Widely revered as one of the easiest flowers you can grow, the cosmos flower can be planted just about anywhere – you’ll likely see blossoms sprouting up in no time.
However, just because cosmos are simple to grow, that doesn’t mean that they are simple in meaning. Here are some of the many meanings of the beautiful cosmos flower.
What is the Etymological Meaning of Cosmos Blooms?
The word “cosmos” is a name given to the flower by Spanish priests who originally grew the flowers during their missions abroad. They were blown away by the flower’s petals, which are quite stately and evenly placed. As a result, they gave the flower the name “cosmos” to symbolize its order and harmony with the rest of the universe.
This is a direct derivative of the Greek word “kosmos,” which means world order. Greeks thought that the natural world existed in perfect harmony.
There are more than 20 known species of the cosmos flower, but all belong to the Compositae genus. These species are members of the Asteraceae family, which also includes daisies, sunflowers, and asters.
There are several types of cosmos flowers, each of which has its own meaningful botanical characteristics. Some common ones include Cosmos bipinnatus and Cosmos sulphureus.
This is a plant of many names, including spider daisies, sea star, and others.
Growing Cosmos Flowers
As you’ll gather by reading this post, these perennial flowers are a wonderful gift for just about anyone in your life.
With their rich symbolism and gorgeous symmetrical petals, they can be used to symbolize joy, positive vibes, or many other sentiments. Their rich symbolism can’t be overlooked, nor can their divine beauty.
However, did you know that it’s also fairly easy to grow these flowers to create your own floral arrangements?
An easy to grow plant, you’ll love the variety presented to you by the cosmos flower.
Whether you want to grow an orange cosmos, brown cosmos, pink cosmos, or even a white cosmos flower, you have plenty of options. These plants grow well in full sun to partial shade and like moderately moist soil.
What Do Cosmos Symbolize?
Cosmos flowers are often used to symbolize order and harmony, due largely to the flower’s harmonious petals. However, the flower can also be viewed as symbolizing tranquility, peace, innocence, and love.
As you can tell, this is a plant with rich symbolism.
A Spiritual Meaning of Peace and Wholeness
The scent and bright color of the flower is the most common reason why the flower is viewed to symbolize peace and wholeness.
Cosmos Flower Represents Balance
Other meanings include modesty, balance, beauty, and joy. The meaning of this flower changes ever so slightly with its color. Each color has its own impact on cosmos’ meanings.
Cosmos Symbolizes Better Communication
Interestingly, some people believe that cosmos flowers can symbolize people who have a hard time public speaking or otherwise expressing their thoughts.
It can help you express your final thoughts and is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to use the different meanings of the cosmos to help them speak their minds.
What Does the Red Cosmos Flower Symbolism?
Red cosmos flowers usually symbolize love and passion.
What Does a Yellow Cosmos Symbolize?
Like many yellow flowers, yellow cosmos can symbolize friendship or even slighted love, a unique meaning that you don’t find with many other flowers.
The best time to give someone yellow cosmos flowers? Any time – but they’re an especially perfect choice if you want to use these beautiful colors to celebrate a birthday, as a birth flower.
What Does a White Cosmos Mean?
White cosmos flowers usually symbolize purity and faithfulness in romantic love. The white cosmos flower is a perfect choice for a wedding or another situation in which you want to emphasize the cosmos spiritual meaning.
What Does the Chocolate Cosmos Flower Symbolize?
Chocolate cosmos flowers are some of the most unique and breathtaking cosmos flowers to behold. They’re an excellent choice for symbolizing balance, congruence, and order amongst chaos.
What is the Cosmos Flower Symbolism for Pink Cosmos Flowers?
Pink cosmos flowers symbolize universal harmony and again, orderly arrangement and sacred geometry. They can also be used to symbolize feminine energy and make a great gift for any woman in your life!
What is the Cultural Significance of a Cosmos?
Native to Mexico, the cosmos flower is a large family of more than 20 species. It can also be found in places like South Africa and the United States, where it has been imported over the years from places like Argentina.
These flowers were brought to Spain from Mexico by the first Spanish explorers in the 1500s. Seeds were then collected and propagated before a cultivated variety was brought to American gardens in the mid-1800s. Spanish gardens commonly grew flowers in their gardens during their missions, too.
Cosmos flowers have many medicinal uses in addition to their ornamental value. In Brazil, the flower has long been used for treating malaria. It also contains lutein, a compound with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
It is commonly used as a source of yellow dye in Central and South America, although this hasn’t been quite as popular in modern times.
Traditional Uses of the Cosmos Flower
The cosmos flower was used for medicinal purposes in everyday life by many cultures, including Mexican culture. As mentioned earlier, cosmos was used in natural dyes but was also used to treat skin problems and ward off negative energy by various cultures.
Many cultures prized the cosmos flower for its orderly appearance along with its medicinal purposes. In addition to giving one a sense of feeling grounded, it was used medicinally for treating sore muscles and much more.
Its uses extended long into the 16th century and some people still use the garden cosmos for these purposes today, though its medicinal properties haven’t been heavily researched.
What is the Symbolism of a Cosmos Tattoo?
Usually viewed as a symbol of order, a cosmos tattoo may also be selected to represent modesty or peace, particularly with some sort of situation.
When Should You Give Someone a Cosmos?
Cosmos are the perfect flowers to give to a romantic partner or lover. They often represent the idea of walking hand in hand together. They can also symbolize all of the joys that life, and particularly love, can bring.
Cosmos flowers are both beautiful and ornamental. Grown as traditional cottage garden plants, they make beautiful cut flowers. As the birth flower for the month of October, cosmos flowers are often used as gifts for people with birthdays in this month. The cosmos flower is also the second wedding anniversary flower, too.
Regardless of the occasion, the cosmos flower is the perfect gift when given in an arrangement or flower bouquet. It is one of the most popular flowers in the United States, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding it, either!
*Photo by ekina1/depositphotos
