April 11

Birth Flower

Kaffir Lily
Natal Lily Clivia

Scientific Name: Clivia miniata
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Flower Language

  • compassionate
  • noble
  • sincere

Characteristics

Colors: orange

Description

Named 'Gentleman's Orchid' for its dignified appearance, but it's not actually an orchid but belongs to the Amaryllis family. It's an ornamental plant with neatly arranged dark green leaves and beautiful flowers on straight stems. The contrast between the bright orange flowers and glossy leaves is very striking. The flowers are about 10cm long with 6 petals, blooming in clusters of 15-20 flowers.

Trivia

  • Despite having 'lily' in its name, it's actually from the Amaryllis family
  • requires a cold period for blooming, making winter chill important
  • can produce flowers for over 20 years from a single plant
  • varieties are classified by flower color, including yellow and cream varieties

Uses

Ornamental
  • indoor houseplant
  • potted plant
  • greenhouse cultivation
Medicinal
  • no known medicinal uses

Caution: avoid ingestion due to toxic components

Culinary

not suitable for consumption

Other
  • decorative use
  • horticultural use

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: entire plant, especially bulb part

Symptoms: ingestion may cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

Forsythia
Golden Bell Weeping Forsythia

Scientific Name: Forsythia suspensa
Family: Oleaceae

Flower Language

  • fulfilled hope
  • expectation
  • hope

Characteristics

Colors: yellow

Description

Named after the image of yellow birds' tail feathers lined up in a row. It produces many branches from the base and grows in a clump form reaching 2-3m in height. From March to April, so many yellow flowers bloom that they cover the entire plant. The flowers are 2-3cm in diameter with what appears to be four petals, but they are actually fused at the base into a tube shape with orange coloring inside. Historically, the fruits have been used as herbal medicine with detoxification and anti-inflammatory effects.

Trivia

  • the pith of branches disappears early, leaving them hollow except at nodes
  • semi-trailing branches can root when they touch the ground to form new plants
  • has over 2000 years of use history as Chinese herbal medicine 'Lianqiao'
  • the order of yellow flower blooming can indicate spring progression

Uses

Ornamental
  • garden tree
  • hedge
  • park planting
Medicinal
  • antipyretic
  • anti-inflammatory
  • diuretic
  • expectorant

Caution: use under professional guidance

Culinary

not suitable for consumption

Other
  • cut flowers
  • floral arrangement

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: fruits, leaves

Symptoms: large amounts may cause mild gastrointestinal disturbance

Cornflower
Bachelor's Button Bluebottle

Scientific Name: Centaurea cyanus
Family: Asteraceae

Flower Language

  • elegance
  • delicacy
  • happiness

Characteristics

Colors: blue-purple

Description

Originally a common weed in wheat fields, it has been improved for gardening with varieties in purple, white, and pink. The wild species is blue-purple, and its beauty is so renowned that the finest sapphire color is called 'cornflower blue'. The petals spread radially like a pinwheel and bloom from April to July. It's a type of herb that has long been used for medicinal, culinary, dye, and ornamental purposes.

Trivia

  • the species name 'cyanus' means 'light blue'
  • famous as the flower Napoleon gave when proposing
  • used as the German Emperor's emblem during World War I
  • appears in various artworks as a representative blue flower

Uses

Ornamental
  • cut flowers
  • flower beds
  • dried flowers
Medicinal
  • eye strain relief
  • anti-inflammatory
  • astringent

Caution: avoid use during pregnancy

Culinary
  • petals
  • young leaves
Other
  • natural dye
  • cosmetic ingredient

Toxicity

Symptoms: generally considered non-toxic

Polemonium
Jacob's Ladder

Scientific Name: Polemonium kiushianum
Family: Polemoniaceae

Flower Language

  • waiting for you
  • having compassion
  • wild beauty

Characteristics

Colors: blue-purple

Description

An endemic Japanese species found only in Kyushu (Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures), designated as critically endangered (IA class). It produces lovely blue-purple flowers about 1-1.5cm on stems 60-100cm tall. The flowers have 5 petals with yellow stamens providing accent within the blue-purple petals. The leaves are odd-pinnate compound leaves with alternating leaflets like the fern Davallia, hence named 'flower fern' meaning 'fern with flowers'.

Trivia

  • estimated population is about 2000 individuals
  • designated as nationally rare wild fauna and flora in 1995
  • flowers bloom June-August with corolla 11-15mm long
  • pinnate compound leaves have 5-11 pairs of segments

Uses

Ornamental
  • alpine garden
  • natural garden
  • conservation cultivation
Medicinal
  • no known medicinal uses

Caution: collection strictly prohibited as endangered species

Culinary

not suitable for consumption

Other
  • botanical research
  • environmental education

Toxicity

Symptoms: no toxicity reported