flower of

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

is the

Poland

*Poland – red poppy *

Kashubia Kashubia or Cassubia ( or ; ; or ) is an ethnocultural region in the historic Eastern Pomerania (Pomerelia) region of northern Poland. It is inhabited by the Kashubian people, and many in the region have historically spoken the Kashubian langua ...

region – Kashubian vetch

Portugal

Portugal does not officially have a national flower, though the

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

is commonly cited. The

carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' ( ), commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,00 ...

(''Dianthus caryophyllus'') is also a symbol of the nation's triumph against the authoritarian far-right Estado Novo dictatorship, known as the

Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...

Romania

*Romania –

peony The peony or paeony () is any flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'', the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguish ...

Russia

*Russia –

chamomile Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the common name for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, '' Matricaria chamomilla'' and '' Chamaemelum nobile'', are commo ...

Serbia

The national flower of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

is Natalie's ramonda (''Ramonda nathaliae''). It is considered a symbol of Serbia's struggle and victory in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, with country suffering the largest casualty rate relative to its population. To commemorate Serbian soldiers who died in war as well as the resurrection of the country after the devastating war, people wear artificial Natalie's ramonda as a symbol of remembrance, especially during week leading up to

Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark Armistice of 11 November 1918, the armistice signed between th ...

, which is a public holiday.

Slovakia

* Slovakia – ''

Slovenia

The national flower of Slovenia is a

. It is traditionally present at all significant moments of someone's life. White carnations can be traditionally present at Slovenian christenings and at Slovenian weddings, where the bride has a white carnation flower stuck in her hair and the groom wears a white carnation pinned to his breast pocket or buttonhole. While white carnation represents happiness and celebration, red carnation has a more diverse meaning in Slovenian culture. First meaning comes from French and Russian revolutionaries and symbolises revolution and workers. Red carnations also symbolise love and courtship. In folksongs and folk traditions, when young men in the country villages were calling girls in the night under their windows and serenading them, receiving a red carnation bouquet meant, that the serenaded girl accepted their courtship. Finally, at the funeral of a loved one, their acquaintances, friends and family bid a final farewell to the deceased by each throwing a red carnation into the open grave. Furthermore, carnations often appear embroidered on tablecloths, handkerchiefs, blouses, bed linen, lace and on parts of Slovenian national costume, such as skirts, trouser legs and traditional headwear, especially avba. Additionally, carnations are often flowers hanging from flowerbeds on balconies and windows, which is a source of pride for Slovenian homes. This can be observed throughout Slovenia, most prominently in Gorenjska and Štajerska regions.

Spain

*Spain –

Sweden

The national flower of Sweden is ''

Campanula rotundifolia ''Campanula rotundifolia'', the common harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northe ...

''. It won a public vote in 2021.

Switzerland

The national flower of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

(''Leontopodium nivale'').

Turkey

The national flower of

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

is the

Ukraine

*Ukraine –

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

, guelder rose

United Kingdom

Each of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's four constituent countries has one or more national flower: *

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

– Tudor rose *

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

– daffodil,

leek A leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of Leaf sheath, leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a "s ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

– Flax, flax flower, Clover, clover leaf * Scotland – thistle, Pinus sylvestris, Scots pine

North America

Canada

The maple leaf is widely used as a symbol for Canada. The maple tree was officially recognized as Canada's arboreal emblem in 1996. Canada's provinces and territories also have official provincial or territorial floral emblems: * Ontario: white trillium (''Trillium grandiflorum''), adopted in 1937. * Quebec: Iris versicolor, blue flag (''Iris versicolor''), adopted in November 1999. * Nova Scotia: Epigaea repens, mayflower (''Epigea repens''), adopted in 1901. * New Brunswick: purple violet (''Viola cucullata''), adopted in 1936. * Manitoba: prairie crocus (''Pulsatilla ludoviciana''), adopted in 1906. * British Columbia: Pacific dogwood (''Cornus nuttallii''), adopted in 1956. * Prince Edward Island: Cypripedium acaule, lady's slipper (''Cypripedium acaule''), a species of orchid, adopted in 1947. * Saskatchewan: western red lily (''Lilium philadelphicum'' var. ''andinum''), adopted in 1941. * Alberta: wild rose (''Rosa acicularis''), also known as the prickly rose, adopted in 1930. * Newfoundland and Labrador: northern pitcher plant (''Sarracenia purpurea''), adopted in 1954. It was first chosen as a symbol of Newfoundland by Queen Victoria, and was used on the island's coinage until 1938. * Northwest Territories: mountain avens (''Dryas octopetala''), adopted in 1957. * Yukon: fireweed (''Epilobium angustifolium''), adopted in 1957. * Nunavut: purple saxifrage (''Saxifraga oppositifolia''), unanimously adopted by the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut on 1 May 2000. Many Canadian flags and coats-of-arms have floral emblems on them. The flag of Montreal has four floral emblems. On the right side of the flag of Saskatchewan overlapping both green and gold halves is the western red lily, the provincial floral emblem. The coat of arms of Port Coquitlam has the city's floral emblem, the azalea, displayed on a collar. The coat of arms of Prince Edward Island displays lady's slippers, the floral emblem of the island. When coat of arms of Nova Scotia were reassumed in 1929, the trailing arbutus or mayflower, the floral emblem of Nova Scotia, was added.

