Mother’s Day Flowers Around the World: A Cultural Guide

Flowers have long been the language of love and appreciation, and Mother’s Day celebrations worldwide showcase remarkable diversity in floral traditions. Each culture has chosen specific blooms that reflect their unique values, natural environment, and symbolic meanings associated with motherhood.

North America: The Carnation Legacy

Carnations reign supreme as the official Mother’s Day flower in the United States and Canada, a tradition established by Anna Jarvis, who chose her mother’s favorite flower for the first official Mother’s Day in 1908.

Color Symbolism:

• Pink carnations represent a mother’s undying love and are worn or given when mothers are living
• White carnations honor deceased mothers and symbolize pure, eternal love
• Red carnations express admiration and deep affection

In recent decades, roses (particularly pink and yellow), tulips, lilies, and orchids have gained popularity as Mother’s Day gifts, offering variety while maintaining the tradition of giving flowers.

United Kingdom: Spring Wildflowers

British Mothering Sunday falls during Lent when spring flowers begin to bloom. Traditional choices include:

Violets were historically the flower of choice, representing modesty, faithfulness, and the humble devotion of children to mothers. Their sweet fragrance and delicate appearance made them perfect for small hands to gather.

Primroses symbolize young love and the beginning of spring, reflecting renewal and the life-giving nature of motherhood. Their cheerful yellow blooms were among the first flowers children could pick in early spring.

Daffodils have become increasingly popular, representing new beginnings, rebirth, and the sunshine mothers bring into lives. As Britain’s iconic spring flower, they connect the celebration to the natural season.

China: Forget-Worry Flowers

The day lily (Hemerocallis), called wàng yōu căo (忘憂草) or “forget-worry grass,” is China’s traditional Mother’s Day flower. This choice carries deep cultural significance dating back over a thousand years.

Tiger lilies, a variety of day lily, appear frequently in classical Chinese poetry as symbols of maternal devotion. The flower’s meaning suggests that mothers should be free from worries and concerns, reflecting children’s wishes for their mothers’ peace and happiness.

In modern China, carnations have been adopted alongside traditional day lilies, blending Eastern and Western traditions. Red and pink carnations are most popular, though the day lily remains the culturally authentic choice.

Japan: Carnations with Meaning

Japan adopted the Western tradition of giving carnations on Mother’s Day, celebrated on the second Sunday of May. The flower arrived with Western culture in the early 20th century and became firmly established after World War II.

Red and pink carnations dominate, with pink being especially favored as it represents gentle maternal love. The ruffled petals are said to resemble a mother’s caring touch.

Some regions incorporate hydrangeas, which bloom around Mother’s Day in Japan. Their clustered blooms symbolize family unity and the way family members cluster around their mother.

Thailand: The Jasmine Tradition

Jasmine (dok mali ดอกมะลิ), specifically the Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac), is Thailand’s official Mother’s Day flower. The choice is deeply meaningful:

Mother’s Day coincides with Queen Sirikit’s birthday (August 12th), and jasmine represents:

• Maternal purity and unconditional love
• The sweetness and gentleness of mothers
• Traditional Thai values of grace and refinement

The pristine white blooms are often woven into garlands (malai) that children present to their mothers in elaborate ceremonies. The flower’s intoxicating fragrance is believed to represent the lasting impression a mother leaves on her children.

Mexico: Musical Roses

Roses are the quintessential Mother’s Day flower in Mexico, where Día de las Madres is celebrated with particular intensity on May 10th. The flower choice reflects:

Red roses symbolize deep love and respect, aligning with the profound veneration Mexican culture holds for mothers. The rose’s association with the Virgin Mary also connects maternal love to spiritual devotion.

Pink and coral roses are increasingly popular, representing appreciation, grace, and admiration. The giving of roses is often accompanied by mariachi serenades, creating a multi-sensory celebration.

Large bouquets are customary, as the celebration emphasizes abundance and generosity in expressing love for mothers.

Ethiopia: Communal Blooms

During Antrosht, Ethiopia’s multi-day mother celebration at the end of the rainy season, fresh flowers aren’t the central focus. Instead:

Wildflowers and greenery that flourish after the rains are incorporated into home decorations. The celebration emphasizes the renewal of life after the dry season, paralleling a mother’s life-giving role.

Coffee flowers hold special significance, as the coffee ceremony is central to Ethiopian hospitality and motherhood. These small, fragrant white blossoms represent the nurturing acts mothers perform daily.

India: Sacred Blooms

While Western-style Mother’s Day with flower-giving is a newer urban phenomenon, traditional flowers associated with motherhood carry deep meaning:

Lotus flowers represent divine femininity, purity, and spiritual enlightenment. In Hindu tradition, the lotus’s ability to bloom pristinely from muddy water symbolizes a mother’s ability to nurture beauty and goodness regardless of circumstances.

