The National Flower of Colombia: History and Significance

What is the national flower of Colombia? Colombia, like most countries, has its patriotic symbols, among these, can be considered its flag, anthem, national animal, national flower, and any other natural or material element that helps the representation of that place. Continue reading to learn all about Colombia national flower.

History and Culture of Colombia

It is important to know, first of all, a little about the history of Colombia. This country is located in South America, right in the northwestern region, and is made up of thirty-two (32) departments, which are decentralized.

This South American country was formed in 1810, after the Viceroyalty of New Granada. To see or understand its history more simply, it has been broken down into the following periods: pre-Columbian, its discovery along with the Spanish conquest, colonization, independence, establishment as a republic until the twentieth century, and the present.

Due to the time of its conquest by the Spanish, Colombia has a mixed culture where Spanish traditions or dishes are included with variations because it is also a country with a strong indigenous presence along with some African cultures.

Colombia is a country characterized by the diversity of its dialects, handicrafts, architecture, plastic arts, literature, and music. In addition, for being recognized as a tourist and tropical attraction for most of the people who have the opportunity to visit this beautiful country.

Meaning Of the National Flower of Colombia

As previously mentioned, the choice of national symbols is of utmost importance. They are the characteristic elements of each country and culture. In the particular case of Colombia, within its fauna and flora, the orchid is a plant that stands out uniquely.

This flower of exotic colors (usually in purple and white shades) is considered the Colombian national flower since 1936. The orchid is a species characterized by the variety of its colors, it was first discovered in 1731 when one of its many tropical variations bloomed in the botanical garden of Charles Wager. This orchid represents the beauty of the Colombian flora.

What is the national flower of Colombia? Six species belonging to the orchid, scientifically known as Cattleya trianae, are officially recognized as part of the Colombian republic. It receives the term Cattleya trianae, as a form of homage to the botanist José Jerónimo Triana.

What Are the Species of Colombia?

Colombia has more than 50% of the species that are part of the Cattleyas family, however, only six of these 4,000 flowers are considered exclusive to this multicultural country. Among them, we can mention the following:

• Cattleya Warscewiczii, stands out for being one of the largest and is located in the middle zone of Magdalena. In addition to its large size, this flower differs from the others by its intense purple tones.
• Cattleya Schroederae is a medium-sized flower, located mainly in the Piedemonte Llanero zone. It differs from the others by its intense aroma and its pale lilac color, in addition, in its center it has an intense yellow color that captures the attention of any person.
• Cattleya Dowiana, is one of the less common species due to its yellow tones along with orange and pink colors. It is normally found in the northern areas of Colombia. It differs from the others because it grows in the treetops, typical of elevations of 820 and 8200 ft (250 and 2500 meters).
• Cattleya quadricolor, is a medium-size orchid, characterized by the light lilac colors of its external flowers and stronger purple tones in its internal flowers, in addition to including yellow tones in the center. It is located in Alto Cauca.
• Cattleya Mendelii, this species of orchids, is considered one of the most beautiful and exotic due to the distribution of its colors, in general, they tend to be of lilac tones in its upper part, intense purple in the bottom, and with a striking yellowish in the center. It is normally found in the north of Santander.
• Cattleya Violacea, this species differs from the others thanks to the amplitude of its flowers and its striking purple colors, normally it can be easily located in the basin of the Orinoco River.

It is important to keep in mind that, because of the exotic appearance of these and other species, the vast majority are in danger of extinction, as they are both exploited and trafficked.

We hope you enjoy this article about the national flower of Colombia. We recommend our article about Colombian Orchids.