Freesia Flower Symbolism Facts & Meaning: Zodiac, Superstitions, Dreams, and Legends
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Freesia Flower Facts
Freesia Flowers are known to be native to Southern Africa. There are about 16 to 20 main species of the Freesia family but now they’ve created over 1,400 beautiful new hybrids over decades.
Freesia is a flower spike with a leafless stem that is approximately 2 feet tall. It bears sweet-scented flowers that are funnel-shaped and are 1 to 2 inches long in a variety of jewel-toned colors. They are also zygomorphic – meaning, their flowers only grow on one side of the stalk with 5 to 8 flowers per one sided spike.
White Freesia has quite a strong scent unlike the hybrid varieties but if you’re looking for a flower with a perfumy scent, then the red and pink shades of Freesia are the strongest and smell the best.
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Freesia Flower Uses
Freesia is used for aromatherapy as it bears such a sweet fragrance that helps relieve stress. A bouquet of Freesias may it be at your office or home can boost your mood. As a matter of fact, extracts from its blooms are used to create fragrant oils and scented candles, and a common ingredient in cosmetics. You may even use its blooms for making your own spray that gives off a whiff of spring.
You can also eat Freesia Flowers raw. It can be added to your salad or prepare them as a garnish! The blossoms can also be useful in making an infused syrup which can add flavor to sorbets as well. Moreover, if you infuse it with lemon zest and juice, you can even make a refreshing tisane that has a colorful hue and a peppery aroma.
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Freesia Flower History
The Freesia came from the “Cape Lily-of-the-Valley” or the Cape Colony in South Africa. The flower got its name from around 1830 from an interaction between two German botanists during the 19th century. Dr. Christian P. Ecklon, a collector of plants in South Africa, discovered the flower and decided to name it after his close friend, Dr. Friedrich H.T. Freese as a symbol of their friendship.
After a few decades, bulbs of Freesia were brought from the Cape of Good Hope to Britain. At first, the flower was unpopular but its fame was brought about by a man named Armstrong who bought Freesia with a deep pink hue in the country which immediately popularized the flower among local growers.
Furthermore, in the mid-1930s, a certain Dutch nurseryman of Offenham Worcestershire further propagated the plant which resulted in an annual blooming of almost a million Freesias in the markets of Britain by the 1950s.
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Freesia Flower Positive Symbolism
As previously mentioned, Freesia varies in colors. Although generally, they symbolize innocence and trust but altogether, they symbolize friendship and thoughtfulness. Therefore, it is best to give a bouquet of multicolored Freesias as a gift to family and friends.
Having said that, several colors of Freesia Flowers do carry specific meanings. Like how white Freesias symbolize purity and innocence, while pink Freesias symbolize motherly love.
Yellow Freesias symbolize joy, renewal, and friendship, whereas red Freesias on the other hand symbolize passion.
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Freesia Flower Negative Symbolism
The Freesia Flower is one of the few that only carries positive symbolisms such as innocence and friendship or a person who shows kindness and compassion. This flower is even used to symbolize a person in the face of struggle or great difficulty but remain in high spirits.
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Freesia Flower Cultural Symbolism
During the Victorian era, the Freesia is the ultimate symbol of trust. While in terms of numerology, Freesias signify the 9th number which denotes selflessness and obligation.
Throughout the 19th century in England, the use of floriography – usage of flowers to send coded messages, was widespread and Freesia Flowers are known to indicate that someone has a secret message to pass along as it symbolizes extreme trust.
Freesia Flowers flourish in many parts of Australia because of its climate, hence, it is only expected for Freesia to be the symbol that marks the arrival of spring.
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Freesia Flower Zodiac Sign
Some of the main characteristics of Pisces include intelligence and bountiful energy, just like its zodiac animal equivalent, the Monkey, which represents both brains and brawns. These are the Freesia’s counterpart as the flower also signifies an active energy and a free spirit that allows one to be whoever they want to be.
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Freesia Flower in Dreams
It has been said that when you dream of a Freesia, then you are “lucky in love,” and will have a successful romantic relationship.
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Freesia Flower Omens and Superstitions
For many people in the olden times, they believe that the seventh year of marriage marks the beginning of unrest in the life of a couple. That is why they consider Freesia Flowers to be the perfect gift to their spouse on their 7th Wedding Anniversary. It is to show their commitment to their partner as well as to reconfirm the innocence and chastity of their love once more as well as their trust for one another. They believe that the flowers represent faithfulness through all the seasons and changes in the marriage.
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Freesia Flower Mythology and Folklore
There is a story about the Freesia Flower in some sources of Greek Mythology. It is related to the infamous story about the impossibly handsome hunter Narcissus.
Narcissus looked into his reflection on the stream. He looked so handsome that he is smitten by his own reflection, thinking it is a beautiful woman and even confessed to it. Phrygia, a freshwater stream nymph, overhears this as she is underwater in the stream and mistakes his confession being for her. She rises to the surface, touched, and reveals herself to him only to get rejected by him. Heartbroken, she run and weep.
After confessing countless times to his reflection with no avail, Narcissus then decided to jump into the stream, thinking that he would join his “true love” but instead falls to his death. He is then transformed into the first daffodil by the edge of the stream.
Unbeknown to Phrygia, she keeps searching for him in hopes of finding him but eventually collapses, coincidentally near the daffodil. During her end, she prays to be with Narcissus forever. The gods heard her and granted her prayer by transforming her into the very first Freesia Flower beside Narcissus, the first ever daffodil. This tells of the legend why Freesias are often found growing beside daffodil plants.
