December 01

Birth Flower

Saffron Crocus
Saffron Autumn Crocus

Scientific Name: Crocus sativus
Family: Iridaceae

Flower Language

  • Moderation
  • Cheerfulness
  • Don't abuse

Characteristics

Colors: Purple

Description

Saffron is a precious plant that has been cultivated since ancient times for medicinal, dyeing, and flavoring purposes. It has a long history, already depicted in wall paintings on the Greek island of Crete in the 15th century BC. It blooms beautiful purple flowers from October to November, and the world's finest spice is extracted from the three deep red stigmas in the center of the flower. As a bulbous plant, it is relatively easy to cultivate.

Trivia

  • About 150 flowers are needed to obtain 1 gram of saffron, making it more expensive than gold
  • There's an anecdote that Cleopatra bathed in saffron baths
  • In medieval Europe, counterfeiting saffron was punishable by death
  • Oita Prefecture in Japan is famous for saffron cultivation

Uses

Ornamental
  • Popular as autumn garden bulb flower
  • Indoor ornamental in pots or water culture
  • Used in rock gardens as autumn-blooming plant
Medicinal
  • Traditional medicine for cold constitution and fatigue recovery
  • Believed to have sedative and mood-stabilizing effects
  • Traditionally used for gynecological disorders

Caution: Pregnant women should avoid consumption due to uterine contractions. Excessive intake can cause hot flashes and insomnia

Culinary
  • Stigmas
Other
  • Used as luxury natural dye for textile coloring
  • Fragrance component in perfumes and cosmetics

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Entire bulb

Symptoms: Large consumption may cause nausea, dizziness, and abdominal pain

Chrysanthemum
Mum Florist's Chrysanthemum

Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium
Family: Asteraceae

Flower Language

  • Nobility
  • Purity
  • I love you
  • Honesty
  • Longevity and happiness

Characteristics

Colors: Various colors

Description

Chrysanthemum originated in China and was introduced to Japan during the Nara period for medicinal and ornamental purposes. Currently improved to about 200 varieties, classified into large, medium, and small flower types. It's a prestigious flower used in the imperial crest, blooming from mid-October to early December. There are Japanese and Western varieties with rich colors and diverse forms.

Trivia

  • Chrysanthemum flowers are designed on Japanese 50 yen coins
  • Chrysanthemum Festival is one of the five seasonal festivals on September 9th
  • The variety with the most petals is called 'Senjuuzaki'
  • Chrysanthemum dolls are traditional Japanese performing arts from the Edo period

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers circulated year-round for bouquets and arrangements
  • Popular as potted ornamental plants
  • Garden planting to color autumn gardens
Medicinal
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine for fever reduction and anti-inflammation
  • Effective for eye fatigue and headache relief
  • Consumed as tea for health maintenance

Caution: People with allergies may develop dermatitis

Culinary
  • Petals
  • Leaves
Other
  • Used as natural dye for yellow coloring
  • Used as companion plants in gardening for insect repelling effects

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems

Symptoms: May cause allergic reactions or dermatitis when touching skin

Anthurium
Flamingo Flower Tail Flower

Scientific Name: Anthurium andraeanum
Family: Araceae

Flower Language

  • Passion
  • Impressive
  • Unadorned beauty
  • Earnestness

Characteristics

Colors: Red

Description

Anthurium is a plant of the Araceae family native to tropical Americas and West Indies, with about 600 species distributed. It features glossy heart-shaped spathes (the part that looks like flowers) and spadix extending from the center. Popular as a foliage plant, it blooms for a long period from May to October. It has rich color variations and is easy to grow indoors.

Trivia

  • The flower-like part is actually a spathe (modified leaf), with the true flowers on the central spike
  • One of the world's largest foliage plant genera with over 600 species
  • Designated as the national flower of Colombia
  • Popular as a love fortune plant due to its heart shape

Uses

Ornamental
  • Popular as indoor foliage plant
  • Used as cut flowers for bouquets and arrangements
  • Used as material for bridal bouquets
Medicinal
  • No particular medicinal effects recognized

Caution: Contact with sap may cause dermatitis

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Believed to have air purifying effects
  • Used in feng shui to improve love fortune

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems, Sap

Symptoms: Ingestion can cause oral swelling, pain, and difficulty swallowing. Skin contact may cause inflammation

Kalanchoe
Flaming Katy Christmas Kalanchoe

Scientific Name: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Family: Crassulaceae

Flower Language

  • I will protect you
  • Announcing happiness
  • Many small memories

Characteristics

Colors: Various colors

Description

Kalanchoe is a succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, with about 100 species distributed in southern and eastern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Southeast Asia. It produces many small star-shaped flowers over the long period from November to May. It has rich color variations including red, pink, yellow, orange, and white, with attractive succulent leaves. As a short-day plant, it forms flower buds when daylight hours become shorter.

Trivia

  • As a short-day plant, it forms flower buds with less than 12 hours of daylight
  • Over 200 horticultural varieties exist
  • Succulent that can be easily propagated by leaf cuttings
  • Valuable plant that can be enjoyed for beautiful flowers indoors even in cold winter

Uses

Ornamental
  • Popular as potted ornamental plant
  • Used as material for mixed plantings
  • Indoor decorative foliage plant
Medicinal
  • Used as external medicine in African traditional medicine
  • Believed to have anti-inflammatory effects

Caution: Avoid internal use, and perform patch test before skin application

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Popular for succulent plant collections
  • Recommended as beginner-friendly garden plant

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems

Symptoms: Accidental ingestion may cause mild gastrointestinal disorders