Begonia flowers are full of meaning and symbolism, will brighten up any interior or garden, and make beautiful gifts for your loved ones. If you’re thinking of planting them or giving them to someone you love, you’ll want to know the symbolism behind this enigmatic flower.
Begonia flowers symbolize harmony, gratitude, and uniqueness. Conversely, they can also be a symbol of an omen or caution to look out for yourself. Different colors mean different things when begonias are given as gifts; for instance, red represents love and passion, and white means innocence.
Stick around if you want to know more! I will cover everything you need to know about the symbolism of begonias. I also will explain how to care for them and give you some interesting facts.
The Symbolic Meaning of the Begonia
Begonias are breathtakingly beautiful with their heart-shaped leaves and bright, colorful flowers. It’s natural to want such gorgeous flowers in your house, but the meaning behind the flowers is as important as their beauty. What are you saying when you give someone begonias?
Begonia Flower Symbolism
Generally speaking, these flowers carry positive symbolism and some spiritual meanings. You can give them to people you love, admire, or respect on many occasions. However, in the past, begonias were sometimes believed to represent misfortune.
If you don’t want to worry too much about meanings and symbolism, just know that begonias make a significant and thoughtful gift. However, if you’re concerned with the specific meanings behind them, you should know all the possible ways in which begonias can be interpreted when they are given as a gift:
Gratitude
Begonias are a great way of expressing gratitude for a favor or service provided to you, showing that you appreciate someone’s kindness without being too forward or bold. It’s a simple gesture of giving thanks that goes a long way.
Uniqueness
Standing out among others is another meaning behind begonias. Gifting them to someone will make them feel special and appreciated and give them an eye-catching view whenever they look at the flowers. Gifting a bouquet of begonias to someone celebrating an achievement will be well received.
Harmony
You can give begonias to anyone you love or appreciate, but also to someone with whom you wish you had a stronger relationship. It promotes harmony between you to strengthen your bond.
You can also give them to someone as a way of apologizing. If your conversations with another person have been difficult lately, gifting them begonias can open the doors to better communication.
Caution
While begonias are often associated with positive and hopeful feelings, some people may perceive this gift as a caution of some kind. Begonias are a nice way of warning someone about something or urging caution. Typically, you’d give begonias to tell someone to take care of themselves and focus on their well-being.
Long ago, some people would give begonias as a warning and omen of something unpleasant in the future, which is why you often see these flowers in hospitals. However, this tradition is no longer popular, and most people now associate begonias with positive feelings.
It’s important to remember that not everyone is familiar with what specific flowers mean, so this is a very subtle way of communicating with someone. However, whether they understand the meaning or not, the receiver will likely be happy with the gift.
Meanings Behind Different Colors
Each color can mean different things to different people. Depending on your chosen color, your gift could mean passion, wealth, creativity, and more. There is a different meaning for every shade.
White
White is a universal color with a general meaning, making it safe to give to pretty much anyone. If you’re in doubt, white begonias are a safe choice as a gift.
Traditionally, white symbolizes purity and innocence, which is why you’ll often see white bouquets in weddings and religious or spiritual ceremonies. Still, you can use them on most occasions.
Yellow
Yellow begonias always brighten up every place, giving a pop of color to the surroundings and a feeling of happiness to anyone who looks at them. Yellow begonias are given to express joy or contentment towards someone. Yellow also symbolizes wealth, so you can gift a bouquet of yellow begonias as a promise of more fruitful times.
Red
As you may have already guessed, red means love and passion, and the same is true for red begonias. These flowers are the perfect gift for someone with whom you have a romantic relationship.
Red begonias are eye-catching and will please anyone who receives them. You can’t go wrong with red begonias as a gift to someone you’re attracted to.
Gold
Gold begonias are similar to yellow ones when it comes to their meaning. Giving gold begonias to someone wishes them happiness, contentment, and success in all their endeavors. It promises good times ahead and can signify hope for the future.
