Godetia, a birthday flower of May 23rd

Godetia is known in Japan as 色待宵草 (Iromatsuyoigusa) or simply ゴデチア.  Godetia is one of the birthday flowers of May 23rd. Another birthday flower of the day is Foxglove, which I wrote about in my previous post. Godetia is also a birthday flower of April 5th. 

Although native to western North America, it has long been cultivated in Japan. It comes in shades reds, pinks, purples, oranges, and whites. In my local area, there is a beautiful display of pink and white godetia in June annually.  It can bloom from May through July. Its appearance signals the final farewell to spring, hence it sometimes called "Farewell-to-spring flower" in English.

In the Japanese language of flowers, hanakotoba, Godetia carries the meanings “unchanging love” and “I adore you.” These tender associations come from the flower’s ability to continue blooming beautifully even as the seasons shift. In English floral symbolism, it shares the same meaning: “unchanging love.”