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Flowers are fascinating and diverse, with endless uses and varieties throughout history and cultures. Whether for decorating, adding flavor to dishes, symbolizing emotions, or to alleviate illnesses, flowers occupy an outstanding place for people and nature.
In this post, we’ll explore the world of flowers in Spanish, focusing on the most popular, iconic, and useful varieties found in Spanish-speaking regions. We will present you with several lists of Spanish flower names broken down into categories to include national flowers, desert and tropical flower names in Spanish, down to medicinal and even edible flowers.
So whether you’re a culinary artist or a traveler, or even if you’re just looking to improve your language skills, you’ll find something of interest in this guide to flowers in Spanish. So, let’s dive in and discover the beauty and wonder of nature’s most colorful creations!
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Most Popular Flower Names in Spanish
Flowers are astonishingly diverse, so a full species list may be endless. To start off, we’ve just compiled the Spanish flower names for some of the most popular ones.
English Flower Names | Spanish Flower Names |
Alyssum | El aliso |
Azalea | La azalea |
Calendula | La celéndula |
Daffodil | El narciso |
Daisy | La margarita |
Dusty miller | La dusty miller |
Gardenia | La gardenia |
Geranium | El geráneo |
Hibiscus | La jamaica |
Hyacinth | El jacinto |
Hydrangea | La hortensia |
Jasmine | El jazmín |
Lavender | La lavanda |
Lilac | La lila |
Lily | El lirio |
Marigold | La maravilla |
Orchid | La orquídea |
Pansy | El pensamiento |
Periwinkle | La teresita |
Petunia | La petunia |
Poinsettia | La noche buena |
Poppy | La amapola |
Primrose | La primavera |
Rose | La rosa |
Snapdragon | La boca de dragón |
Sunflower | El girasol |
Tulip | El tulipán |
Verbena | La verbena |
Violet | La violeta |
Zinnia | La zinnia |
National Flowers in Spanish
Flor nacional
Many people find flowers meaningful. In many Spanish-speaking countries, flowers are part of the cultural symbolism as well as a key element of the culture.
The significance of flowers is so deeply rooted in Latin American culture that every country in the region has designated a national flower to serve as a symbolic representation of their identity and values. Bolivia, El Salvador, and Mexico have even designated more than one national flower! In fact, Mexico boasts three official national flowers. If you’re interested in Mexican tradition, take a look at our post about Day of the Dead, in which flowers play a central role.
Country | English Flower Name | Spanish Flower Name |
Argentina | Cockspur coral tree | El ceibo |
Bolivia | Quantuta | La cantuta |
Bolivia | Hanging lobster claw | El patujú |
Chile | Chilean bellflower | El copihue |
Colombia | Colombian orchid | La orquídea colombiana |
Costa Rica | Guarainthe skinneri | La guardia morada |
Cuba | White garland-lily | La mariposa |
Ecuador | Flower of the Andes | La chuquiragua |
El Salvador | Coffea arabica | La flor de café |
El Salvador | Yucca elephantipes | La flor de izote |
España | Carnation | El clavel |
Guatemala | Lycastle skinneri | La monja blanca |
Honduras | Rhyncholaelia digbyana | La orquídea de la virgen |
México | Dahlia | La dalia |
México | Poinsettia | La nochebuena |
México | Aztec marigold | El cempasúchil |
Nicaragua | Frangipani | El sacuanjoche |
Panamá | Holy Ghost orchid | La flor del Espíritu Santo |
Paraguay | Blue passionflower | La mburucuyá |
Perú | Qantuta | La cantuta |
Puerto Rico | Maga | La flor de maga |
República Dominicana | Bayahibe rose | La rosa de Bayahíbe |
Uruguay | Cockspur coral tree | El ceibo |
Venezuela | Easter orchid | La flor de mayo |
Desert Flowers in Spanish
Flores del desierto
Latin America may be known for its lush rainforests, but in fact, around a quarter of its area is deserts and drylands. Some of the most notable ones are the Atacama Desert in Chile, and the Cabo Polonio dunes in Uruguay.
