Apr 20, 2021
Image: Daisies and sweetpeas - clipartpanda.com
April signifies that spring is here and in full swing according to petalrepublic.com! With plenty of spring flowers available, flower options may be overwhelming. Flowers offer lots of uses, but we’ve got to admit that they are always a great gifting idea for any age and any occasion. For April babies, what’s a better gifting flower than the official birth flower for April?
Make anyone celebrating an April birthday feel extra special, not with an ordinary flower but with the birthday flowers for April. Out of the many available spring flowers, daisy and sweet pea are the flowers officially associated with the fourth month of the year. Learn about these beautiful birth flowers for April, their origins, meanings, and symbolism, by reading our quick guide below.
Birth Flowers for April: Daisy and Sweet Pea
Daisies
Are you familiar with He loves me… he loves me not? The children’s game in which you get to pluck the petals one by one while you repeatedly chant the phrase until every petal gets discarded. The last petal tells how a particular person feels about you.
If yes, then you’re probably aware of the flower used in this French game – the daisy.
Origins of the Daisy
The name daisy originates from an old English term daes eage that means “day’s eye.” Moreover, the reference is to how the blooms open at dawn as the day begins and closes at night. Other common names of this sweet flower are common daisy, lawn daisy, English daisy, bruisewort, and woundwort.
The common name daisy refers to an entire genus in the Asteraceae family and covers many types of daisies that have been popular for garden and bouquet uses.
Among the many types of daisies, the most popular ones aside from the common daisies include Shasta daisies, painted daisies, and gerbera daisies. Shasta daisies have white petals and a prominent yellow center, while painted daisies offer a range of colors from purple to red. Gerbera daisies, on the other hand, are famed cut flowers with lots of color options, such as yellow, orange, pink, and red.
Daisies in history
Daisy flowers are native to central and northern Europe and Western Asia. They originated as wildflowers in open fields in England but have become naturalized in temperate areas around the globe. The first known cultivation of this cheerful bloom was about 2,200 BC.
Back in the day, Egyptians used daisies as a treatment against many types of diseases. Even the English also used daisies as a remedy against stomach ulcers and eye problems.
Today, the cultivation of daisies is prevalent worldwide. These flowers are popular during spring and available in plenty of colors.
Daisy flowers: meanings and symbolism
Yellow Gerbera Daisies
In the language of flowers, a daisy flower generally means innocence. The origin of this significance is in the old days when beautiful young, unmarried women used to wear daisies in their hair to convey freedom from guilt and immoral acts.
It also means purity, loyal love, and new beginnings. While roses are perhaps the most notable flowers to express romantic love in this era, history has it that daisies were the most used flowers to convey devotion and affection. These meanings make daisies a thoughtful and meaningful present for someone special in your life, like a girlfriend or a wife.
For others, this humble flower also symbolizes fertility and motherhood. Because of this thought, daisies make an excellent gift not just for April birthday celebrants but also for new mothers.
These birthday flowers for April also signify transformation. As per the Roman myth, these meanings originated from the story of the god of seasons Vertumnus, who fell in love with a beautiful nymph named Belides. She turned herself into a daisy flower as an escape from Vertumnus’ unwanted attention.
Another meaning of a daisy flower is “I will never tell” and “loyal love.”
A Flower Gifting Guide to Gerbera Daisies
Orange Gerbera Daisies
Although there are countless kinds and varieties of daisies available, the most common and popular gifting flowers are gerbera daisies. Gerberas are globally recognized cut flowers that add vibrance in many types of flower arrangements like bouquets. In fact, they are the fifth most popular cut flower in the world.
Of course, gerbera daisies will not gain such recognition if not for their desirable features. Aside from their versatility and broad color choices, this kind of daisies lasts longer than most cut flowers. Typically, gerberas have a vase life of up to two weeks.
Here are some of the well-known cultivated varieties of gerbera daisy flowers:
Gerbera Daisy Mega Revolution Series. This cultivar series of Gerbera jamesonii consists of early-flowering and upright perennials. The flowers are semi-double and available in shades of red, orange, yellow, orange, pink, and white. Because of their bright and cheerful colors, this cultivar would surely cheer up anyone on her birthday if you give it as a gift.
Gerbera Daisy Rose Picotee. This gerbera daisy cultivar features semi-double blooms in a soft and romantic shade of pink. For that reason, it’s a perfect birthday flower for someone special in your life!
Gerbera Ice Queen. This cultivated variety of gerbera daisies feature white blooms that blend well with the symbolism of daisies. This flower symbolizes purity and innocence. And because of that, it is an ideal gifting flower not just for April babies but also for new parents or a friend who just gave birth to a newborn.
Royal Yellow Gerbera Daisy. One of the most popular yellow gerberas is the Royal Yellow cultivar. It flaunts cheerful yellow blooms with dark centers.
Yellow flowers, in general, are a symbol of happiness, friendship, and joy. Thus, this particular cultivar of the April birth flower also suits as a gifting flower for a friend or someone dear to you.
