Blue is one of the three primary colors that is favored by lots of people. But unlike any other plant, blooms with blue color are rather difficult to find in nature as there are only a few of them. So what do blue flowers mean and symbolize? What makes blue flowers meaning so special?
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Blue Flower Symbolism as Part of Arts, Medicine, and Spirituality
Unlike green, red, and yellow, blooms with blue color are a rare sight in nature. This is because there are no flowers with true blue pigment. To get the blue appearance, plants, as well as animals, have to do a lightning trick that is reflected and not absorbed. Think about how an artist mixes their color palette to get a certain color–these flowers and animals can do that too!
Because of this scarcity, blue flowers are often seen as something remarkable. The notable reputation of blue flowers can be traced to many parts of human life. Numerous artists preserved the beauty of blue flowers in the form of artworks. For example, Irises, an 1889 painting by one of the greatest maestros in art, Vincent van Gogh, and Water Lily Pond, a 1915 painting by Claude Monet. In addition, blue flowers like the blue water lily are one of the utmost parts of Buddhist art.
Blue flower symbolism also takes a major part in religious teachings. The blue lotus or Egyptian Lotus, to illustrate, was seen by the Ancient Egyptians as a flower that represents the origin of life. Whilst in Buddhism, blue lotuses also symbolize enlightenment and the purity of body and mind. Blue flowers are not just about meaning and charm, they also bring various benefits to our health. Blue flower extract, like the butterfly pea flower, can be used to restrain several skin problems like itchiness, dryness, redness, and allergy-related skin problems. It’s also high in flavonoids, phenolics, and ascorbic acid.
Blue Flowers Names and Meanings
Fall Blue Flowers Meaning
Cupid’s Bow (Achimenes)
Cupid’s Bow is a perennial tropical and subtropical plant known as a container and indoor house plant. They produce tubular shaped-blooms with 4 to 5 blue petals and a white center. Cupid’s Bow can grow as tall as 30 centimeters. The botanical name of this plant, Achimenes, is derived from the Greek ‘cheimanos’ which means tender.
African Blue Lily (Agapanthus)
African blue lily is a perennial, deer-resistant, lily-like exotic plant from South Africa.
Butterfly Blue Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
Rich in antioxidants, butterfly blue pea is commonly used as a mix of herbal tea. They create a beautiful dark blue to a bright blue color when brewed. This blue flower symbolism is linked to love, emotion, protection, as well as femininity because of their unique petal shape and colors that resemble a woman’s clitoris.
Spring Blue Flowers Meaning
Widely known for its stunningly beautiful blue flowers, false indigo is a perennial plant native to Central and Eastern America that resists many challenges–from drought and fire, to dry and poor soil. False indigo is a common house plant in their native area and carries the meaning of protection.
Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)
With their small, showy blue and white ombre petals, and easy to maintain, it’s no wonder why the glory of the snow has become a famous ornamental plant and cut flower. The blue flower’s meaning, which is an eminence, is derived from their blooming time and place, which is usually in snowy areas.
Eastern Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
Representing harmony, unity, and partnership, eastern blue phlox is a type of tiny wildflower that commonly grows in fields and woods. They are highly valued as ornamental flowering plants because of their slightly fragrant blooms.
Summer Blue Flowers Meaning
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Delicate blue flowers that look like lavender, hyssop is an attractive perennial shrub with fragrant blooms. They are appreciated as an addition to various herbal teas and natural medicine, and as a matter of this, hyssop carries the meaning of health and humility.
Baby Blue-eyes (Nemophila)
Baby blue eyes spread rapidly and covered the ground with their bright blue-white cup-shaped flowers during the hot summertime. The blue flowers’ meaning is notable as innocence, trust, and tenderness.
Scabiosa (Scabiosa atropurpurea)
Commonly known as a pincushion flower, scabiosa is a dahlia look-alike that grows annually in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. Depending on its variety of colors, the meaning of scabiosa can be both bad and good. The darker color of the scabiosa species represents unfortunate love, while the brighter species, including blue, implies pure love.
Winter Blue Flowers Meaning
Cineraria (Pericallis x hybrida)
Blooming from spring through winter, this wonderful blue flower is a hybrid species of the common Pericallis. They produce aster-like blooms with a tri-color combination of bright blue, white, and dark blue center. The blue flowers meaning recognized as protection, where it’s believed to protect the Canary Island–the native area of this plant.
Blue African Violet (Streptocarpus ionanthus)
The blue African violet not only produces spectacular blooms, but also stunning foliage with a velvety look. They are tiny, growing only to about 15 centimeters, which makes them a good choice for most house plant lovers. Blue African violet symbolizes commitment, devotion, as well as faithfulness–making it one of the best gifts to give to your loved ones.
Blue German Primrose (Primula obconica)
A tender perennial that loves thriving under deep shade areas, the blue german primrose is widely acclaimed as an ornamental plant. The blue flower meaning is about youth and renewal, such an ideal gift to give, for example, to your friends who just started a new chapter of life and/or career.
Bottom Line
The blue flowers’ meaning extended lots of positive emotions in life despite their rarity. The delicacy of blue flowers is also acknowledged for their health and artistic value. Overall, you can mix any of these blue flowers to make them as a bouquet or simply as an addition to your garden.
New author in the hood. Loves gardening and flowers are my spirit animals (yes I know they are not animals but I insist). I will be covering most of the flowers’ topics here and occasionally random though as well.