#8655
daisy
"Fresh as a daisy" = well-rested. "Push up daisies" = be dead (buried).
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a small flower with white petals around a yellow center
The field was covered in daisies.
#8644
cherry blossom / sakura [group]
The flower of the cherry tree. Famous for spring festivals in Japan (hanami) and Washington D.C.
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the pale pink or white flower of a cherry tree
Tourists flocked to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Japanese loanword, used in English especially for the cultural/seasonal association (hanami, sakura season, Japanese cherry trees).
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the Japanese cherry blossom, especially as a cultural and seasonal symbol
They planned their trip to Kyoto around sakura season.
cherry blossom vs. sakura
They name the same thing - the flower of a flowering cherry tree. The only real difference is language and connotation.
- cherry blossom
- The ordinary English term for the blossom of any flowering cherry, with no particular cultural baggage.
- sakura
- The Japanese word, used in English when the Japanese cultural context matters - hanami (flower-viewing), spring festivals, the imagery of fleeting beauty.
- Use 'sakura' for the specifically Japanese association; otherwise 'cherry blossom' is the plain English word.
#8630
pear blossom
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the white five-petaled flower of the pear tree, blooming in early spring
The orchard was a cloud of pear blossom in April.
#8604
osmanthus
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a fragrant evergreen shrub with small white or orange flowers, used to scent tea and sweets in East Asia
The garden smelled of osmanthus all autumn.
#8575
lotus [family]
Sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism: symbol of purity rising from muddy water. Also a luxury British sports car brand (Lotus Cars).
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a water plant with large pink or white flowers, sacred in many Asian cultures
The pond was full of blooming lotuses.
#7819
chrysanthemum
Often shortened to "mum" in American English. National flower of Japan; symbol of the Japanese imperial family (the "Chrysanthemum Throne"). In some cultures (much of Europe), associated with funerals and grief rather than celebration.
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a garden plant with brightly colored, often ball-shaped flowers, blooming in autumn
The autumn festival displayed hundreds of chrysanthemums.
#7818
lily
Symbol of purity in Christianity (especially Mary). "Lily-white" = innocent or all-white (sometimes racially loaded). "Gild the lily" = unnecessary embellishment.
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a flower with large showy petals
She arranged white lilies in the vase.
#7817
narcissism [family]
Irregular plural: narcissi /nɑːrˈsɪsaɪ/.
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a spring flower such as a daffodil
Narcissus bloomed beside the path.
#7816
hydrangea
From Greek 'hydor' (water) + 'angeion' (vessel), referring to its cup-shaped seed capsules. Flower color can shift with soil pH: acidic soil produces blue flowers, alkaline soil produces pink.
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a shrub with large, rounded clusters of pink, blue, or white flowers
Blue hydrangeas lined the garden path.
#7815
peony
Large, showy, often fragrant blooms. National flower of China; popular in wedding bouquets.
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a plant with large, showy pink, red, or white flowers
The garden was full of blooming peonies.
#7814
lavender
Famous fields in Provence, France. Used in aromatherapy, soaps, and cooking.
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(uncountable) a small shrub with grayish leaves and bluish-purple flowers, used in perfumes and to scent linen
The garden was filled with lavender.
#7813
orchid
One of the largest flowering plant families (about 28,000 species). Vanilla comes from an orchid.
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a plant with showy, often fragrant flowers in unusual shapes and colors
She received a bouquet of white orchids.
#7812
carnation
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a double-flowered cultivated variety of clove pink, with gray-green leaves and showy pink, white, or red flowers
A red carnation.