Mexico

The national flower of Mexico is the dahlia (''Dahlia pinnata'').

United States

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to make the

the national floral emblem of the United States. In each of the U.S. states, List of U.S. state and territory flowers, state flowers and List of U.S. state trees, trees have also been adopted as symbols by state legislatures.

Central America and the Caribbean

Antigua and Barbuda

The national flower of Antigua and Barbuda is ''Agave karatto'', also known as "dagger log" or "batta log".

The Bahamas

The national flower of the Bahamas is the Yellow Elder (''Tecoma stans'').

Barbados

The national flower of Barbados is known locally as the Pride of Barbados (''Caesalpinia pulcherrima'').

Belize

The national flower of Belize is the black orchid (''Prosthechea cochleata'').

Costa Rica

The national flower of Costa Rica is the ''guaria morada'' (''Guarianthe skinneri'').

Cuba

The national flower of Cuba since 13 October 1936, is the ''Hedychium coronarium, white ginger lily.''

Dominica

The national flower of Dominica is ''Poitea carinalis, Sabinea carinalis'', commonly known as Carib wood or ''Bois Caraibe''.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic's national flower was originally the flower of the ''caoba'' (mahogany tree, ''Swietenia mahagoni''). In 2011, the mahogany was instead dubbed the

, vacating the national flower spot for the Bayahíbe rose (''Leuenbergeria quisqueyana'') in order to bring attention to its conservation.

Guatemala

The national flower of Guatemala is the ''monja blanca'' (''Lycaste skinneri'' var. ''alba'').

Haiti

The national flower of Haiti is the ''Choeblack'' or ''rose kayenn'' (''Hibiscus'').

Honduras

The national flower of Honduras is the orchid ''Rhyncholaelia digbyana''.

Jamaica

The national flower of Jamaica is the lignum vitae (''Guaiacum officinale'').

Nicaragua

The national flower of Nicaragua is known as the sacuanjoche (''plumeria rubra''). The sacuanjoche flower (''Plumeria'') grows on a conical tree that flowers around May. Sacuanjoche flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, and simply dupe their pollinators.

Oceania

Australia

The Golden Wattle (''Acacia pycnantha'') was officially proclaimed the floral emblem of Australia on 1 September 1988.

Fiji

The national flower of Fiji is ''tagimaucia'' (''Medinilla waterhousei''), a vine with red and white flowers endemic to the highlands of the island of Taveuni.

French Polynesia

The Tahitian gardenia (tiare flower) is the national flower of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the Cook Islands.

New Zealand

New Zealand does not have an official national flower, but the silver fern (foliage) is acknowledged as its national emblem. The Kōwhai (''Sophora'' spp., native trees with yellow cascading flowers) is usually regarded as the national flower. Other plant emblems are Koru (a curled fern symbol) and the crimson-flowered Pohutukawa (''Metrosideros excelsa''), also called New Zealand's Christmas tree.

Tonga

The ''heilala'' (''Garcinia sessilis'') is Tonga's national flower. The name of Tonga's beauty pageant, the Heilala Festival, is taken from this flower. Resorts as well as consumer products are also often named after this flower, such as the Heilala Lodge and Heilala Vanilla. The flower is also used in Tonga for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

South America

Argentina

The national flower of Argentina is the flower of the Erythrina crista-galli, ceibo tree (''Erythrina crista-galli''), also known as ''seibo'' or ''bucaré''.

Bolivia

Bolivia has two national flowers: the ''kantuta'' (''Cantua buxifolia'') and ''patujú'' (''Heliconia rostrata'').

Brazil

Brazil has no official national flower. It is popularly considered to be the flower of the golden trumpet tree (''Handroanthus chrysotrichus''; ) – so much so that multiple proposals have been put forth over the last 70 years to recognize it officially. However, for various reasons, none have ever been voted on by National Congress of Brazil, Congress to be ratified.

