December 12

Birth Flower

Easter Lily
Trumpet Lily White Trumpet Lily Japanese Lily

Scientific Name: Lilium longiflorum
Family: Liliaceae

Flower Language

  • purity
  • sweetness
  • dignity

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Easter Lily is native to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan and Taiwan, characterized by pure white, elongated trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom horizontally. The flowers are 10-15cm long and about 5cm in diameter, named after their resemblance to a trumpet or gun barrel. They have a sweet, gentle fragrance and grow to heights of 50cm-1m. Called Easter Lily because they bloom around Easter time, they are considered important symbols of the Virgin Mary in Western culture.

Trivia

  • Named after its resemblance to 16th-century firearms (trumpet guns)
  • A flower native to Japan, particularly Okinawa, now beloved worldwide
  • When introduced to Europe, it became known as the 'Madonna Lily'
  • Also called 'Easter Lily' because it blooms around Easter time

Uses

Ornamental
  • Used as cut flowers in bouquets and arrangements
  • Garden planting to brighten spring gardens
  • Potted plants for indoor decoration
Medicinal
  • Bulbs are believed to have medicinal properties
  • Said to have cough suppressant and expectorant effects

Caution: It is important to consult with experts before use

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Flower fragrance used as perfume
  • Decoration in religious ceremonies

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: bulb, pollen

Symptoms: May cause allergic reactions due to pollen

Christmas Cactus
Holiday Cactus Crab Cactus Thanksgiving Cactus

Scientific Name: Schlumbergera truncata
Family: Cactaceae

Flower Language

  • beautiful view
  • momentary beauty
  • adventurous spirit

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Christmas Cactus is a member of the Cactaceae family native to Brazil, producing vibrant flowers in red, pink, orange, yellow, and other colors at the tips of its thick, flat, jointed leaves (stem segments). The flowers are about 7cm in size and bloom around Christmas time, hence the name Christmas Cactus. The Japanese name comes from the resemblance of the stem segment edges to a mantis shrimp (shako). It is an epiphytic plant that naturally grows on trees in misty forests, and unlike typical cacti, it prefers moderate humidity rather than dry conditions.

Trivia

  • Most Christmas cacti in circulation are hybrids created through crossbreeding
  • Japanese name comes from stem segments resembling mantis shrimp (shako)
  • Unusual cactus that grows in humid forests rather than arid regions
  • Can be made to bloom year-round by adjusting flowering periods

Uses

Ornamental
  • Indoor potted plants for decoration
  • Used as Christmas decorations
  • Popular as gift plants
Medicinal

Caution: No particular medicinal uses

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Believed to have air purifying effects
  • Used as interior plants

Toxicity

Symptoms: No particular toxicity

Chinese Violet Cress
Orychophragmus Violet Orychophragmus Purple-flowered Rocket

Scientific Name: Orychophragmus violaceus
Family: Brassicaceae

Flower Language

  • fountain of wisdom
  • excellence
  • healing

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Chinese Violet Cress is a biennial Brassicaceae plant native to China that produces beautiful bluish-purple flowers in clusters from March to May. The flowers are 2-3cm in diameter, the plant grows to about 50cm tall, and is known for creating beautiful landscapes that dye entire fields purple. It has many alternative names, with 'Shokatsu-sai' being particularly notable as it derives from Zhuge Liang (Zhuge Kongming) of the Three Kingdoms period. It has very strong reproductive ability and easily multiplies from self-seeded plants, making it a hardy species that has now naturalized as a feral plant in various regions.

Trivia

  • Called Shokatsu-sai after the wisdom of Zhuge Kongming from the Three Kingdoms
  • The name Peace Flower embodies the wish to never repeat the Sino-Japanese War
  • Sometimes becomes problematic as a naturalized plant due to excessive reproductive ability
  • The flower color characteristically fades over time

Uses

Ornamental
  • Spring flower bed and garden decoration
  • Appreciation of naturalized cluster sites
  • Used as cut flowers
Medicinal
  • Used as medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine
  • Believed to have fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects

Caution: Medicinal use should be done under expert guidance

Culinary
  • young leaves
  • stems
Other
  • Oil extraction from seeds
  • Used as green manure for soil improvement

Toxicity

Symptoms: No particular toxicity

Cotton
Cotton Plant Gossypium Cotton Tree

Scientific Name: Gossypium arboreum
Family: Malvaceae

Flower Language

  • delicate
  • mother's love
  • embrace me

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Cotton is a Malvaceae plant native to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, growing to heights of 60cm-1.5m. It produces beautiful hibiscus-like flowers around July-August, and about one month after the flowers wither, the fruit splits open to reveal cotton bolls. Each cotton boll contains 25-35 seeds, each wrapped in white fibers. These fibers are used as cotton and have played an extremely important role in the history of human clothing. Cultivation began around 2500 BCE in the ancient Indus region, and it continues to be cultivated worldwide as an important industrial crop.

Trivia

  • One of humanity's oldest fiber crops, cultivated since around 2500 BCE in the ancient Indus region
  • Called 'white gold' in the American South due to its economic importance
  • A crop that changed world history by driving the Industrial Revolution
  • About 500 fibers can be extracted from one cotton boll

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cotton bolls used for ornamental purposes
  • Dried flowers and craft materials
  • Cultivated as ornamental plants in gardens
Medicinal
  • Oil extracted from seeds has medicinal properties
  • Roots and leaves contain medicinal components

Caution: Medicinal use should be done under expert guidance

Culinary
  • seeds (as cottonseed oil)
Other
  • Raw material for textile fibers
  • Cottonseed oil for food and industrial use
  • Cottonseed meal as feed and fertilizer

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: seeds (raw state), leaves

Symptoms: Raw seeds contain gossypol, a toxic component, so caution is needed