In "wuhua bamen" (all kinds of), which five plants do the "five flowers" refer to?

I believe everyone has heard of the traditional idiom "wuhua bamen" (all kinds of), but very few people know which specific flower species the "five flowers" in "wuhua bamen" refer to. Let's take a closer look below.

"Wuhua bamen" was originally used to describe formations in ancient military strategy, namely the "Five Flower Formation" and the "Eight Trigrams Formation." But as times changed, after there was no more war, the phrase came to mean that things are unpredictable and ever-changing. In ancient times, the "Five Flower Formation" actually referred to the golden chrysanthemum, kapok, narcissus, firethorn flower, and tuniuhua, and back then 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, you can tell from its name that it is a flower that blooms with golden-yellow flowers. After blooming, the flower heads are very eye-catching, and the flowering period is mostly concentrated in autumn, roughly from September to November. Wild varieties have relatively shorter flower forms, while artificially cultivated golden chrysanthemums have larger and taller flower forms.

Kapok

Among the five flowers, kapok represents street doctors. In Guangdong, it can also be used as an ingredient for making soup. Its whole flower is bright red, and mature trees are very tall. It is a unique flower that blooms first and grows leaves afterward.

Narcissus

Among the five flowers, narcissus represents singing girls. It has an unforgettable fresh fragrance, and this fragrance is also called "Luoshen Xiangfei," symbolizing good fortune and abundant wealth. It can be grown in pots or in water. In daily care, place it in a sunny and well-ventilated place. At a room temperature of 20 degrees, it will bloom in 25 days, and you can enjoy the fragrant and beautiful narcissus.

Firethorn flower

Among the five flowers, firethorn flower represents acrobats. Although this profession is relatively rare now, in ancient times it was a survival skill for many poor people. Firethorn has bright red flowers in appearance, while the fruits it produces are pure white and bloom in clusters. Its flowering period is from March to April, and after full bloom a faint fragrance can be smelled.

Tuniuhua

Among the five flowers, tuniuhua represents bearers. This flower is extremely rare now. Some materials say it is the commonly seen morning glory, while others say it is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant called "tuniuqi."