Chile

The national flower of Chile is the copihue (''Lapageria rosea'').

Colombia

''Cattleya trianae'' is the national flower of Colombia and is the orchid which flowers in May. The May flower was chosen because the colors are the same as those of the Flag of Colombia, Colombian flag.

Guyana

The national flower of Guyana is the Victoria amazonica, Victoria regia lily (''Victoria amazonica'').

Paraguay

The national flower of Paraguay is Passiflora, Mburucuyá.

Peru

The national flower of Peru is the cantuta (also spelled ''kantuta'' or ''qantuta'', from Quechua language, Quechua ''qantu''). It can be found in the high valleys of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia.

Suriname

Called ''faya lobi'' ("fiery love") in Sranantongo, the jungle geranium (''Ixora coccinea'') is commonly considered a symbol of Suriname.

Uruguay

The national flower of Uruguay is the flower of the Erythrina crista-galli, ceibo tree (''Erythrina crista-galli'').

Venezuela

The national flower of Venezuela is the ''Flor de Mayo'' (''Cattleya mossiae''), an orchid.

Subnational plants

Australia

*Australian Capital Territory – Royal Bluebell (''Wahlenbergia gloriosa'') *New South Wales – New South Wales Waratah (''Telopea speciosissima'') *Northern Territory – Sturt's Desert Rose (''Gossypium sturtianum'') *Queensland – Cooktown Orchid (''Dendrobium phalaenopsis'') *South Australia – Sturt's Desert Pea (''Swainsona formosa'') *Tasmania – Tasmanian Blue Gum (''Eucalyptus globulus'') *Victoria – Pink (Common) Heath (''Epacris impressa'') *Western Australia – Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (''Anigozanthos manglesii'')

Norway

* Lily-of-the-valley was chosen as the county flower of Østfold * Globe flower is the county flower of Troms

United Kingdom

Each of the four countries of the United Kingdom has a traditional floral emblem: *

– officially the Tudor rose or unofficially the red

and English oak. *

– the flax, orange lily, or shamrock. * Scotland – the Thistle#Origin as a symbol of Scotland, Scotch thistle, Scottish bluebell (harebell), or calluna, heather. *

– the daffodil, leek (vegetable), leek, Tudor Rose, or sessile oak.

County flowers

A county flower is a flowering plant chosen to symbolise a county. They exist primarily in the United Kingdom, but some counties in other countries also have them. One or two county flowers have a long history in England – the red rose of Lancashire dates from the Middle Ages, for instance. However, the county flower concept was only extended to cover the whole United Kingdom in 2002, as a promotional tool by a charity. In that year, the plant conservation charity Plantlife ran a competition to choose county flowers for all counties, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. Plantlife's scheme is loosely based on Britain's Counties of the United Kingdom, historic counties, and so some current Local government of the United Kingdom, local government areas are not represented by a flower, and some of the counties included no longer exist as administrative areas. Flowers were also chosen for thirteen major cities: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and Sheffield. The Isles of Scilly was also treated as a county (distinct from Cornwall) for the purpose of the scheme. The Isle of Man was included, even though it is not a county, but a self-governing territory outside of the United Kingdom with an existing national flower: the ragwort or ''cushag''. The Channel Islands were not included. A total of 94 flowers were chosen in the competition. 85 of the 109 counties have a unique county flower, but several species were chosen by more than one county. Digitalis purpurea, Foxglove or ''Digitalis purpurea'' was chosen for four counties – Argyll, Birmingham, Leicestershire and Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire – more than any other species. The following species were chosen for three counties each: * Bog Rosemary ''Andromeda polifolia'' (Ceredigion, Cardiganshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Kirkcudbright and County Tyrone, Tyrone) * Primula veris, Cowslip ''Primula veris'' (Northamptonshire, Surrey and Worcestershire) * Harebell ''Campanula rotundifolia'' (County Antrim, Antrim, Dumfriesshire and Yorkshire) * Armeria maritima, Thrift ''Armeria maritima'' (County of Bute, Buteshire, Pembrokeshire and the Isles of Scilly) And the following species were chosen for two counties: * Grass-of-parnassus ''Parnassia palustris'' (Cumberland and Sutherland) * Pasqueflower ''Pulsatilla vulgaris'' (Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire) * Common Poppy ''Papaver rhoeas'' (Essex and Norfolk) In addition, Lychnis viscaria, Sticky Catchfly ''Lychnis viscaria'' was chosen for both Edinburgh and Midlothian, the county containing Edinburgh. For most counties, Indigenous (ecology), native species were chosen, but for a small number of counties, alien (biology), non-natives were chosen, mainly archaeophytes.

