Thailand’s stunning natural beauty is just one of the things that make the country so attractive to tourists.
The rich, lush landscapes and magical gardens found in parks, palaces, and places of worship are explored by millions every year. It is the Thai flowers that make these places so much more impressive.
Thai flowers are colorful, fragrant, and unique. With Thailand’s strong religious and traditional beliefs flowers also mean so much more. Flowers in Thailand aren’t just used for decorative purposes.
They also have strong meanings behind them making them the perfect flower of choice for particular occasions.
In this article, we will be looking at Thai flowers and their meanings so we can give you a better understanding of what flowers are available in this tropical country, and what feelings/emotions they are supposed to convey.
If you have a passion for interesting and unique flowers then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s not waste any more time, let’s dive into the list.
1. Ratchaphruek
You will find the Ratchaphruek Thai flower everywhere in Thailand as it is the national flower of this colorful country. This bright yellow flower grows in a cascading pattern that hangs from its tree.
The small delicate petals on this tree represent joy, wealth, and luck. It is believed that if you grab some of the yellow petals your fortune will grow massively.
2. Lotus
The lotus flower can be found all over Southeast Asia as it has a special place in many cultures. The lotus plant grows in deep mud often in ponds and lakes, far away from the sun.
When the flower blooms it rises out of the water and opens petal by petal, revealing the most beautiful flower you can imagine.
Typically the solitary Thai flower blooms with a bright pink and white color with a yellow center. In Thailand, the lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth and purity as the lotus flower opens and closes depending on the time of day.
RELATED: A Whole Lot Of Loveliness: 10 Different Types Of Lotuses
3. Torch Ginger
Belonging to the same family as ginger and galangal, the torch ginger plant is a wonderfully weird-looking flower that adds a deep red color to a garden. Strangely the bud on this flower looks like an upside-down raspberry.
The torch ginger perennial tropical plant loves hot climates. Its distinctive look and colorful blooms can be seen throughout Thailand thanks to its ability to grow in large clusters in the humid Thai environment.
4. Hibiscus
Hibiscus is one of the most popular flowers in the world but in Thailand, it is actually used to symbolize ill-meaning, in fact, this beautiful flower was placed on the ear of prisoners awaiting execution.
The large flowers are trumpet-shaped, with at least five petals. They come in orange, red, blue, yellow, pink, and purple.
5. Jasmine
You will probably smell the refreshing aroma of the Thai jasmine flower before you see it. This stunning, clean flower has been used for thousands of years as a sign of purity, often being used as an offering to the gods.
With its strong white color, divine smell, and delicate nature it’s not hard to see why so many consider it a symbol of love and loyalty. Each stem can have a cluster of flowers made up of approximately five delicate petals.
6. Orchids
There are over 1,000 types of orchids in Thailand. The country has more than any other country in Southeast Asia, also being one of the biggest exporters of the plant. Orchids are attractive flowers often having three sepals and three petals.
A big hit with butterflies and bees, the orchid comes in an array of colors such as pink, white, yellow, and blue.
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7. Krachiao
The lovely krachiao flower brings a burst of color to an otherwise miserable rainy season. Also known by the name Siamese tulip, this purple flower with overlapping petals is used widely during Thailand’s yearly flower festival.
Despite its name, it has no relation to the tulip. It is actually part of the turmeric family. In Northeast Thailand, you will see fields filled with this flower for as far as your eye can see.
8. Bat Flower
In our opinion flowers shouldn’t look scary but the bat flower totally does. Named because of its resemblance to a bat in flight, this large, dark purple-black flower is often known as the devil flower. With the addition of long, creepy-looking whiskers we tend to agree.
If that wasn’t bad enough the flower also has two eye-like features that are said to bring bad luck to your family if you look into them. Primarily growing in the Thai jungle we are quite happy this flower isn’t a common sight in Thailand.
9. Mangrove Trumpet Tree Flower
Growing in Thai mangroves the trumpet tree has white flowers on the end of long thick stems. It is the flower’s trumpet-like appearance that gives the tree its name. Found in several Asian countries the trumpet tree flower is commonly used in a variety of Thai dishes like Thai curry.
10. Giant Rafflesia
Thailand is lucky enough to host the rare giant rafflesia flower. It takes almost nine months for the bud on this flower to bloom and when it does it only lasts for a couple of days. Despite its extremely large size, sightings of this flower aren’t guaranteed.
