Flowers That Mean Freedom

Birds of Paradise

• Birds of paradise are tropical flowers with unmistakable bright orange flower petals and a single narrow purple petal jutting out from it. The flowers bear that particular name because their petals grow in such different geometric directions they resemble a bird. For example, according to the website Livingartsoriginals.com, the flower bears the name the crane flower in South Africa. This website also states that: "The flower symbolism associated with the bird of paradise flower is freedom." The flowers are related to the banana and have large, flat green leaves typical of banana plants. The flowers flourish best in warm environments with eastern or northern exposures.

Water Willow

• True to its name, the water willow grows around the edges of lakes and ponds. The flowers grow to be about 2.5 feet high and have very thin white lines that run up and down the length of their stalks. The leaves also have a white vein that goes through the middle of each leaf. The petals are white and they have a slight purple coloring at their ends. The website Earthlypursuits.com states that it is symbolic for freedom.

Pansy

• The pansy has long been a symbol of freedom of thoughts, often used by the American Secular Union. The pansy originates from the viola and has five petals that unfold in a specific configuration, distinctive to the flower. The petals can be white, cream, yellow, red, pink or purple. The coloring of the center of a pansy can vary greatly with some centers being red, others being yellow, purple or white; the possibilities are numerous. According to the website Flowerforyou.com, "The name pansy comes from the French word "pensee," which means 'thought.'"