Fragrant allegory: why did hibiscus receive the title of “flower of death”? (9 photos)

11 October 2022 14:52

Community: Secrets and riddles

Tags: hibiscus Chinese rose beliefs why symbols death of the owner flowers  

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In many apartments, on the floor, window sills or special stands you can often find a luxurious plant with large leaves and beautiful flowers. It is also used for office decoration. We are talking about hibiscus or, as it is also called, Chinese or Sudanese rose. But many are afraid to acquire this flower because of the belief that hibiscus is the flower of death.

Why is the Chinese rose considered a symbol of death?

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Naturally, the plant does not dig itself out of the pot at night and does not prowl around the house, bloodthirstyly rustling its petals and looking for someone to send to its forefathers with the help of a dull knife borrowed from the kitchen or rat poison previously stolen from the pantry. Although, such a plot would be quite suitable for some low-budget horror film. To be precise, hibiscus or Chinese rose is not a flower, but a shrub native to northern Indochina and southern China. It is notable for the fact that it sometimes blooms completely unexpectedly. Perhaps this feature threw a seed of alarm among suspicious and superstitious people, who began to believe that hibiscus was dangerous and should not be kept in the house.

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So, the Chinese rose symbolizes inevitability for two reasons:

1. Unexpected flowering, which is supposedly a harbinger of the imminent death of one of the family members.
2. Instant withering. It signals a serious and protracted illness of the owner.

The Chinese rose is also associated with death because it is capable of sucking energy and vitality from a person, and after the death of the owner it gives fabulously beautiful flowers with a delicate scent. That is, it is a kind of vampire plant that reduces the energy reserves of the people around it for its own benefit. Naturally, there is no real evidence of this fact, and superstition is just an unsubstantiated speculation.
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Signs associated with hibiscus

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There are other signs among people associated with the Chinese rose, both positive and negative. The most common ones are:

• Growing this shrub at home can provoke a man to leave the family. For such a “superpower”, hibiscus even received a creative name - muzhegon;
• during flowering, albeit short-lived, quarrels, scandals, and clashes over trifles begin in the house;
• in its natural environment, the plant blooms from late spring until approximately October. If the buds bloom unexpectedly - in early spring or winter, this is a signal of the death of one of the family members;
• dry leaves and blackened buds are also an unkind sign, signaling changes of a negative nature.

Reproduction and cultivation

Homemade hibiscus flower

The culture can propagate in 2 main ways - cuttings and seeds. At first glance, it is not clear how to grow hibiscus from seeds at home. It is difficult to find high-quality planting material. Special stores with official websites come to the rescue. Shopping this way is more reliable, and you can also order delivery by mail.

Important! It is best to propagate the plant in this way in early spring. Then in May it can already be planted outside.

Having good seeds, you should prepare the soil. A mixture of soil is poured into the pots - turf soil with sand and peat. The soil is well moistened and grains are sown. How many seeds to sow in one container depends on its size. Mostly 3-5 pcs. quite enough. They are carefully covered with earth, lightly compacted, and covered with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect. After the first shoots emerge, the film is removed and the containers are transferred to a sunny, warm place.

The cutting method is a little simpler. Cuttings are selected from the top of the shoots; they must have at least 2 internodes. The branches are placed in water, possibly with the addition of a few drops of a growth activator. Planted so that the lower node is tightly covered with soil. Then water it well and cover it with a glass jar. With the appearance of new leaves, the container is removed.

Note! For planting, choose a warm, sunny place with light sandy soils that are not prone to waterlogging.

Care consists of timely watering, fertilizing and crown formation. If the plant begins to wither and dry out, it should be watered. It should be remembered that waterlogging can also cause harm.

Important! Often the petals may dry out due to lack of fertilizer. For this purpose, nitrogen fertilizers are used in the spring, and potassium fertilizers in the fall.

Useful properties of hibiscus

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If you relax and distract yourself from superstitions and terrible predictions, you can find out that hibiscus is not just a beautiful, but also a useful shrub. The well-known hibiscus drink or red tea is made from the dried petals. With regular use, it normalizes blood pressure, helps get rid of chronic fatigue and improve overall well-being. The ancient Egyptians even used the infusion as a means to prolong youth, maintain beauty and increase sexual desire. And the modern population of Arab countries uses crushed Chinese rose seeds as a spice for meat dishes and an additive to improve the taste of coffee. Still crushed petals are a proven remedy for treating small wounds, burns, cuts and even trophic ulcers. It is recommended to place an exotic rose in the marital bedroom, as it is believed that it is capable of releasing a unique aphrodisiac that awakens and stimulates passion. Thus, the plant is not only harmless, even if a pet tastes it unknowingly, but with the right approach it can also bring considerable benefits.