Sri Lanka

The Gloriosa superba, flame lily was designated as the national flower of the unrecognised state of Tamil Eelam by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), because it contains all the colours contained in the Tamil Eelam national flag and because it grows during November, coinciding with Maaveerar Naal.

Unofficial plants

Armenia

No plant or flower seems to be among the current official symbols. Some flowering plants from the area include ''Althaea armeniaca'', Armenian Basket, ''Muscari armeniacum'', ''Papaver lateritium'', Armenian vartig (vargit), and ''Tulipa armena''.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan currently has no official national flower. Traditionally, various regions have different designations where national symbols are concerned. The city of Shusha named the Khari Bulbul (''Ophrys caucasica'') the floral emblem of the Nagorno-Karabakh.

Belarus

The unofficial national flower of Belarus is wild blue flax, ''Centaurea''.

China

China currently has no official national flower. Traditionally, various regions have different designations where national symbols are concerned. In 1903, the Qing dynasty named the Paeonia suffruticosa, peony () the floral emblem of the nation. The peony has long been considered a flower of wealth and honor in China. The puppet state Manchukuo followed Japan's model of dual floral emblems: the "spring orchid" (Cymbidium goeringii) for the Emperor and the imperial household, and the sorghum blossom (Sorghum bicolor) for the state and the nation. The

, ''meihua'' (), has also been one of the most beloved flowers in Chinese culture. The Republic of China government named the plum blossom as the national flower in 1964. The plum blossom is symbol for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum blossoms often bloom most vibrantly even amidst the harsh winter snow. The People's Republic of China, which has controlled mainland China since 1949, has no official floral emblem. There have been several petitions in recent years to officially adopt one. However, the government has not taken any action yet. A poll in 2005 showed that 41% of the public supports peony as the national flower while 36% supported the plum blossom. Some scholars have suggested that the peony and plum blossoms may be designated as dual national flowers. In addition, the orchid,

, daffodil and chrysanthemum have also been held as possible floral symbols of China.

Ecuador

No flower has been officially declared as a national symbol. Unofficially the

and the orchid are claimed to hold that title.

Egypt

Both Nymphaea caerulea, Blue Egyptian Lotus and Nymphaea lotus, White Egyptian Lotus are regarded as Egypt's national flowers, and they appear in many Ancient Egyptian paintings and monuments.

France

While France does not have an official national flower, the fleur-de-lis, which was a symbol of the royal family, as well as the Centaurea cyanus, cornflower (blue), Argyranthemum frutescens, marguerite (white), and red poppy, which together represent the tri-colored Flag of France, national flag, are also generally treated as French national flowers.

Guinea

In a 2018 public vote ''Vernonia djalonensis'' was voted as the national flower of Guinea, a decision which is currently awaiting government approval

Japan

Japan's national government has never formally named a national flower, as with other symbols such as the green pheasant, which was named as national bird by a non-government body in 1947. In 1999, the Hinomaru, national flag and Kimigayo, anthem were Act on National Flag and Anthem (Japan), standardised by law. A ''de facto'' national flower for Japan for many is the ''sakura'' (cherry blossom), while a stylised depiction of a Chrysanthemum morifolium is used as the official Mon (emblem), emblem of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family (Imperial Seal of Japan). The Paulownia blossom was also used by the imperial family in the past, but has since been appropriated by the Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister and the Government of Japan, government in general (Government Seal of Japan).

Vietnam

While Vietnam does not have an official flower, four plants are traditional regarded as the ''four graceful plants'', namely: the lotus, the pine, bamboo, and the chrysanthemum. The lotus (''Nelumbo nucifera'') is generally regarded as the unofficial national flower of Vietnam, as portrayed, for example, on their postage stamps.Scott #874 and #875 show the lotus and flag, respectively, in honor of the first unified National Assembly general elections of 1976. , and again the flag and lotus are on the bicentennial issue Scot #3233, Scott Standard Stamp Catalogue 2008 page 1032 In Vietnamese tradition, the lotus is regarded as ''the symbol of purity, commitment and optimism for the future.''

References

External links

Plantlife
County flowers page
BBC coverage of the county flowers competition

Provincial Floral Emblems of Canada
- ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''
National Flowers
* List of national flowers by country {{DEFAULTSORT:Floral Emblem Flowers in culture Lists of national symbols