Growing Bougainvillea, Greece’s Cherished Flower   - Insights Greece (2024)

FAQs

Growing Bougainvillea, Greece’s Cherished Flower   - Insights Greece? ›

-Little feeding and watering is required once established. -Avoid overwatering. Excessive water can cause the leaves to drop from the plant. -Bougainvillea only needs occasional watering during the winter months, but regular watering during warmer months is essential to keep the roots cool.

The bougainvillea symbolises different things for different cultures, but in Greece, they are regarded as a symbol of abundance, hospitality, and passion.

In other parts of the world, the bougainvillea flower means protection and spiritual connection, whilst others see it as a symbol of peace. Other celebrated meanings are abundance, prosperity and passion for relationships.

Flowers and Gift-Giving Traditions.

They based their personal use of flowers on their beliefs. The Greeks used them as props for storytelling. They also made them into decoration for ceremonies. Later, they began exchanging flowers to show affection towards each other.

Lupins. Conical in shape and bright in hue, the quaint lupin is one of Greece's prettiest natural flowers.

In the tapestry of cultures, Bougainvillea is a thread that weaves through many traditions. It's a symbol of passion in Victorian symbolism, a representation of welcome in Hawaii, and a nod to free trade in other regions. Its name, derived from an 18th-century admiral, hints at its adventurous spirit.

Flowers in Greek mythology have various symbols behind their existence. It's no surprise that so many myths had thrived around them. From love and passion to purity, flowers have been used to symbolize something in many tales. As time goes by, these myths are still alive in modern flowers.

Symbolism in "The Flowers"

The flowers symbolize Myop's innocence. In general, flowers symbolize life, purity, and childhood. Flowers grow in the summer and stand for new life. Myop gathers the flowers on her walk as she enjoys her surroundings without care.

The actual flowers of a bougainvillea are tiny white things in the center of (usually) brilliant colored bracts, like a poinsettia. The bracts on the native plants were all a screaming magenta; you see many photos of Los Angeles houses in the early 20th century covered in that hot, hot color.

What is the Greek flower of love? ›

Indeed, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was so struck by its beauty that she named it 'rose' in honour of her son, Eros. If that's not dramatic enough, there's a rival Greek myth that connects the red rose to devotion.

National Flower of Greece: Bear's Breeches (Acanthus Mollis)

One of the most famous floral myths involves the Narcissus flower, commonly known as the daffodil. This springtime favorite is named after the beautiful Greek youth, Narcissus, who became so enchanted by his reflection in a river that he stayed on its banks, staring at himself until he died.

For later Greek poets the very ancient pre-Homeric association of the asphodel flower with a positive form of afterlife as well as the enlarged role of Elysium as it became the destination of more than just a few lucky heroes, altered the character of the meadows.

Flora was in later times identified with the Greek Chloris (See HORAe). In works of art she was represented as a blooming maiden, decked with flowers. The personification of the spring season, and goddess of flowers, the wife of Zephyrus, mother of Carpos ("Fruit"). She was identified by the Romans with Flora.

The plant that we find almost all over Greece, grows between the rocks, in the fields, under the bushes, below bushes, it looks like a big onion and they say that it brings protection, good luck and health… that is why it was established as a New Year's good luck charm. In Andros we call it “askela”.

Popular peonies are named after Paean, the physician who tended to the wounds of the gods under the guidance of his teacher, Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. One day, Paean healed Pluto, the god of the underworld, with a milky liquid taken from the root of a magical flower he had found on Mount Olympus.

Over time, these myths have fed into modern flower meanings and associations. For example, the God of Love Cupid (Eros in Greek mythology) was often depicted carrying roses. Even today, they remain one of the most iconic symbols of passionate love.