TheNaturePlanet

I believe everyone has heard of the traditional idiom "varied and multifarious", but very few people know the specific flower species referred to by the "five flowers" in "varied and multifarious". Let's take an in-depth look below.
"Varied and multifarious" was originally used to describe the battle formations in ancient military strategies, namely the "five-flower formation" and the "eight-trigram formation". But with the changes of times and after the disappearance of wars, the term has become an expression to describe unpredictable things. In ancient times, the "five-flower formation" actually referred to golden chrysanthemum, kapok, narcissus, fire thorn flower, and morning glory. In the past, these five flowers represented different social identities.
Golden Chrysanthemum
Among the five flowers, the golden chrysanthemum represents women who sell tea. As an ornamental flower, we can know from its name that it is a flower with golden yellow blossoms. After blooming, the flower head is very eye-catching. The flowering period is mostly in autumn, roughly from September to November. The wild variety has a relatively short flower shape, while the artificially cultivated golden chrysanthemum has a larger and taller flower shape.
Kapok
Among the five flowers, kapok represents street doctors. In Guangdong area, it can also be used as an ingredient for making soup. Its whole flower is bright red. Mature trees are very tall. It is a unique flower that blooms first and then grows leaves.
Narcissus
Among the five flowers, narcissus represents singing girls. It has an unforgettable fragrance. This fragrance is also called "Goddess of the Luo River and Fragrant Concubine", implying good luck and prosperous wealth. It can be potted or cultivated in water. In daily maintenance, place it in a place with sufficient sunlight and good ventilation. If the room temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, it will bloom in 25 days, and you can enjoy the fragrant and beautiful narcissus.
Fire Thorn Flower
Among the five flowers, fire thorn flower represents acrobats. Although this profession is relatively rare now, in ancient times it was a livelihood skill for many poor people. The appearance of fire thorn has bright red flowers, and the fruits it bears are all white. They bloom in clusters. The flowering period is from March to April. After blooming, a faint fragrance can be smelled.
Morning Glory
Among the five flowers, morning glory represents porters. This flower is extremely rare now. Some materials say it is the common morning glory, and some people say it is a Chinese medicinal plant called "Tuniuqi".