Interesting Kalmia Flower Meaning And Symbolism You Need To Know

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Do you know that not only they are beautiful, flowers are also full of significant meanings and symbolism? Also, having flowers around the home or office can help improve your mood and reduce the level of stress.

There are so many beautiful flowers growing around the world. Each has its own charming beauty that captivates the eyes. And what we are going to talk about today is Kalmia. It is such an interesting flower to know more about. So let’s find out more about Kalmia flower meaning, symbolism, origin, and folklore.

About Kalmia Flower

Kalmia is a genus of evergreen shrubs. Hence, it is not the name of s single plant. There are around 10 species of Kalmia and all of them are just as stunning. This flower falls into the Ericaceae family which includes yew, heaths, cranberry, and blueberry.

Even though they are said to be edible, they are highly toxic so they are grown for ornamental purposes only.

Kalmia Flower

Kalmia flower is not very hard to notice since it has distinctive features and characteristics.

Kalmia species feature flowers blooming in tightly packed clusters. It is also known as corymb. Each cluster can have around 10 to 60 flowers. This kind of feature creates a round snowball-like shape which makes Kalmia even more interesting to look at.

Kalmia doesn’t really have fragrance. As for colors, they usually come in pink and white.

Kalmia flower’s history and origins

Before finding out about Kalmia flower meaning and symbolism, it is interesting to learn more about its origin and historical background.

This flower was said to be found across the world as proven by the fossil records found in Poland as well as Germany. This flower didn’t spread to Europe at least until past the 1880s.

Today, Kalmia can be mostly found in North America and Cuba. It thrives mostly in areas with cooler climates. Some of the most popular types of Kalmia include Bullseye, Ostbo Red, and Elf (the dwarf variety of Kalmia).

Kalmia Flower Meaning And Symbolism

Kalmia Flower Meaning

Now let’s talk more about the meaning behind Kalmia flowers. Etymologically, Kalmia was named after the Swedish botanist described in European journals, Pehr Kalm. The name was given by Linnaeus to honor his friend Pehr Kalm who collected the flowers during the mid 18th century.

As mentioned before that Kalmia is divided into several different types.

Kalmia Flower Meaning

White Kalmia means purity, recovery, loss, memory, and healing. It symbolizes more calming vibes. It can be given to those who are in sorrow for a loss for example. Having white Kalmia for a funeral is suitable due to its appropriate meanings.

Pink Kalmia means affection, warmth, early stage of love, friendship, and youth. This flower is suitable for dates. So if you plan on giving flowers to your date, this flower is perfect as it represents affection and the early stage of love.

Red Kalmia means romance, passionate love, good health, wealth, and new starts. You can give this flower to someone you are in love with or in a relationship with. This can also represent a steady relationship where love is strong. Or, you can also give this red Kalmia for those who are starting a business to represent a wish for success.

Red Kalmia means

Burgundy Kalmia means elegance, luxury, wisdom, and devoted romance. This is such a perfect flower to be given to a person you are in a relationship with for so long. You can give this flower arrangement for a wedding anniversary as well to symbolize devotion and strong love.

It is not uncommon to have Kalmia flowers speckled and patterned to give multiple meanings. The color combinations can make perfect symbolism and representation of the messages you want to convey to the recipient.

Kalmia myth and folklore

Kalmia flowers are also known as Spoonwood. The historical background about the naming of this flower is because Native Americans used to make their spoons out of this flower.

This is another myth involving Kalmia in which Dutch settlers encountered Native Americans living in a range of plants. They claimed that the natives told them to use Kalmia woods for carving spoons as well as other utensils.

However, this was just a myth because logically, the wood itself was toxic, and making it into utensils is impossible, or else the people back then would just die or be severely ill from the toxins.

Also, there was little evidence about how the settlers or natives carved their utensils out of Kalmia woods. It is more likely to be fun and harmless folklore.

Kalmia symbolism

As we have discussed Kalmia flower meaning, let’s talk more about the symbolism it has. Here are some of the most well-known symbolism of the Kalmia flower:

Strength – Kalmia symbolizes strength because they are blooming outstandingly. They grow on agile, and strong stems which offer great resistance to drought. Not to mention that the woods of Kalmia tree can be carved well. Kalmia flowers can still bloom beautifully even under unfavorable conditions.

Longevity – Kalmia symbolizes longevity because it can survive without shedding the leaves even under unfavorable circumstances and conditions. This flower convey a message of how you can lead long life happiness and bliss.

Healthiness – Kalmia flowers also symbolize healthiness because it is such a great plant to grow under harsh conditions. Another reason for this symbolism is that Kalmia has been used as an important part of traditional medicines. The leaves of Kalmia are said to be beneficial to help cure skin diseases and inflammation.

Beauty – Kalmia flowers symbolize beauty due to their features and characteristics. They have a perfectly stunning shapes as well as radiant colors. Its lovely oval shape make them look elegant.

The aesthetic qualities of Kalmia flowers are unmatched.

Honor – Kalmia flowers symbolize honor because it has been used as a piece to honor important people among the Greeks. This flower is used to congratulate and celebrate accomplishments or achievements. You can give a bucket of Kalmia flower arrangements to someone you respect for their outstanding character, integrity, skills, and dedication.