Many of the desert plants we’re listing here have very bright flowers that add a lot of seasonal color to their local environments. Here are the names of the most commonly-recognized desert flowers in Spanish.
Desert Flowers in English | Desert Flowers in Spanish |
Brittlebush | El incienso |
Bunny ear cactus | El nopal cegador |
Burro’s tail | La cola de burro |
Datura | La datura |
Desert lily | El lirio del desierto |
Desert marigold | La maravilla del desierto |
Desert rose | La rosa del desierto |
Desert sage | La salvia del desierto |
Desert spoon | El sereque |
Fox tail agave | El ágave atenuado |
Golden barrel | El asiento de suegra |
Jumping cholla | La choya |
Living stone | La planta piedra |
Lovegrass | La hierba del amor |
Mesquite | La dasylirion |
Mexican thread grass | La cola de zorro |
New Mexico locust | La acacia rosa |
Ocotillo | El ocotillo |
Oleander | La adelfa |
Organ pipe cactus | El pitayo dulce |
Palo verde | El palo verde |
Parodia | El cactus parodia |
Pencil plant | El árbol de los dedos |
Poison ivy | La hiedra venenosa |
Prickly pear cactus | El árbol de tunas |
Queen Victoria agave | El ágave noa |
Saguaro cactus | El saguaro |
Soaptree yucca | La yucca elata |
Succulent | La suculenta |
Tumbleweed | La planta rodante |
Winecup | La malvácea |
Zebra cactus | La planta cebra |
Tropical Flowers in Spanish
Flores tropicales
Many Spanish-speaking countries are located in the tropical regions of our beautiful planet, with so much biodiversity through multiple biomes.
Here’s our list of flowers in Spanish which are native to various tropical regions from the southern region of Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil. Many have been exported worldwide, decorating gardens and houses with their beauty!
Tropical Flowers in English | Tropical Flowers in Spanish |
African violet | La violeta africana |
Amaryllis | La amarilis |
Angel’s trumpet | La brugmansia |
Anthurium | El anturio |
Bat lily | El lirio murciélago |
Bird of paradise | El ave del paraíso |
Blood lily | La flor de sangre |
Blue passion flower | La pasionaria azul |
Bougainvillea | La buganvilia |
Bromeliad | La bromelia |
Canna indica | La flor del cangrejo |
Chenille plant | El rabo de gato |
Clivia | La clivia |
Colocasia esculenta | La malanga |
Cordyline fruticos | La palma lirio |
Cosmos | La flor del cosmos |
Cyclamen | La violeta de Persia |
Frangipani | La plumeria, El sacuanjoche |
Hanging lobster claw | La heliconia rostrata |
Illima | La ilima |
Kahili ginger | El lirio de arroyo |
Lokedani | La rosa de Damasco |
Medinilla | La medinilla |
Morning glory | La campanilla |
Penta | La planta de la inmortalidad |
Pink flowering banana | El plátano rosa |
Protea | La protea |
Sampaguita | La sampaguita |
Medicinal Flowers in Spanish
Flores medicinales
Flowers can be more than pleasing to the eyes, they can also be delicious or even be good for your health. Flowers are also used for medicinal purposes. If you are a natural medicine enthusiast, this is the list of flowers in Spanish you want to know!
