Vietnam is a country best known for its lush rugged landscape, bustling cities, and rich cultures adored by millions. Here we bring the most beautiful Vietnamese flowers to grow in your home garden easily.
One thing loved by locals and tourists is Vietnam’s impressive gardens. The abundance of native plants and flowers adds to the wonderful scenery on offer.
This is thanks to the tropical region Vietnam finds itself in. Flowers are common symbols of love and beauty and in Vietnam, things are no different. The unique variety of flowers in Vietnam creates a multitude of beautiful gardens we can fall in love with and enjoy.
If you’ve ever visited a Vietnamese garden and fallen in love with what you’ve seen, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will be taking you on a journey taking a look at the most popular Vietnamese flowers.
Each has its own meaning and symbol and despite the tropical climate some you can even add to your garden to bring some Southeast Asian inspiration to your home.
Here are the topmost stunning Vietnamese flowers that nature has bestowed on this wonderfully varied country.
Lotus Flower
The first flower on our list is actually the national flower of Vietnam. The lotus plays a key role in Vietnamese culture, appearing in many cultural events. The simple beauty and vibrancy of the flower are like that of the Vietnamese.
Considered one of the most stunning blooms in Asia the lotus flower is an aquatic perennial sometimes mistaken for a water-lily. They grow in deep mud before reaching out to present a beautiful pink flower with a yellow center.
The pleasant fragrance and strong vitality have made the lotus a precious and highly respected flower that has compassionate holiness in Vietnam.
Apricot Flower
If you’ve ever been to Vietnam in spring you will almost certainly have seen the apricot flower before. Blooming in spring, the apricot blossom is bright and vivid adding joy and life to any garden. Averaging 2 to 5cm in diameter the delicate petals come in white and yellow.
The yellow clusters of blossom are considered to be the color of royalty in Vietnam and it’s not hard to see why. The yellow color oozes class, resilience, and luxuriousness. During the Tet holiday in Vietnam, you can expect to see apricot blossoms in almost every house.
Roses
It’s highly likely you already know a lot about this passionate flower. Varieties of exotic and domestic roses in Vietnam are incredibly beautiful. The domestic roses in Vietnam are known by the names Dalat rose, Sapa rose, royal rose, and Hai Phong rose.
These flowers possess a divine sweet scent and a deep red color that presents the feeling and emotions of love, passion, and desire. Displaying single or double ruffled brightly colored flowers, rose plants make an excellent flower carpet and complete a stunning bouquet of wedding flowers.
You can easily grow this erect climbing shrub in your garden so why not give it a try. Just watch out for the sharp prickles that come with it.
Orchid
There are over 1,000 species of orchid in Vietnam with almost all of them offering bright colors and a seductive scent. They are an amazing addition to your Vietnamese garden. Orchids have a waxy tube-like structure known as a column.
Though they vary massively they typically have three petals and three sepals. Orchids can bloom with red, pink, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and white flowers.
In Vietnam, the orchid has been used as a symbol of luxury, beauty, and charm. Most people grow the plant because of their love for its attractive scent. When growing an orchid plant it is important you organize a specific area of your garden as this flower needs a lot more of your time and energy.
Frangipani Flower
The Frangipani flower is a popular symbol of purity commonly seen in many Vietnamese parks and gardens. This delightful-looking flower with a distinctly tropical appearance typically has white tips that blend nicely with a yellow center to create a very classy, creamy, and fruity plant.
This fragrant flowering plant is also known as plumeria. It has oil qualities that make it a useful ingredient in making perfume.
Frangipani flowers appear across the warmer months and also bloom in vibrant orange, pink, and yellow.
Lilies
Vietnam has one of its own native forms of lily. Lily is one of Vietnam’s most beautiful flowers thanks to its striking appearance and charming scent. Being the symbol of beauty, luxury, nobility, and virtue you can expect to see lilies in a wide range of Vietnamese gardens.
Lilies are erect perennial plants that feature leafy stems, narrow leaves, and solitary or cluster flowers. The flower usually consists of six-petal segments that may look like a trumpet.