Habitat

Hibiscus is a cultivated flowering plant.
Belongs to the family Malvaceae, dicotyledonous class, malvaceae order. Flower domain: eukaryotes. Malaysia is considered the birthplace of the flower. However, it also grows in the tropical forests of China and Indonesia. Distributed on the island of Java, Fiji, Haiti, Sri Lanka. area is very wide . The first mention occurs at the beginning of the last century. The plant was introduced to Hawaii. In 1950, a society of hibiscus lovers was opened. Latin name of the flower: Hibiscus. Grows in greenhouses, winter and botanical gardens and as a houseplant.

This representative of the flora is used as hedges. Cuttings are planted next to gazebos, arches, walls and high fences. The plant is a perennial . Each bush can grow for about 20 years. The flower lends itself well to pruning and crown formation. Therefore, it is excellent for decorative flower sculptures.

The plant has about 300 different subspecies.

On our website you can also find advice from gardeners on the following topics: fertilizing, pruning, flowering, reproduction, diseases.

Attitude to flowers in different countries

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Despite the skepticism and contemptuous nickname - muzhegon, in India, hibiscus, on the contrary, is considered a plant that strengthens marriage, and is used during wedding ceremonies as an element of decorations - wreaths and garlands that are exchanged between future spouses. In Malaysia, there is generally a kind of cult of hibiscus. His image is even present on the state emblem. And in the country there is a whole park of such roses, the number of bushes in which exceeds 2000 copies. It is often used for wedding celebrations.

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The Chinese rose is also popular in Argentina: in this country, almost every home or office building has at least a couple of pots of hibiscus, and their absence even causes sincere bewilderment among guests and visitors. The local population associates bright red inflorescences with the kindness of a person and the purity of his soul. Hibiscus is an integral part of the local color in Haiti and Hawaii. The locks of local girls greeting tourists are sure to be decorated with at least one hibiscus bud. And a garland, which also has roses woven into it, is placed around the guests’ necks, symbolizing openness and expressing hospitality.

How are you, neighboring Europe?

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In general, the root of negative superstitions regarding hibiscus in Europe, since due to its scarlet color they began to associate it with death. Allegedly, the petals are actively used by witches to prepare a potion that brings about the crown of celibacy. In European countries, the shrub is even called burnet, since it can supposedly provoke blood diseases (most likely this is again due to the color). There is also a widespread belief that a single woman who has a Chinese rose in her house will soon begin to enjoy unprecedented popularity with the opposite sex, but it will not be possible to create a serious permanent relationship while the pot of burnet is in the house. Probably due to the ability of the Sudanese rose to draw energy from those around it, it is actively used to decorate hospitals, clinics and other medical institutions, where it feels great and blooms in lush colors. Naturally, this position is also not supported by any scientific facts.

Advantages of the plant

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If you are indifferent to signs and superstitions and are not used to blaming events in your life on a neighbor with an evil eye, a black cat who crossed the road and a blooming Chinese rose, then you not only can, but you need to have this plant at home. Moreover, it:

• pleases with beauty and aesthetics;
• makes indoor air cleaner;
• easy to care for;
• smells nice.

As for impressionable natures, with an unstable psyche and simply fatalists, it is better for them to choose other types of green plants to decorate their homes.

Selecting seeds for a greenhouse

It is very important to choose the exact variety of tomato that will be suitable for the greenhouse. There are special “greenhouse” varieties that should be given preference first of all. They grow well in a greenhouse and produce a high-quality and rich harvest. These include:

— Bull's heart. This species is characterized by very high productivity, large and pleasant-tasting fruits.

— Miracle of the Earth is the most ideal variety for greenhouse conditions.

— Samara has sweet and juicy fruits. This variety grows well in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

— Long keeper, with proper care, can produce a harvest of up to 4 kilograms per bush.

— Moneymaker is an early variety that can be planted in a greenhouse in March and harvested in early summer.

— Dina is an excellent variety for greenhouses, which produces a yield of up to 5 kilograms per bush.

There are also more exotic varieties.