Did you know that each month of the year has its own specific flower, or oftentimes more than one? Follow along as we do a series on these ‘birth month flowers’ and you’ll be sure to learn something new and exciting! In July, the traditional birth flowers are the larkspur and the water lily.
July is upon us once again in the Ozarks.
And with it, you might be wondering…
What are the best, most iconic flowers to give as gifts during this month of the year in this part of the world?
Well, fear not. Because in today’s post, you’re going to learn the answer to that exact question.
The larkspur and the water lily are the two different types of flowers that we’re going to be discussing in this blog post.
There are several different species of larkspur that are native to the state of Missouri. They can be found growing in a number of habitats right here in the Ozarks, including woodland terrain, prairie land, and rocky slopes.
There’s only one species of water lily that’s native to Missouri. It’s the fragrant water lily, or Nymphaea odorata.
It’s a perennial plant that can grow in water up to 8 feet deep. It’s generally found in ponds, lakes, and in slow-moving streams.
If you’ve done much ‘exploring’ in the area, then you’ve probably seen both of these types of flowers in their natural habitats.
Larskpur flowers are tall, with spiky clusters of star-shaped blooms. They can bloom in a variety of colors, including blue, purple, red, white, and pink. Just be careful! These flowers, while beautiful, are toxic if ingested by humans.
Fragrant water lilies, by contrast, have leaves that are large and round—with a smooth, waxy surface. The flowers themselves are generally either pink or white, and they can grow to be up to 6 inches in diameter. They’re best known for their sweet, fragrant smell.
What do Larkspur and the Water Lily Flowers Mean?
Larkspur flowers carry strong symbolism and connection to ideals such as grace, respectability, fickleness, love, affection, positivity, and strong bonds.
For many religious and spiritual belief systems, the water lily symbolizes ideals such as resurrection, spiritual rebirth, and enlightenment. However, there are also specific meanings associated with different colored water lily flowers. For example:
- White water lilies are generally associated with the concept of purity
- Purple is often associated with the concept of power
- Red is often associated with love and romance
- And blue is often associated with the power of knowledge
The History Of Larkspurs And Water Lilies
The Larkspur flower has been native to the United States for generations.
In fact, in the Pawnee Native American Tribe, there’s a legend that says they came from a mythological figure named Dream Woman who cut a hole in the sky to look down on earth—and dropped crumbs upon the ground as she did so. These crumbs, then, grew into larkspurs.
Water lilies have an extensive past. In fact, scientists believe that they’re among some of the oldest living flower species—with evidence supporting the fact that the may have evolved as early as 100 million years ago.
They’ve been considered a fertility symbol since ancient times, and the Native Americans have a legend that says that the first water lily was actually a star that fell and struck the water—and thus, changed into a flower.
Why Larkspurs and Water Lilies Make Perfect Gifts
Larkspur flowers make incredible gifts for many reasons—but most notably, they’re amazing as gifts because they’re eye-catching, associated with positive meanings, versatile as floral elements (they’re easy to add to almost any type of bouquet), and because they’re also considered to be on the more affordable end of the cost spectrum.
Water lilies make amazing gifts because they’re considered some of the most beautiful and serene of flowers. They’re also associated with many positive meanings, and also carry strong universal positive religious symbolism—which makes them especially suitable for gifts for family members, friends, or loved ones who have spiritual or religious beliefs of their own.
Tips For Keeping Your Larkspur and Water Lily Flowers Fresh After Cutting
Cutting these flowers and keeping them fresh is a fairly simple process. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind:
- Always cut the stems at an angle
- Remove any leaves that’ll fall below the water line
- Always use clean, fresh water (and make sure to change it every day or two)
- Keep the flowers in a cool, shady spot (and avoid direct sunlight)
- Don’t keep your flowers close to ripening fruit
- Add some ‘flower food’ to your water
With that being said, there are also a few special considerations for larkspur and lily flowers to keep in mind:
- Larkspur flowers are sensitive to heat. So here in Missouri, you may want to make sure to keep them in a cool spot.
- Water lilies need a lot of water. Make sure the vase is filled with enough water so that the bottom of the petals are submerged.
- Water lilies can be sensitive to chlorine. If you live in an area with hard water, you may want to use bottled water instead of tap water.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has given you some incredible inspiration for plant gift-giving in the month of July.
Of course, as always, we here at Linda’s Flowers would love to help you with all of your bouquet needs!