Sweet Pea
Sweet pea or Lathyrus odoratus is a climbing flowering plant recognized for its fragrance and butterfly-like flowers. These birthday flowers for April are a famous sight not just in gardens but also in bouquets. They are mostly available in shades of violet, blue, white, red, and pink, but not in orange and yellow hues.
Birth Flowers for April: origins of the sweet pea
Sweet peas are known for their scientific name Lathyrus odoratus. The name originated from the Greek word lathyros, meaning pea or pulse, and the Latin term odoratus, meaning fragrant.
English gardeners call the sweet-scented April birth flower the “Queen of Annuals.”
Sweet Peas in history
The sweet pea we all know today would not be accessible if not for Scotsman Henry Eckford. It was a relatively unknown and undervalue flowering plant until the 1800s when Eckford worked on cross-breeding these flowers.
During this time, the fragrant plant was already in cultivation in Sicily, Italy, and Cyprus. But through Eckford and other plant breeders, more than 250 new cultivars were introduced. To this day, many hybrids of sweet peas are readily available.
Sweet Pea Birthday Meaning and Symbolism
Sweet peas, also known birthday flowers for April, are a symbol of blissful pleasure primarily because of their vibrant colors. In the language of flowers, many believe that these blooms leave a positive experience and a thoughtful way to say thank you as they further symbolize gratitude.
Given these meanings, sweet peas make an exciting gift for birthday celebrants in April. Send them a fresh bouquet of mix-colored sweet peas that exude a perfect balance between sweetness and elegance.
Other meanings of these birthday flowers for April include departure and goodbye, which makes them a great farewell gift.
A flower gifting guide to sweet peas
Sweet Pea Bouquet
While sweet peas are relatively new compared to other popular cut flowers, they still make excellent gifting flowers for any occasion, including birthdays. Here are some of the most recognized sweet pea cultivars for flower arrangements.
Sweet Pea Matucana. Reported as the most fragrant cultivated variety of sweet peas is the ‘Matucana’ type. This variety flaunts bi-color magenta and purple flowers. You can send this flower to someone you admire and deeply respect.
Sweet Pea Restormel. This variety of sweet pea boasts bright red blooms, which make them ideal gifting and birthday flower for your girlfriend, wife, or someone you feel passionate in love.
Sweet Pea Watermelon and Sweet Pea Renaissance. These varieties are some of the most popular pink sweet peas available. Dainty and soft-looking, these blooms can be your best bet for someone you adore or admire.
Buying Tips for Daisies and Sweet Pea
Getting the best daisies and sweet peas should not be complicated. Follow these general flower buying tips to ensure that you get the best out of these beautiful April birthday flowers.
Pick the freshest flowers. Avoid getting those that show signs of drying or excessive wilting like brown spots or dried black ends on petals. Also, look out for signs of pests and diseases.
Pick ones with healthy-looking stems. The stems of gerberas, in particular, should be long and straight.
Pick those with flowers that have not yet bloomed. Expect that fully bloomed flowers will not last longer compared to those that have not bloomed yet.
How to make daisy and sweet pea flowers last longer
Got the best quality flowers? Check. But should you stop there? No.
Proper cut flower care would ensure that you maximize your blooms’ vase life. Here are some tips to make your daisies and sweet peas last longer:
Carefully remove the flowers from their packaging.
Trim the stems at an angle before putting them in a vase with clean water.
Add flower food into the water to minimize bacterial growth and provide extra nourishment.
Remove any leaf that will be submerged into the water to lessen bacterial growth.
The stems of gerbera daisies tend to bend when the blooms become too heavy. For such cases, you can add reinforcements like straws, sticks, or floral wires for additional support.
Check the water daily and make sure to replace it every two or three days.
Store the vase in a cool and dry place. Avoid placing them under direct sunlight and heat to prolong its vase life.
Other popular in-season April flowers
April graces us with lots of beautiful, intricate flowers in different forms, colors, and sizes. Here are the top favorites among many florists and flower enthusiasts for various uses, including as gifting flowers for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special celebrations:
Tulips
Tulips are certainly one of the most popular cut flowers all over the world. These spring-blooming ornamentals flaunt large, extremely showy, and brightly-colored blooms that would instantly brighten up anyone’s day.
Pink Peonies
Peonies offer lots of flower colors, which make these spring-blooming, rose-like flowers another favorite in bouquets and floral arrangements. They symbolize romance, good fortune, and happy marriage, among others.
Orchids
One of the most highly coveted flowers is orchids. They exude a unique appeal that makes a valuable gifting flower. These flowers symbolize love, strength, and luxury.
Irises
White Irises Birthday Flowers April
Cheer someone up with a bouquet of showy iris flowers. Typically in blue or purple hues, these popular gifting flowers represent royalty, hope, wisdom, admiration, and courage.
Delphiniums
Often used in wedding bouquets, delphiniums are also an impressive gifting flower for family, friends, or someone special in your life like the birthday flowers for April. These beautiful flowers, known for their dolphin-like shape, symbolize truth and protection.
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