By Riley Moore
Within the world, there are many different facets of nature that are beautiful and helpful in their own ways. One of the most common types of beauty from nature that humans interact with is flowers. The estimated number of different species of flowers is somewhere between 250,000 and 400,000. Obviously, there is no guaranteed way to measure every single different type of flower, as they grow in all corners of the world, which is why this estimated range is the closest guess. With the hundreds of thousands of flowers come many different cultures using flowers for different religious, medical, social, and traditional reasons. For this reason, flowers have always had an importance within society.
In different ancient cultures, different types of flowers were used to symbolize different things. In Victorian England, society used Bluebells to show kindness to their loved ones or even strangers meeting for the first time. Lotuses were used to show new creation and rebirth in Ancient Egypt. Similar to today’s society, in Ancient Greece, roses were used to show love to the recipient.
Along with their symbolism, flowers were heavily used in ancient times for medicinal purposes. For example, the Early Purple Orchid was grown and turned into a traditional medical beverage called “salep.” This medicine drive was used to soothe coughs and dull stomach aches. Like that, primrose was used for basic first aid. The flower petals were turned into an ointment to dress and heal wounds. To enhance mental abilities and health, rosemary has been used for centuries. However, the best flower/herb being used to heal people for many centuries is sage. According to the Lindley Library, “sage aids in digestion, helps wounds heal, can relieve period cramps, fights colds, kills unwanted bacteria, and can aid in the reduction of inflammation and swelling. In simple terms, sage does everything to heal people.” Flowers and plants have been doing so much for cultures all over the world for centuries. From being able to tell someone how you feel to being able to heal, flowers were very important to ancient cultures. Then, what about today…are flowers still as highly regarded as they were centuries ago?
The simple answer is yes; flowers are still very important in many different cultures all over the world. In ancient times, flowers could be used to show love; this is why they make the best gifts.
Another reason they are highly regarded in society is that they can immediately boost one’s mood. Flowers are colorful and vibrant; because of this, we immediately feel less tension and more happiness when seeing flowers in our vicinity. “According to scientific studies, the presence of flowers in and around hospitals can help with patients’ stress levels and reduce anxiety,” says Floweraura. Even more than that, receiving flowers can be the biggest mood booster for everyone because they can make the recipient feel loved and appreciated. “All study participants expressed ‘true’ or ‘excited’ smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude.” This reaction did not only happen for men or only women, or only certain age groups- the true excitement occurred in everyone.
Overall, flowers have long-standing traditions and medical purposes in many cultures, even ancient ones. They have been used to show the way one can feel about people in their lives. My favorite example is the Bluebells being used to show kindness to strangers or loved ones. Along with that, flowers can instantly boost the mood of most people because of their bright colors, aromatic presence, and the belief that if you are receiving flowers, it means you are appreciated. All in all, flowers have always been something that, as humans, we have admired. Flowers are beautiful, and they can heal us, why wouldn’t we adore them.
Photos by Riley Moore