Purple
Purple is an intense and stunning color with a significant meaning behind it. Gifting purple begonias carries the feeling of admiration and respect for the other person. Purple is the color of nobility and creativity, showing appreciation towards someone.
Blue
Blue begonias are very rare and beautiful. If you get the chance to gift a bouquet of blue begonias, don’t hesitate. Blue is the color of creativity and desire, so you should give blue begonias to someone you admire or love very much and who will appreciate the rare beauty of these flowers.
Pink
Pink begonias are similar to red ones when it comes to their meaning. You can give pink begonias to mean something related to romantic love and passion. However, pink begonias are less bold than red ones, giving the sentiment a softer tone.
Facts About Begonias
Besides being great gifts with multiple meanings and symbolism, begonias are fascinating decorations. Here are a few interesting details about begonias:
Origin and Discovery
Begonias are native to East Asia and South America. The official story is that a French botanist discovered them at the end of the seventeenth century. However, many believe they were discovered three centuries earlier in China.
Interestingly, the name Begonia has nothing to do with the traits of these flowers. Charles Plumier, the botanist who officially registered the discovery, named the flower after Michel Begon, a politician and amateur botanist Plumier knew.
Uses
Most people think of begonias as beautiful flowers to plant in their gardens or houses, but there is so much more to them. The earlier mentions of begonia-like flowers in China refer to these flowers as useful for medicinal purposes.
Besides being rich in vitamin C, begonias also have soothing properties. They can relieve headaches when soaked in hot water or crushed to become a soothing balm for burns or sores.
Begonias are also used for culinary purposes in some cultures. The flowers and leaves of some varieties are edible, and they are used for salads in South America and some parts of Southeast Asia.
It’s important to note that not all varieties of begonias are edible or have curative properties. Some of these varieties are even toxic if ingested, especially in high quantities. Before you try to cook with them or use them for medicinal purposes, make sure that the variety that you’re using is not toxic in any way; if you’re not sure, don’t use them at all.
Varieties
There are more than one thousand varieties of Begonia that grow in the wild in different parts of the world. While similar, each variety has wildly different characteristics.
For instance, some begonias thrive during winter, while others are evergreen. There are three main types of begonias:
- Semperflorens
- Tuberous
- Uncommon perennials
Begonia leaves can be very different, too. Their colors vary, and can be:
- Green
- Blue
- Pink
- Bronze
The leaves also have different shapes; the Angel-Winged Begonia, for example, has leaves resembling an angel’s wings.
How To Care for Begonias
Begonias are not challenging to grow or care for. They can be grown inside or outside; they are sturdy and last long, so they’re perfect for growing in your garden. Even though they are resilient and can adapt to certain environments, they have some ideal conditions that can help them thrive:
Light
In the wild, begonias grow in shady areas. As a result, they can grow in places with moderate, indirect sunlight. Begonias don’t like too much sunlight; otherwise, they get sunburnt. This characteristic also makes them pretty good to keep indoors, where you can control the amount of light they are exposed to.
Watering
Begonias require watering pretty regularly, especially during their blooming season. However, you need to be careful with how much water you use. Too little water could cause the begonias to dry out or stop growing, but too much water could cause root rot.
Soil
Begonias are similar to many other flowers, requiring well-draining soil rich in organic components. They don’t need repotting every year if they have enough space, but you can add an inch or two of potting mix once in a while to keep the soil rich.
Temperature
Given their tropical origins, begonias like high temperatures. Most of them bloom from spring to fall, but some varieties bloom in the winter, too. While most begonias prefer warmth, some varieties are frost-hardy flowers that can easily thrive in hardiness zones 9 to 11.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to grow them yourself or gift them, begonias are lovely flowers that brighten up every place and make excellent gifts. Even though they used to symbolize caution or a bad omen in the past, nowadays, they are given as a symbol of gratitude, harmony, and uniqueness.
Different colors of begonias have different meanings. However, these flowers make beautiful decorations that are easy to take care of, no matter the color or intention behind them.
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