The lily loves sunlight so if you decide to grow your own make sure you give them plenty of it. They typically bloom in the spring until the summer. In Vietnam, they are used as a decorative plant during the Lunar New Year.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is one of four species of flower completely unique to Vietnam. Though they aren’t as luxurious as lilies, the chrysanthemum flower is still a fascinating flower. Sometimes referred to as mums or chrysanthemums this plant varies in color.
When in Vietnam you will see blooms that are red, yellow, pink, purple, and orange. Adding simple beauty and charm to Vietnamese gardens, the flower symbolizes loyalty and brings fortune to families.
It is also believed that the flower stabilizes happiness in a home. As a result of this many Vietnamese people decorate their homes with the flower, especially during the new year.
Many people also use the white color of chrysanthemums in funerals, therefore never give somebody a white chrysanthemum as a gift.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers originated in Mexico but they are now featured a lot in Vietnamese gardens. These plants are large herbaceous plants that can live for approximately one year. The stems are straight and large, with hard leaves. They average up to 3m in height.
The flower on a sunflower plant is one of the most recognizable flowers in the world. The bright yellow flower with a brown center can grow from 7 to 20cm in diameter.
Sunflowers always face the sun which is why in Vietnam they symbolize energy, healthiness, and the good dignity of the human race.
Lantana
This small pretty flower grows on shrub-like bushes most commonly found by the sea. The flowers come in bouquet-like clusters of color. They may be yellow, pink, red, violet, or orange. The Vietnamese call it the ‘Lantana Ngu Sac’.
This means ‘five colors’ which describes the flower brilliantly. The most attractive aspect of the Lantana flower is the textured mint-like leaves that give off an attractive scent.
Hibiscus
The hibiscus flower is arguably as close as you can get to the perfect flower. This beautiful flower comes in an array of different sizes and colors that provide extra color and life to a garden. The delicate, attractive flower grows on bushes all over Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
They are a familiar sight at Buddhist temples and beach resorts as they are excellent ornamental flowers. There is also a connection between the flower and Buddhism when it comes to symbolism.
The Hibiscus symbolizes the transience of life. This is a result of how brief the blooming of the hibiscus flower is.
Rangoon Creeper
With a delightful scent and attractive appearance, the Rangoon creeper is loved by most locals and tourists. Also known as the Chinese honeysuckle, this flower has an irresistible aroma that grabs the attention of anyone who walks by.
With a bright pink color and sweet, floral scent the Rangoon creeper symbolizes joy and excitement. The plant is actually a vine that grows and climbs up walls, fences, and entrances. The flowers grow in small bunches of pink and white.
If you’re lucky enough to own a house somewhere tropical then consider framing your doorway with this flower. You won’t be disappointed.
Sweet Pea
The sweet pea is a delicate purple, pink, and white flower that brings a glorious fragrance to your garden. You can normally smell sweet pea before you see it, and then when you do see it you will be impressed.
This is easily one of the prettiest flowers in Vietnam, symbolizing elegance and seductive nature. The flower is usually found in the highlands.
Crown Flower
The Crown flower is a distinctive star-shaped flower found all the way along Vietnam’s coastline. The white and violet-colored flower grows on a bush-like plant that grows similar to a weed.
The flowers have the unique appearance and texture of rubber with a slightly shiny appearance. In the center of each flower is a five-sided stigma that protrudes to look like a crown.
Ixora
Ixora is a flower traditionally used as a decoration. The flowers bloom in bright blue or white clusters at the end of a large stem. Some compare the neat cluster of flowers to that of a cheerleader’s pom pom. In Vietnam, you will see these flowers alongside the road or towering above gardens.
Final Thoughts
Vietnam is packed with an amazing variety of unique and beautiful flowers that help create stunning gardens and add color to the landscape.
The tropical climate in the country helps make it a flower haven where locals have the opportunity to have a wonderful garden that not only looks beautiful but also means a lot to them. Some flowers symbolize love, joy, and happiness, while others give the attractive scent of class and luxuriousness.
The national flower is the lotus flower which will always be the most important flower but others like the chrysanthemum are also important as they are believed to bring fortune to families. It is these beliefs that make the flowers in Vietnam all the more special.
Despite many of the flowers on this list being native to Vietnam, there are some you can grow at home if you want to bring a part of Southeast Asian culture to your garden. Growing these flowers will add a vibrance and sweet floral fragrance to your garden that you will fall in love with.
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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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