February 18

Birth Flower

Himalayan saxifrage
Elephant ear saxifrage Winter blooming bergenia

Scientific Name: Bergenia stracheyi
Family: Saxifragaceae

Flower Language

  • adaptation
  • hidden feelings

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Himalayan saxifrage is an evergreen perennial from the Saxifragaceae family, distributed from the Himalayan region to Afghanistan and China. It features thick leaves and clusters of pink flowers, with beautiful glossy green leaves forming large rosettes. Blooming from February to April during the cold season into spring, it's known as a hardy, easy-to-grow plant with high cold tolerance.

Trivia

  • Same family as regular saxifrage but few visual similarities
  • Popular as evergreen perennial providing year-round greenery
  • Hardy nature allowing growth with minimal care, ideal for ground cover
  • Leaf tannins used internationally for leather preservation and durability enhancement

Uses

Ornamental
  • Ground cover applications
  • Rock garden decoration
  • Cut flowers and foliage for indoor decoration
Medicinal
  • Occasionally used as medicinal herb in folk medicine in some regions

Caution: Effects not scientifically proven in modern medicine

Culinary

Not edible but non-toxic

Other
  • Leaves and stems containing tannins used in leather manufacturing
  • Shade plant for shade gardens
  • Greening plant in cold regions

Toxicity

Symptoms: No toxicity confirmed but not used as food

Violet orychophragmus
Chinese violet cress Orychophragmus

Scientific Name: Orychophragmus violaceus
Family: Brassicaceae

Flower Language

  • intelligence
  • fountain of wisdom

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Violet orychophragmus is an autumn-sown annual from the Brassicaceae family, native to China, also known as Chinese violet cress. Often responsible for the purple haze seen on embankments and field edges in spring, it produces characteristic cruciform purple flowers from spring to early summer. Once seeds are sown, they will self-seed and bloom again the following year with minimal care, making it a hardy, low-maintenance plant.

Trivia

  • Alternative name relates to Zhuge Liang's wisdom from Three Kingdoms
  • Hardy nature with natural self-seeding ability
  • Characteristic cruciform flowers typical of Brassicaceae family
  • Representative naturalized plant that turns spring embankments purple

Uses

Ornamental
  • Wildflower gardens and naturalistic landscapes
  • Mass plantings for spring scenery
  • Cut flowers for wild-style arrangements
Medicinal
  • Some medicinal use in traditional Chinese medicine

Caution: Effects not scientifically proven in modern medicine

Culinary
  • young leaves
  • flowers
  • seeds
Other
  • Edible oil extraction from seeds
  • Green manure for soil improvement
  • Nectar source for beekeeping

Toxicity

Symptoms: Used as food with no toxicity