Did you know...
... that even though Rose was declared as the floral emblem of the United States of America in the year 1986, its usage is not as common as that of the floral emblems of individual American states.
Each country in the world has numerous national symbols, which are extremely important for its national identity. These symbols include various things such as the nation's flag, the national anthem or more tangible things like a national bird, plant or flower. These become unique entities that represent a particular country.
A large number of countries across the globe have defined floral emblems. Some of them are decided by the governments of these countries, while others are decided by means of public polls. Given below is a list of national flowers of various countries of the world.
ASIA
Afghanistan
Tulip
Tulipa
Bangladesh
Shapla (White water lily)
Nymphaea pubescens
Bhutan
Blue Poppy
Meconopsis grandis
China
Plum Blossom
Prunus mume
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Orchid
Bauhinia blakeana
India
Lotus
Nelumbo nucifera
Iraq
Red Rose
Rosa
Israel
Cyclamen
Cyclamen
Japan
Sakura (Cherry Blossom)
Prunus serrulata
Jordan
Black Iris
Iris nigricans
Kazakhstan
Lily
Lilium
Laos
Frangipani
Plumeria alba
Malaysia
Bunga Raya (Shoe Flower)
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Maldives
Pink Polyantha Rose
Rosa polyantha
Nepal
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
North Korea
Magnolia
Magnolia sieboldii
Pakistan
Poet's Jasmine
Jasminum officinale
Philippines
Sampaguita (Arabian Jasmine)
Jasminum sambac
Russia
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Singapore
Vanda Miss Joaquim
Hybrid Cultivar
Syria
Jasmine
Jasminum
Vietnam
Lotus
Nelumbo nucifera
• Brunei - Simpoh Ayer (Dillenia suffruticosa)
• Kuwait - Arfaj (Rhanterium epapposum)
• Myanmar - Paduak (Pterocarpus indicus)
• Sri Lanka - Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata)
• Thailand - Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula)
• Cambodia - Romduol (Mitrella mesnyi)
• Indonesia - Jasmine (Jasminum sambac)
• Iran - Tulip (Tulipa)
• South Korea - Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
Europe
Andorra
Narcissus
Narcissus
Belarus
Wild Blue Flax
Linum usitatissimum
Belgium
Red Poppy
Papaver rhoeas
Bulgaria
Damask Rose
Rosa × damascena
Croatia
Iris
Iris croatica
Czech Republic
Rose
Rosa
England
Red Rose
Rosa
Estonia
Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
Faroe Islands
Marsh Marigold
Caltha palustris
France
Iris
Iris
Germany
Blue Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus
Greece
Bear's Breech
Acanthus mollis
Hungary
Tulip
Tulipa
Iceland
Mountain Avens
Dryas octopetala
Latvia
Oxeye Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
Liechtenstein
Yellow Lily
Lilium
Lithuania
Rue
Ruta graveolens
Macedonia
Opium Poppy
Papaver somniferum
Monaco
Carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus
Norway
Pyramidal Saxifrage
Saxifraga cotyledon
Poland
Red Poppy
Papaver rhoeas
Portugal
Lavender
Lavandula spica
Romania
Dog Rose
Rosa canina
Scotland
Scotch Thistle
Onopordum acanthium
Serbia
Plum Blossom
Prunus domestica
Slovakia
Rose
Rosa
Switzerland
Edelweiss
Leontopodium alpinum
The Netherlands
Tulip
Tulipa
Wales
Daffodil
Narcissus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Golden Lily (Lilium bosniacum)
• Finland - Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
• Ireland - Shamrock (Trifolium dubium)
• Malta - Maltese Rock Centaury (Cheirolophus crassifolius)
• Austria - Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)
• Cyprus - Cyclamen (Cyclamen cyprium)
• Gibraltar - Candytuft (Iberis gibraltarica)
• Italy - Daisy (Bellis perennis)
• Luxembourg - Rose (Rosa)
• Slovenia - Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
• Spain - Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
• Ukraine - Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
AFRICA
Angola
Welwitschia
Welwitschia mirabilis
Botswana
Rose
Rosa
Burkina Faso
Rose
Rosa
Egypt
Egyptian Lotus
Nymphaea lotus
Ethiopia
Calla Lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Gabon
African Tulip
Spathodea campanulata
Lesotho
Spiral Aloe
Aloe polyphylla
Liberia
Pepper
Piper nigrum
Libya
Pomegranate Blossom
Punica granatum
Namibia
Welwitschia
Welwitschia mirabilis
South Africa
King Protea
Protea cynaroides
Tunisia
Jasmine
Jasminum grandiflorum
• Mauritius - Boucle d'Oreille (Trochetia boutoniana)
• Nigeria - Spiral Ginger (Costus spectabilis)
• Algeria - Iris (Iris tectorum)
• Madagascar - Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia)
• Zambia - Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)
• Zimbabwe - Flame Lily (Gloriosa superba)
NORTH AMERICA
Antigua and Barbuda
Dagger Log
Agave karatto
Barbados
Pride of Barbados
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Costa Rica
Orchid
Guarianthe skinneri
Cuba
White Mariposa
Hedychium coronarium
El Salvador
Flor de Izote
Yucca gigantea
Mexico
Dahlia
Dahlia
Nicaragua
Sacuanjoche
Plumeria alba
Panama
Holy Ghost Orchid
Peristeria elata
St. Kitts & Nevis
Red Royal Poinciana
Delonix regia
The Bahamas
Yellow Elder
Tecoma stans
• Belize - Black Orchid (Prosthechea cochleata)
• Bermuda - Strict blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum)
• Dominica - Caribwood (Poitea carinalis)
• Dominican Republic - Mahogany Tree Flower (Swietenia mahagoni)
• Guatemala - Monja Blanca (Lycaste skinneri)
• Honduras - Orquídea Brassavola (Rhyncholaelia digbyana)
• Jamaica - Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale)
• Puerto Rico - Flor de Maga (Thespesia grandiflora)
• Trinidad and Tobago - Chaconia (Warszewiczia coccinea)
• Canada - Canada does not have a designated national flower; it uses a maple leaf as its emblem. However, each of its provinces has its own floral emblem that is commonly used.
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
Ceibo
Erythrina crista-galli
Columbia
Christmas Orchid
Cattleya trianae
Guyana
Victoria Regia Lily
Victoria amazonica
Peru
Cantuta
Cantua buxifolia
Uruguay
Passion Flower
Passiflora
• Chile - Copihue (Lapageria rosea)
• Paraguay - Mburucuyá (Passiflora edulis)
• Bolivia - Lobster claw (Heliconia rostrata)
• Brazil - Golden Trumpet (Tabebuia alba)
• Venezuela - Flor de Mayo (Cattleya mossiae)
OCEANIA
Australia
Golden Wattle
Acacia pycnantha
New Zealand
Pohutukawa
Metrosideros excelsa
• Tahiti, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands - Tahitian Gardenia (Gardenia taitensis)
• Fiji - Tagimaucia (Medinilla waterhousei)
• Tonga - Heilala (Garcinia sessilis)
National flowers thus, are important elements which, in a way, symbolize the nation as a whole. Every country has its own criteria to choose their national flower. Some of the major parameters include the flower's indigenousness, its connection with the country's history and culture, its sacred connotations, and its popularity with the country's citizens. A given flower should fulfill at least one of these criteria in order to qualify as a national flower.
