nature

Celebrate The Year Of The Dragon With These Lunar New Year Plants

Image by Vilius Kukanauskas from Pixabay

The Lunar New Year also referred to as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a traditional festival that marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year. This year, from February 10th – 24th, the Year of the Dragon will be celebrated across the world.

In Chinese culture, it is believed that gifting popular flowers and houseplants during this festival can bring good fortune, as per the famous saying 花開富貴 (“blossom flowers bring wealth”). The team at British Garden Centres has put together a selection of flowers and plants that are perfect for gifting and spreading joy during this celebration.

Nertera ‘Coral Beads’ - Thought to represent both fertility and abundance, this plant boasts gorgeous orange berries in a colourway that complements the Lunar New Year perfectly. A low-growing houseplant with small, oval-shaped leaves, Nertera prefers bright, indirect light so would thrive on a windowsill with regular watering. This is a small, easy-to-maintain compact plant that would be ideal for those wanting some colour in their homes for the celebrations.

Lucky Bamboo - Bamboo is often associated with good luck and prosperity in various cultures, particularly in Asia so is the ideal plant to gift over the Lunar New Year. The popular houseplant is known for its strength, flexibility, and resilience, with its hollow centre of bamboo representing openness and the ability to receive. Lucky Bamboo prefers bright, indirect light and the roots like to be consistently moist, to bring positive energy for the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese Jasmine – This is a beautiful blooming plant that showcases tiny white star-like flowers with delicate yellow centres. Symbolising both happiness and forever love during the Lunar New Year, the Jasmine perfume will fill your home with a sweet scent over the celebratory period. A decorative and fitting addition to celebrations like the Lunar New Year, we recommend you keep our jasmine plant in a location where it receives plenty of filtered sunlight.

Clivia minata – This is a popular flowering plant that is often associated with Chinese New Year celebrations. It is loved for its lush green foliage and vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that come in shades of orange, red, or yellow. Clivia is believed to bring both rarity and elegance, making it a symbolic and decorative choice for the lunar season. Place it in a well-lit room, but avoid exposing it to direct sunlight, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Pilea ‘Coin Plant’ – Pilea peperomioides, commonly known as the Chinese Money Plant, Coin Plant, or Pancake Plant is perfect for the Chinese New Year and is well associated with bringing wealth and fortune. The plant boasts round coin-shaped leaves which are seen as a symbol of prosperity and are often gifted over the Lunar New Year. It can tolerate lower light conditions, but it thrives in a well-lit spot without direct sunlight and will be a welcome addition to your Chinese New Year decorations in an attractive pot or container.

Azalea – Azaleas, known for their vibrant and colourful flowers, are often associated with the Chinese New Year. The blooming of these flowers during the celebration is considered a symbol of success and auspiciousness. A time for new beginnings and fresh starts, Azaleas, with their blossoming flowers, symbolise the renewal of life and the promise of positive things to come in the new year. Red and pink azaleas are often chosen for the festive time, and they like well-draining, acidic soil to grow in.

Jade Plant - Commonly associated with Chinese New Year and is considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In Chinese culture, the Jade Plant is believed to attract wealth and fortune. Jade Plants are relatively easy to care for, making them accessible to a wide range of gardeners, including those who may not have a green thumb. They will thrive in well-draining soil, moderate sunlight, and allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.

Bromeliad - Bromeliads are known for their unique rosette-shaped foliage and striking flower bracts, which can come in various colours, adding a lively and celebratory atmosphere during the Lunar New Year and are believed to bring good fortune to those that receive them. They generally prefer well-lit areas without direct sunlight for extended periods and need to be protected from drafts and sudden temperature changes.

Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants for British Garden Centres said:
“Buying plants for Chinese New Year is a tradition rooted in cultural symbolism and beliefs associated with prosperity, good luck, and positive energy. Your local British Garden Centres store will have a wide selection of their plants for not only aesthetic appeal but also to help celebrate the Year of the Dragon and bring positive energy into homes.”