Chinese flowers for Chinese New Year focusses on those flowers and plants you could grow in your own garden, rather than the flowers which form part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Why?
Because it aims to be an inspiration for you to use in your own planting schemes. You may fancy a themed garden design or wonder if there’s a way to put some of your favourite plants together so it feels like a design not a hotchpotch. Or you might be looking around for ideas to for just a few plants to freshen up your flower borders and patio pots.
Chinese Flowers for Chinese New Year
Firstly, the list. There are 8 flowers, as the number 8 has long been regarded as the most auspicious number in Chinese culture. It has associations with prosperity and success – so hopefully your eight new plants will thrive accordingly!
- Azalea
- Camellia
- China Rose
- Chrysanthemum
- Hibiscus
- Magnolia
- Paeony
- Weeping Willow (Pussy Willow catkins)
Azalea
The Azalea appears in many ancient Chinese poems and stories.
There are both evergreen and deciduous forms, both of which do well in gardens with an acidic soil. Many are small shrubs which is great for those who hanker after azalea’s ‘big sister’ the Rhododendron and just do not have the garden space for one.
Both Azalea and Rhododendron are members of the genus Rhododendron and this does confuse many people when making a purchase. The answer – if size is an issue, check the ultimate size of that particular plant. If it’s not on the label at the garden centre, check using your mobile – or buy from one of the excellent specialist nurseries. ‘Dwarf’ is a relative term…
Chinese Flowers for Chinese New Year in Your Garden – Camellia
“Blooming on the hills, like burning sunset glow and floating pink clouds”
What a lovely description! The quotation is from an old poem, “Ode to Camellia” by Madame Huarui and if you’ve seen a hillside filled with camellias in bloom you’ll know how apt it is.
Camellia flowers were planted in China during the time of Three Kingdoms, 220-280 BCE / AD, and are sometimes Referred to as the national flower of southern China.
Camellia sinensis is the plant which provides the morning cuppa for many of us. The second part of the botanical Latin name informs us the plant is native to China. Camellia sinensis is a very important economic shrub, and is hardy in most of the UK. Could you grow your own cup of tea? Read the Plews blog and find out! (link below)
China Rose, Rosa chinensis
The cultivation of roses began in China more than 5000 years ago and the China rose or Chinese rose is native to southwest China.
This is the rose that was used in the breeding of many hybrids, including Rosa x oderata when crossed with Rosa gigantea, and tea roses. (see blog link below for more on hybrid tea roses) The repeat flowering characteristic of the China Rose was the characteristic that made it so popular in this respect.
Chrysanthemum
Autumn flowering Chrysanthemums give so much to a perennial border, with white and soft pink flowers through to rich bronze and purple. If you have a cutting garden, growing flowers for the house you will probably want to include these plants. And there are now dwarf varieties which are suitable for containers and are also easier to look after, as they do not require staking.
In Chinese culture, chrysanthemums symbolise longevity and is much used in Chinese medicine for its many health giving properties. Perhaps for this reason alone, the Chrysanthemum has to be included in our list of Chinese flowers for Chinese New Year, but also because I love the Chinese paintings of Chrysanthemum flowers.
Hibiscus
Meng Chang, the last king of the Later Shu State (during the time of the 5 Dynasties) was especially fond of Hibiscus flowers. He ordered his people to grow hibiscus around Chengdu, which as a result, became known as “the city of hibiscus”.
Hibiscus flowers manage to look more exotic – and therefore more tender – than many they are in reality. Fairly late to come into leaf and rarely flowering before July, I always feel they’re a superb ‘pick-me-up’ when many other shrubs are between their bursts of flowering or have finished.
They tend to be hardy in southern and sheltered areas of Britain, although not reliably so in hard winters. Hibiscus also grow well in large pots.
Magnolia
Historically, there was a time in China when magnolias were so precious that only the Chinese emperor could own and cultivate them. To be given a magnolia by the emperor was therefore an extremely high honour.
Magnolia is an ancient plant species that appeared before the bees did. Plants belonging to the Magnoliaceae family have been found and dated to 95 million years ago.
Three easy garden varieties are Magnolia grandiflora M. seiboldii and M. stellata. They are all happy growing in an alkaline soil, although M. grandiflora needs a drier soil than the others.
For smaller gardens try growing M. stellata, and when space is really tight, many magnolia will be happy in a large pot for a few years.
Chinese Flowers for Chinese New Year – Paeony
The red paeony (or peony, the spellings are interchangeable) is the unofficial national flower of China.
Able to survive cold winters and hot summers, the paeony can however “take a huff “when you lift an established plant to move it. If possible, for example because you’re changing plants around in a border, move a piece rather than the whole plant.
Every year in spring thousands of Chinese people go to the small city of Luoyang to celebrate the Peony Festival. (Although not during a Covid lockdown situation of course)
Paeonies provide quite a long season of interest. The young foliage is freshly green, the flower buds enticing, the open blooms – many of which are lightly scented – spread their diva-ness for all to enjoy. And then an unexpected wind blows the petals away just as your friends come round to admire the display. Despair not, the seed pods have an architectural look and texture, and if you chose well, you will have foliage that matures to a dusky red acting as a foil for your summer plants.
Weeping Willow, (Pussy Willow catkins)
Willows, Salix, are grown and cultivated around the world. As well as the 400 or so species, there are numerous hybrids as willows are easily cross-compatible. These hybrids may occur naturally or have been bred. One such ornamental hybrid is the weeping willow, Salix x sepulcralis, which is a hybrid between the Peking willow, Salix babylonica, and the European white willow, Salix alba.
However, if we’re wanting Chinese, then the widely planted Chinese willow, Salix matsudana would be the one to have. NB this often referred to as a synonym for the Peking willow, Salix babylonica.
The flowers, of course, are the catkins. Male and female catkins are found on separate trees and are produced in early spring, and are associated with the coming of bountiful fortune. Catkins are the earliest blooming of our Chinese flowers for Chinese New Year even though the tree is last in the list.
Chinese Flowers for Chinese New Year in Your Garden
“One who plants a garden plants happiness”
Chinese proverb
If you would like help with creating a Chinese themed garden design or planting design do get in touch. Plews is able to offer you just the design or a full service.
For further inspiration check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below – and find us on Instagram and Facebook
Related Gardening Blogs for You from the Award Winning Plews Potting Shed
Your Own Tea Garden – Camellia Sinensis, the Tea Plant
Hybrid Tea Roses
Camellias – Cornish Gardens in the Spring
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Summer Flower Border Ideas from Garden visits
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