The 2024 Lunar New Year, Year of the Dragon, is celebrated today, February 10th. It is also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, marking the lunar calendar’s beginning and is celebrated by various Asian cultures worldwide. This vibrant and joyous festival is steeped in rich tradition and symbolism, offering a time for families to unite, honor ancestors, and usher in good fortune for the year ahead.
Much like how we associate Easter lilies with Easter, Holly, Mistletoe, and Poinsettia for Christmas in Western Holidays. Here are some of the most beloved botanical symbols of the Lunar New Year.
Hardy Chinese orchis (Bletilla striata)
Orchids: Orchids have symbolized scholarly pursuit, nobility, integrity, and friendship. Orchids with plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, and bamboo are called the “Four Gentlemen” and embody the virtues of a scholar since ancient times in China. Orchids are the largest plant genus in species and diversity, with over 28,000 species and counting. They are native to every continent except Antarctica. The most commonly seen orchids during Lunar New Year are Cymbidiums, Phalaenopsis, and Oncidiums. Pictured above is Bletilla striata, which is cold, hardy, and can be planted outdoors with protection. Orchids with deep colors such as red, purple, and yellow are seen as auspicious and bring luck for the new year.
Chrysanthemums: While they symbolize late summer and early autumn, they also represent long life and longevity. They are commonly seen in floral displays during Lunar New Year, especially yellow-flowered varieties representing the wealth the new year will bring.
Paeonia Buckeye Belle. Red peony flower. Paeonia lactiflora Chinese peony or common garden peony.
Peony (Peony lactiflora): Native to central and eastern Asia, Tibet, and Eastern Siberia, this flower is famous worldwide for the beauty of its blossoms. Since ancient times, the peony has been grown in imperial gardens in China, especially during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The flower symbolizes wealth and prosperity and was often associated with Chinese emperors because only the Imperial family could have them sewn onto their clothing. April to May is the best time to see these beautiful plants bloom at Wellfield.
Peach Blossoms (Prunus persica) were first discovered in Persia more than 7,500 years ago and eventually made their way to East Asia. Peach blossoms are another auspicious blossom for the Lunar New Year, symbolizing peace and health. One of the most famous poems, “Peach Blossom Spring,” written by Tao Yuan Ming during political instability, describes the story of a fisherman sailing on a river into a forest made up entirely of blossoming peach trees. Upon squeezing through a narrow grotto in the river, he reached a village free from the civil unrest of the Qin Dynasty. Once he left this village to tell others, he could never locate it again.
Plum Blossoms (Prunus Mei): Plum Trees typically bloom very early in the year, in January and February, during the Lunar New Year. Prune flowers are not fazed by the cold temperatures of winter and thus embody qualities such as strength and perseverance and signal the arrival of spring. Since the tree flowers on branches that appear lifeless and dead, they embody the triumph of life and longevity. Each plum blossom bears five petals, representing the five foundations of happiness: health, nobility, longevity, good fortune, and spiritual purity.
Narcissus tazettta blooming in shallow porcelain dish.
Narcissus ( Narcissus tazetta subspecies chinensis): Originating from the Mediterranean regions, experts believe that the narcissus made its way to China from the Silk Road trade routes during the Song Dynasty. These beautiful spring bulbs symbolize good fortune, grace, happiness, and accomplishment. They are often started indoors and timed to bloom in conjunction with the Lunar New Year. You can purchase bulbs online and start your own indoors with relative ease.