Medicinal Flowers in English | Medicinal Flowers in Spanish |
Agrimony | La agrimonia |
Angelica | La Angélica |
Arnica | La arnica montana |
Bee balm | La monarda |
Black-eyed Susan | La rudbeckia |
Blue bervain | La verbena hastata |
Borage | La borraja |
Calendula | La caléndula |
California poppy | La amapola de California |
Cannabis | El cánnabis |
Red clover | Trébol rojo |
Chamomile | La manzanilla |
Dandelion | El diente de león |
Echinacea | La echinacea purpurea |
Elderberry | El sauco negro |
Evening primrose | La onagra común |
Feverfew | La matricaria |
Foxglove | La digitalis lanata |
Hawthorn flowers | El majuelo |
Herb robert | Geranio de San Roberto |
Lavender | La lavanda |
Marsh mallow | El malvavisco |
Motherwort | La agripalma |
Peony | La peonía |
Pineapple weed | Manzanilla sin pétalos |
Queen’s Anne’s lace | La daucus carota |
Tulsi | La albahaca morada |
Valerian | La valeriana |
Witch hazel | La hamamelis virginiana |
Edible Flowers in Spanish
Flores comestibles
Apart from contemplating and enjoying the scent of flowers, we can also eat them! Many familiar vegetables are actually flowers themselves, while other edible flowers can be added to dishes for extra flavor, texture, or color.
There are thousands of edible flowers in the world, more than you can imagine. Let us surprise you here with this selection of edible flowers in Spanish.
Edible Flowers in English | Edible Flowers in Spanish |
Artichoke | La alcachofa |
Arugula | La arúgula |
Bergamot | La bergamota |
Borage | La borraja |
Broccoli | El brócoli |
Celery | El apio |
Chicory | La achicoria común |
Clover | El trébol |
Cornflowers | El azulejo |
Daylilies | El lirio de día |
Garlic | El ajo |
Hollyhock | El alcea |
Honeysuckle | La madreselva |
Hostas | El lirión llantén |
Johnny jump-up | El pensamiento |
Leek | El puerro |
Nasturtium | La capuchina |
Sorrel | La acedera común |
Squash blossoms | La flor de calabaza |
Sunflower | El girasol |
Shallots | El echalote |
Watercress | El berro de agua |
Herbal Flowers in Spanish
Flores herbales
Together with medicinal flowers, herbal flowers are the most useful flowers we’ve covered so far in this post. These flowers have been grown in gardens and kitchens since ancient times. When European colonists first journeyed to the Americas, they brought along these valuable plants as part of their cargo. Now we bring to you this awesome selection of herbal flowers in Spanish!
Herbal Flowers in English | Herbal Flowers in Spanish |
Basil | La albahaca |
Bay leaves | Las hojas de laurel |
Catnip | La menta gatuna |
Chervil | El perejil francés |
Chives | El cebollín |
Cilantro | El cilantro |
Comfrey | La consuelda |
Dill | El eneldo |
Fennel | El hinojo |
Lemongrass | El zacate limón |
Marjoram | La mejorana |
Mint | La menta |
Mullein | El gordolobo |
Oregano | El orégano |
Parsley | El perejil |
Peppermint | La menta piperita |
Rose hips | La rosa mosqueta |
Rosemary | El romero |
Sage | La salvia |
Spearmint | La hierbabuena |
Stevia | La stevia |
Tarragón | El estragón |
Thyme | El tomillo |
Winter savory | La satureja montana |
Yarrow | La milenrama |
Conclusion
This post has provided a detailed exploration of the fascinating world of flowers in Spanish, presenting a comprehensive guide to the most popular, iconic, and useful varieties found in Spanish-speaking regions. From the national flower of Mexico to the desert and tropical flowers in Spanish, and even the most exotic edible flowers, we have covered a wide range of flowers that are not only beautiful but also serve various purposes.
With this knowledge, you’re now equipped to impress your date by offering a bunch of roses – rosasin Spanish. Or maybe you’ll prepare a delicious herbal tea using rosehips – rosa mosqueta.
Whether you’re looking to add some culinary flavor in your kitchen, decorate the garden, or recognize certain plants on your hikes, you’ve now got the specific vocab of all these Spanish flower names!
To close, we’ll recommend our related post on animal names in Spanishto continue exploring the natural world!