Jasmine appears in classical poetry and literature as a symbol of pure maternal love. Jasmine garlands are traditional offerings at temples and are associated with devotion and reverence.

Marigolds (genda) are auspicious flowers used in religious ceremonies. During festivals honoring the divine mother, marigolds create elaborate decorations, their bright orange and yellow blooms representing positive energy and prosperity.

Mogra (Arabian jasmine) is cherished for its intense fragrance and is traditionally worn by mothers in their hair, making it a flower deeply connected to maternal beauty and grace.

Middle East: Fragrant Traditions

Roses dominate Mother’s Day celebrations across the Middle East, particularly in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. Red and pink roses are preferred, symbolizing enduring love and appreciation.

Jasmine holds special cultural significance throughout the region. In Arabic poetry and song, jasmine represents feminine beauty and maternal grace. The flower’s evening fragrance is metaphorically linked to a mother’s comforting presence.

Orange blossoms carry bridal and maternal associations, representing purity, fertility, and the sweetness of family life. These fragrant white flowers appear in Mother’s Day bouquets, especially in countries with citrus-growing traditions.

South America: Tropical Abundance

Orchids are extremely popular for Mother’s Day throughout South America, where these exotic flowers grow abundantly. Their elegant, long-lasting blooms represent:

• Refined beauty and strength
• Exotic grace and sophistication
• Enduring love (as orchids can bloom for months)

In Colombia, the world’s second-largest flower exporter, Mother’s Day means spectacular displays of roses, carnations, and lilies. The flower industry makes this celebration particularly flower-focused, with elaborate mixed arrangements being the norm.

Brazil favors roses and orchids for Dia das Mães, with arrangements often incorporating tropical foliage that showcases the country’s natural abundance.

Australia and New Zealand: Native Choices

Chrysanthemums are traditional Mother’s Day flowers in Australia, as they bloom abundantly in autumn (May in the Southern Hemisphere). Their full, lush blooms represent:

• Optimism and joy
• Long life and well-being
• Devoted love and loyalty

Australian native flowers are increasingly popular, celebrating local flora:

• Wattle (golden Acacia) – Australia’s national flower, representing resilience
• Waratahs – stunning red blooms symbolizing courage and strength
• Banksias – unique native flowers representing endurance

In New Zealand, alongside traditional imports, native flowers include:

• Kowhai – golden blooms heralding spring
• Pohutukawa blossoms – crimson flowers called “New Zealand Christmas tree”
• White camellia – representing admiration and perfection

Eastern Europe: Spring Celebrations

Tulips are immensely popular for Mother’s Day throughout Poland, Czech Republic, and Russia. Their spring bloom timing and variety of colors make them ideal for expression:

• Red tulips – declaration of love
• Pink tulips – care and good wishes
• Yellow tulips – cheerful thoughts (though historically they meant hopeless love)
• Purple tulips – royalty and admiration

Lilacs hold special meaning in Eastern European traditions, representing first love and the innocence of youth—reflecting the mother-child bond. Their intoxicating spring fragrance evokes nostalgia and tender memories.

Southeast Asia: Tropical Expressions

Orchids dominate in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where these flowers grow naturally and represent:

• Refinement and beauty
• Strength and resilience
• Rare and delicate love

Lotus flowers, sacred in Buddhist traditions, appear in Vietnam and Cambodia. Their spiritual significance elevates Mother’s Day to a celebration of the divine aspects of motherhood.

Sampaguita (Philippine jasmine) is the national flower of the Philippines and represents purity, simplicity, and humility—virtues associated with ideal motherhood in Filipino culture.

Africa: Regional Varieties

In South Africa, the protea (national flower) has become a popular Mother’s Day choice alongside imported flowers. These dramatic blooms represent:

• Change and transformation
• Courage and diversity
• Uniquely African identity

Birds of Paradise are popular in tropical African regions, their striking orange and blue blooms representing:

• Joy and paradise
• Magnificence and excellence
• Freedom and perspective

Modern Trends: Global Fusion

Contemporary Mother’s Day flower-giving increasingly embraces:

Mixed bouquets combining traditional and exotic flowers, reflecting globalization and personal taste over rigid tradition

Potted plants and succulents as sustainable alternatives that continue growing, symbolizing enduring maternal love

Edible flowers and herb bouquets combining beauty with practicality, often including lavender, rosemary, and chamomile

Locally-sourced seasonal flowers as environmental consciousness grows, with people choosing blooms that naturally flourish at Mother’s Day in their region

From Chinese day lilies to Thai jasmine, from Australian wattle to Ethiopian coffee flowers, Mother’s Day blooms around the world tell stories of cultural values, natural environments, and the universal desire to express gratitude through nature’s most beautiful offerings. Whether following centuries-old traditions or adopting new customs, the gift of flowers remains a timeless way to say “thank you” to mothers everywhere, each petal carrying the weight of love, respect, and appreciation that transcends language and borders.