Red Carnation: The National flower of Spain

The national flower of Spain is Red carnation. its Spanish name is clavel.  Its scientific name is (Dianthus) caryophyllus. It belongs to caryophyllaceae family. It is a nonwoody herb or plant part growing to 80 cm tall. The leaves are look from a powdery coating as on plants grayish green to blue-green narrow size approximately up to 15 cm long.

The flowers are produced singly or up to five together in a cluster (group). They are 3–5 cm diameter, and sweet  fragrance the original natural flower color is bright pinkish-purple  but cultivars of other colours  including red, white, yellow and green, have been developed. Carnations require well-drained impartial or slightly alkaline soil, full sun and should be kept moist. Avoid over-watering as this may tend to turn the leaves yellow.

Those who grow carnations should know the importance of pinching, stopping and thin out of buds to improve the quality of remaining flowers.

Flower of Spain has three types

1-Large flowered Carnations – one large flower per stem.

2-Spray Carnations (Mini Carnations) – with lots of smaller flowers.

3-Dwarf flowered Carnations – several small flowers on one stem.

The flower is widely grown in Aragon and Andalusia, the southern areas of Spain.

It has been decorating windows of traditional white houses of these areas till now.

It is also a part of various traditions of Spain.

10 Facts about Red Carnation Flower: you should know

• Red carnation is the native, famous and popular flower of Spain
• From early Times Spain is a place of parties, so the people here never leave an opportunity to gather for celebrations and Bunch of Carnations are always the choice of people to greet their dear and near ones.
• The most attractive flower of Chinese wedding. In fact, it is the most common flower used in Chinese wedding ceremonies and other celebration
• In Japan the red carnation symbolizes love and is the most common flower for Mother’s Day.
• In USA Carnations are the official flowers for Mother’s Day. It is also the birth flower for January
• During Victorian times, flowers often sent a secret, coded message to a lover or secret admirer. Sometimes, they also answered a secret question. A solid colored carnation meant the answer was “yes”. A striped carnation signified “I’m sorry, but I can’t be with you.” A yellow carnation symbolized “No”.                                                         All carnations symbolize love and heart feeling the color of the flower also carries meaning.                          a)Red:Deep Love and Admiration   b) White: Pure Love and Good Luck
  • c) Pink:A Mother’s Love                   d) Yellow: Disappointment or Rejection
  • e) Purple: Capriciousness                f) Striped: Rejection or Regret
• Carnations are used in tea to relieve stress, weakness, depression, insomnia and female hormonal imbalances.
• Spain national flower in the school colors are often presented to graduates or recipients of academic and sports awards.
• It used in massage oils to treat skin irritations or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and treat chest congestion

Red Carnation flower meaning:

The carnation scientific name Dianthus comes from a combination of two Latin words: “Dios” meaning gods and “anthos” meaning flower. So it referred as the flowers of the gods.

There are two schools of thought about how this flower earned the common name of carnation. Some believe the name came from the ancient Romans who wore carnations in garlands (flowers for ornamental purposes).

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They claim the name comes from “corone” the Roman word for flower, or reflects an alternate pronunciation for the word “coronation” because they were often worn as crowns in religious ceremonies. Others believe the carnation earned its name from the Latin word “caro” meaning flesh (a soft moist part of a fruit) as this was the color of the first carnations.

Color wise flower meaning when you receive a Red Carnation bunch it means, my heart burns for you and when you receive White Carnations, the sender is saying I am still available, pink, A Mother’s Love. However, if you go to Andalucia in Spain you will see a lot of pots in the windowsills containing colorful bunches of Carnations.

Why is red carnation the national flower of Spain?

Since the early time, flowers have attracted us with their unique beauty and cool fragrances. But some of these exceptional ‘gifts of nature’ possess unbelievable characteristics that are unknown to many of us. Here we will discuss some interesting facts about Spain flowers, both rare varieties and those we see regularly. State Flowers are special design or visual object representing a quality, type, expression and culture etc.

Emblems and symbols signify country. Particular national flowers have traditional or religious origins that go back hundreds or even thousands of years some are consulted by government bodies which may or may not have been officially accepted. Whereas others become familiar due to public interest.

One of the world’s oldest cultivated flowers, the carnation is appreciated for its decorative property or decoration appearance, attractive fragrance, and long lasting blooming period. The carnation’s history dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times, when it was used in art.

Christians believe that the first carnation bloomed on earth when Mary (the mother of Jesus) wept for Jesus as he carried his (cross) symbol. Carnations in these early times were mainly found in shades of light pink and peach. But over the years the palette of available colors has grown to include red, yellow, white, purple, and even green.

An official flower of Spain was Pomegranate. But due to the interesting and amazing effects, property Red carnation become the native, popular and national flower of Spain. Because it is not only beautiful and long lasting flower, but also the decorative item for Spain house windows where you will see colorful bunches of Carnations.

Also Check:

• The National Flower of Egypt: Lotus
• The National Flower of Afghanistan: Tulip