November 17

Birth Flower

Nerine
Diamond Lily Spider Lily Guernsey Lily

Scientific Name: Nerine bowdenii
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Flower Language

  • splendor
  • looking forward to meeting again
  • patience
  • sheltered girl

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Nerine is a bulbous plant from the Amaryllidaceae family native to South Africa, blooming beautifully from autumn to winter. Known as 'Diamond Lily' for its jewel-like sparkling petals. The flower structure resembles an aggregation of small lily flowers, with petals curving back as they open and stamens protruding outward. Named after the water nymph 'Nereid' from Greek mythology. It's a valuable autumn-blooming bulb plant with a long flowering period of about one month.

Trivia

  • Microscopic structures on petals reflect light creating diamond-like sparkle
  • Complete water cutoff during bulb dormancy promotes next year's flowering
  • 20-30 flowers bloom in spiral arrangement on single stem
  • Individual flowers maintain beauty for about 3 weeks

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers (bouquets, arrangements)
  • Potted plants
  • Garden planting (warm regions)
  • Container gardens
Medicinal
  • Currently little medicinal use

Caution: Avoid medicinal use due to alkaloids in bulbs

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption (contains toxic compounds)

Other
  • Breeding material for garden varieties
  • Tourist flower fields
  • Photography subjects

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: Bulbs, All parts

Symptoms: May cause gastrointestinal symptoms and skin irritation

Statice
Sea Lavender Limonium Marsh Rosemary

Scientific Name: Limonium sinuatum
Family: Plumbaginaceae

Flower Language

  • unchanging heart
  • eternally unchanging
  • eternal constancy
  • elegance
  • knowledge

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Statice is a perennial from the Plumbaginaceae family native to the Mediterranean coast, now cultivated worldwide. It produces dense clusters of small flowers from May to July, but what appears to be flowers are actually sepals, with the true flowers being small yellow or white parts within. These sepals maintain their color well and don't fade even when dried, making them extremely popular as cut flowers. The stems have wings, and the leaves form rosettes at the base with wavy edges.

Trivia

  • Name derives from former classification in genus Statice
  • Sepals appearing as flowers is evolutionary result to attract insects
  • Salt-tolerant plant that grows in high salinity soils
  • Can maintain color for 2-3 years when dried

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers (bouquets, arrangements)
  • Dried flowers
  • Garden bedding
  • Potted plants
Medicinal
  • Sometimes used in folk medicine for astringent properties

Caution: Avoid medicinal use without expert knowledge

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Craft materials
  • Pressed flowers
  • Natural dye
  • Cosmetic ingredients

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Begonia
Wax Begonia Tuberous Begonia Rex Begonia

Scientific Name: Begonia semperflorens
Family: Begoniaceae

Flower Language

  • unrequited love
  • confession of love
  • kindness
  • politeness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Begonia is a perennial from the Begoniaceae family native to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with over 2000 species. Characterized by asymmetrical leaves and monoecious flowers, blooming vibrant flowers from May to November. Mainly classified into four types: cane-like, tuberous, rhizomatous, and ever-blooming, with over 15,000 garden varieties. Cold tolerance around 5°C, preferring partial shade as they dislike strong sunlight. Flower colors are extremely diverse including red, pink, white, yellow, and orange.

Trivia

  • Named after French botanist Michel Bégon
  • Considered one of the most diverse flowers in the world
  • Recognized as NASA-approved air-purifying plant
  • Called 'ever-blooming begonia' for varieties that bloom year-round

Uses

Ornamental
  • Potted plants
  • Garden bedding
  • Hanging baskets
  • Indoor houseplants
Medicinal
  • Some species occasionally used in folk medicine

Caution: Contains oxalic acid, requires expert knowledge for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Flowers
  • Young leaves (some species)
Other
  • Horticultural education materials
  • Breeding research subjects
  • Greenhouse displays

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Stems, Leaves

Symptoms: May cause mild oral irritation or gastrointestinal symptoms due to oxalic acid

Eremurus
Foxtail Lily Desert Candle King's Spear

Scientific Name: Eremurus robustus
Family: Asphodelaceae

Flower Language

  • unity
  • cooperation
  • abundance
  • dignity

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Trivia

  • Scientific name Eremurus derives from Greek meaning 'desert-loving'
  • Single flower stem can bear over 1000 flowers
  • Flower spike length varies from 30cm to over 2m depending on species
  • Rare plant requiring deep planting (30-50cm underground) of bulbs

Uses

Ornamental
  • Garden background plants
  • Cut flowers (large arrangements)
  • Dried flowers
  • Photography subjects
Medicinal
  • Roots sometimes used in folk medicine in Central Asia

Caution: Avoid medicinal use without expert knowledge

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Ornamental seeds
  • Focal plants in garden design
  • Plant collections

Toxicity

Symptoms: