Located in a tropical region, Vietnam has various kinds of plants. During the festive time, Vietnamese often decorate their houses with different flowers and plants. There are several names worth mentioning: daisy, sunflower, tulip, lily, carnation, orchid, rose, kumquat, etc. Additionally, trees like plumeria, bougainvillea, and periwinkle are planted to put some colors in small gardens or yards. In this article, we will introduce Vietnam’s national flowers, the lotus, and other very popular flowers in Vietnam, including apricot blossom, peach blossom, phoenix flower, and white cheesewood flower.
Lotus – Vietnam’s National Flowers (Hoa Sen)
Lotus plays a vital role in Vietnamese culture. To the Vietnamese, the lotus symbolizes the purity and serenity of a person. Like the courageous Vietnamese, the flower grows in a murky pond but rises above the surface to bloom with exceptional beauty and fragrance. Although we have undergone thousands of years of Northern dominance and a hundred years of Western colonization, we still manage to regain our independence and stand tall today.
It’s no surprise that you see lotus always win the first position in any Vietnam’s national flower election. International friends have long been familiar with the image of the Vietnamese golden lotus since it is the logo of Vietnam Airlines, our national airline.
Besides being an excellent flower, the lotus also has a wide range of cooking and medicine uses. The young stems of the flower can be used in salads, while the lotus seeds can be candied or be an essential ingredient in many dishes, including main dishes and sweet soups. Moreover, a kind called lotus tea is made from lotus stamens.
Hoa Sen – Lotus
Apricot Blossom – Vietnam’s National Flowers (Hoa Mai)
If you come to the south of Vietnam on the Tet holiday, you will catch sight of apricot blossoms everywhere. This flower is the token of southern spring since it often blooms in spring, and its bright and vivid color makes the holiday atmosphere more joyful and delightful. Apricot blossom has two primary colors, which are white and yellow. While the white apricot blossom is associated with purity and resilience, yellow symbolizes luck, prosperity, and longevity. Yellow is also considered the royal color.
For this reason, during the Tet holiday, almost every house in the south of Vietnam has an apricot blossom tree, either in white or yellow. There are also festivals and competitions celebrating the Lunar New Year’s spirit and the beauty of the apricot blossoms. Good things will come to the family if the tree is in full bloom during the first free days of the new year or until the fifteenth.
Hoa Mai – Apricot blossom
An apricot blossom can have from 5 to 10 petals
Peach Blossoms – Vietnam’s National Flowers (Hoa Dao)
While the apricot blossom is the queen of southern spring, the peach blossom takes its place in the north. Initially, people used peach blossom trees to decorate houses to drive away evil spirits. Nowadays, although most youngsters do not know about this anymore, buying a branch of peach blossom has become a beautiful cultural custom of people living in the north. Similar to apricot blossom, peach blossom represents wealth and good fortune. Its soft pink color makes the cold weather of the northern spring warmer and spreads love and joy among people on the biggest holiday of the year. It also makes people think of Hanoi girls who are gentle and slightly reserved but still dignified.
Phoenix Flowers – Vietnam’s National Flowers (Hoa Phuong)
Phoenix tree is often 10 – 15 meters tall and it is often grown in schools for shading. Because of this, the phoenix flower has a close association with students. The blooming of the phoenix flower is considered a sign of summer. It informs that a school year has passed and there will be no homework soon!
White Cheesewoods or Milk Flowers – Vietnam’s National Flowers (Hoa Sua)
If you ask someone in Hanoi about a kind of flower firmly imprinted in their mind, it would be milk flowers. Each season in Hanoi has its special kind of flower. However, for people living there and anyone who has come to Hanoi in the fall, what impresses them most must be milk flowers. Milk flowers blossom in late fall and early winter when the weather is slightly cool, making the atmosphere more romantic and poetic.
Other Honorary Mentions of Vietnam’s National Flowers
The bougainvillea flower is a famous decorative plant in Vietnamese households’ gardens
Marigolds are another famous flower during the Tet holiday, just like the apricot blossoms
Summary of Vietnam’s National Flowers
There is a range of flowers in Vietnam due to the settled weather of the nation. The lotus has not been officially recognized as Vietnam’s national flower; however, it is always dominant in this position. Besides, other kinds of flowers mentioned, including apricot blossom, peach blossom, phoenix flower, and milk flower, are popular in Vietnam, both in real life and artworks.
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Give yourself a chance to come and admire some of these beauties once, and we are always open to questions if you need information on your Vietnam travel. Reach out to us through our Contact page.