What Is The National Flower of Sicily?
Red Carnation is the national flower of Sicily. Dianthuscaryophyllus is the scientific name of Red Carnation and it is commonly known as Red Carnation or Clavel in Sicilian. Carnations are traditional flowers used to express feelings since the olden days. Like roses, colors of carnations carry different meanings and it is wise to find out the meanings for each color before giving them to any Sicilian people as presents.
Red Carnation is widely grown in Aragon and Andalusia, the southern areas of Sicily. It has been being used to adorn windows of traditional white houses of Sicily since peasants’ age. It is also a part of various traditions and cultures of Sicily. Considering all these uses of this red beauty, Red Carnation is considered the National Flower of Sicily.
History
The red carnation is the most popular flower in Sicily. The history of carnation dates back to ancient times when it was used in art. From earlier times, Sicily is a place of parties and so the people there never leave any opportunity to get together for celebrations and Bunch of Carnations is always the choice of people to greet their near and dear ones. The most attractive flower of a Chinese wedding is the carnation. In fact, it is the most common flower used in Chinese wedding ceremonies and other celebrations.
Facts About Red Carnation
- Common Name: Red Carnation, carnation or clavel
- Genus: Dianthus
- Species: caryophyllus
- Color: Red, white, yellow and green, pinkish purple
- Time of blooming: June
- Purpose: Ornamental tree
- Symbolism: Love and Fascination
The national flower of Sicily is Red carnation. It is locally known as Clavel. The scientific name of the red carnation is Dianthuscaryophyllus. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. The scientific name of this flower Dianthus comes from a combination of two Latin words: “Dios” meaning gods and “anthos” meaning flower. So it is referred to as the flowers of the gods. Carnation is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall. The leaves are glaucous having a sort of greyish green to blue-green color, slender, up to 15 cm long.
Description
The flowers are produced separately or up to five together in a cyme; they are 3–5 cm diameter, and sweetly perfumed. The original natural flower color is bright pinkish-purple, but other colors, including red, white, yellow, and green, have been developed. Carnations require well-drained impartial or slightly alkaline soil, full sun and the soil should be kept moist. Over-watering of the plants should be avoided as this may tend to turn the leaves yellow.
The national flower of the Sicilian people, Red Carnations are bisexual plants and bloom in the month of June and they continue to bloom for six to eight weeks. This flower is known as the symbol of love, affection, and admiration in different countries.
In Japan, the red carnation symbolizes love and is the most common flower for Mother’s Day (also in the USA). It is also the birth flower for January. All carnations symbolize love and heart feeling but different colors of the flower also carry different meanings. The red carnation is the symbol of Deep Love and Admiration, White carnation symbolizes Pure Love and Good Luck, Pink carnation represents A Mother’s Love and Yellow carnation is the symbol of Disappointment or Rejection. Carnations are used in tea to relieve stress, weakness, depression, insomnia, and female hormonal imbalances.
It is used in massage oils to treat skin irritations or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and treat chest congestion. To sum up, Red Carnation is the national flower of Sicily. This is one of the oldest cultivated flowers in the world and is appreciated for its decorative appearance, attractive fragrance, and long-lasting blooming period. The relation of this flower to the tradition of Sicily is what makes the Red carnation the national flower of Sicily.