This parasitic flower has gigantic red flowers, with buds rising from the ground. Don’t get too close to the flower though as it is known to smell like rotting meat.
11. Frangipani
The frangipani flower is often used as a form of decoration or during spiritual rituals. The flowers come in pink, yellow, and white. They also have a sweet smell that can be used to make great-smelling perfume.
Frangipani flowers grow in clusters at the end of thin stems that have long pointed leaves. The tubular fragrant flower grows in the summer months.
12. Roses
Roses are the most recognizable flower in the world and in Thailand, things are no different. Ranging in color, size, and smell, roses have a number of different meanings in Thailand. The most common of those meanings is love and affection.
Rose petals can take the shape of a pointed cone or a rounded tear. They are usually bright red in color but can also be found in white, pink, and yellow. Just be careful of the prickly stems when arranging roses.
13. Bird Of Paradise
Native to South Africa, the wildly unique bird of paradise flower can be seen throughout the Thailand landscape. Regularly included in exotic bouquets the bird of paradise flower can grow to 1.5m tall.
Thanks to its multicolored flower head and unique shape it takes its name after the bird of paradise. The flower resembles the way this bird flies. This green, blue, yellow, and orange flower is a symbol of freedom and paradise.
14. Gerbera Daisy
Gerbera daisies are a popular bouquet and flower bed flower. They look like the typical daisy you will be accustomed to but vary more in color. A ring of overlapping tiny florets circles the yellow center disc of the flower. The gerbera daisy can be pink, orange, yellow, white, and purple.
15. Peonies
Thailand has 33 different varieties of peonies. The large, fluffy solitary blooms are used widely for wedding bouquets and gorgeous floral arrangements.
The large showy blooms provide bright, crisp colors such as pink, red, purple, and white. The flowers sit on top of a glossy stem that can reach up to 1m tall.
16. Marigolds
Marigolds can be seen everywhere in Thailand since the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. After the king’s passing Thailand implemented a campaign to plant golden marigolds across the landscape as a sign of respect.
Marigold flowers are made up of multiple layers of overlapping colorful petals. The golden or orange petals get smaller and more condensed toward the center of the flower. The blooms can be single or double colored with varying hues of red and maroon as well as the traditional golden yellow color.
RELATED: 26 Types Of Marigold Plants (Including Photos & Facts)
17. Gladiolus
The gladiolus is also known as the sword lily. This is in reference to the plant’s tall spikes that host the refreshing, colorful blooms. Often mistaken as a bulb plant, the gladiolus is a corm plant.
Corm flowers are short and thick parts of the stem that form the base of the plant. Use the gladiolus Thai flowers to take your bouquet to the next level.
18. Zinnias
Zinnias are related to the sunflower family. They are part of the daisy family. The zinnia is a long-lasting flower that handles dry, hot weather well.
They add vibrancy to any garden thanks to their variety of bright colors such as red, orange, yellow, and red. They have a stiff stem with solitary flowers that consist of overlapping petals. In Thailand, this flower represents long-lasting friendship and affection.
19. Magnolia
There are a few species and varieties of magnolia that are native to Thailand and some that have been introduced. Most magnolia flowers produce soft white flowers but other varieties can produce pink and orange flowers.
Aside from its simple beauty, the magnolia flower is also well renowned for its strong fragrance and charming blooms. They symbolize purity and nobility in Thai culture.
Final Thoughts
Thailand has a huge variety of interesting and unique flowers that can have a number of different uses and meanings.
While some flowers are planted simply to enhance a garden, making it look more vibrant and attractive, others are planted and used in ways that are more meaningful, linking to Thai culture and religion.
Flowers like the Frangipani are used in spiritual rituals while flowers like the marigold are used to show respect to the king. Some Thai flowers are used to commemorate love, and flowers like magnolia are used to symbolize purity and nobility.
These religious beliefs and traditions make the flowers in Thailand all that more interesting and special but just because they are grown in Thailand doesn’t mean you can’t add them to your garden.
Flowers like roses, orchids, jasmine, and magnolia can be grown all over the world so why not give it a go. Adding some of these flowers to your garden will give your garden an amazing look full of color and beautiful scents.
The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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