Cover Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty
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From pussy willows to peonies, learn more about these beloved plants and blooms this Chinese New Year
From mandarin oranges and vivid green bamboo plants to peony blooms in bright pink and red, there’s no shortage of these familiar plants and flowers each time Chinese New Year comes around. You will spot them in plant stores, garden centres, shopping malls, and even while browsing online for Chinese New Year hampers. But how well do you recognise their names or know their symbolic significance for the festive season?
Here's a quick guide to these auspicious plants and flowers as you welcome the Year of the Rabbit.
Related: The Best Malaysian Fashion Collections for Chinese New Year 2023
Lucky bamboo
Photo: BloomThis
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Known for its tough qualities, the lucky bamboo is a great indoor plant that’s said to bring good luck wherever it is placed. It’s also been said that the fortune it brings varies according to the number of its stalks. Two stalks, for example, represent love while seven stalks in one pot denote good health. And though it's called a bamboo, it's actually a type of tropical water lily.
Get it at bloomthis.co
Pussy willow
Above Photo: Bloomspace
Above Photo: Bloomspace
Photo: Bloomspace
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Any Chinese New Year hamper worth its salt needs a colourful stalk of pussy willow with those unmistakable fuzzy buds that are sometimes called ‘catkins’ given their resemblance to tufts of cat fur. Pussy willow symbolises growth, abundance, and the first signs of spring as the snow begins to melt. They're also long-lasting.
Get it at bloomspace.co or flowersugar.com
Kumquat trees
Tied with festive red ang pows and curled paper ribbons, the lime tree (sometimes called orange tree or kumquat tree) is a splendid sight to behold during Chinese New Year. It’s said to attract fortune and abundance, and its mini oranges resemble gold coins.
Orchids
Above Photo: BloomThis
Above Photo: BloomThis
Photo: BloomThis
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Orchids are highly prized gifts around Chinese New Year, symbolising fertility, abundance, and refinement. The pink Moth orchid is especially popular this season, and many associate it with luxury, innocence, or purity.
Get it at bloomthis.co or sweetlifeandco.my (Penang)
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia) is sometimes called the eternity plant, thanks to its hardy nature and ability to thrive even with minimal care and attention. Its waxy, upward facing leaves symbolise growth and advancement.
Get it at flowerchimp.com
Peach blossom
Above Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty
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One of the most recognisable flowers in Chinese New Year decor, peach blossoms represent love and romance, believed to bring good partners to unmarried people in search of love. They also symbolise longevity.
Peonies
Above Photo: Rebecca Orlov/Unsplash
Photo: Rebecca Orlov/Unsplash
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Bright peonies effortlessly lighten the mood of a room or add a pop of cheer to a gift basket or floral arrangement. They symbolise luck, honour as well as feminine beauty, innocence and charm.
Get it at florismdeart.com.my
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
