August Birth Flowers

Gladiolus

Flower of the Gladiators. Strength of character, sincerity, generosity, are traits symbolized in the Gladiolus.

Gladiolus (from Latin, the diminutive of gladius, a sword), sometimes called the sword lily, is a genus of flowering plants, iris family (Iridaceae).

The genus Gladiolus contains about 260 species, of which 250 are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. There are 160 species of Gladiolus endemic in southern Africa and 76 in tropical Africa. The species vary from very small to the spectacular giant flower spikes in commerce. These flowers are variously colored, pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.

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Poppy

* Oblivion 
* Imagination
* Pleasure
* Consolation
* Wealth, Success

The poppy of wartime remembrance is the red corn poppy. This poppy is a common weed in Europe and is found in many locations, including Flanders Field. Artificial, paper versions of this poppy are in many countries worn to commemorate those killed in World War I. In Canada, they are worn in remembrance of dead soldiers in general.

The poppy is an annual, biennial, or perennial plant of the Family Papaveraceae, typically with showy flowers borne one per stem, native mainly to the Northern hemisphere and often grown for ornament, opium or food. The golden poppy is the state flower of California.

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