Plants and Greek Mythology: From Mount Olympus to KC Landscape Curbing

• Cyanus. A mythical youth with a love for flowers. He died in a bed of cornflowers. They were his favorite. • Flora. The goddess of flowers. She turned Cyanus into a cornflower as a way to honor his life. • Adonis. The god of nature. Venus caused a flower to spring from his blood. • Hyacinthus. Killed by Zephyr, Hyacinthus blood dripped and a flower sprung up from the ground. • Paeon. The name peony comes from Zeus’ obligation to Leto. He turned Paeon into a flower rather than let him suffer the wrath of Asclepius. • Crocus. When he asked the gods to help him win the affection of Smilax, they turned him into a flower. • Narkeo or Narcissus. He drowned in a pool of water after admiring himself. A white flower floated in place where he fell in. His mother is remember by the name Liriope.

You may be surprised to learn how many plants and flowers owe their names to Greek mythological figures. From Cyanus to Narkeo, one thing is certain. The Greeks valued honesty and integrity. They didn’t appreciate narcissism or begging. What they did appreciate was plants and flowers.

Select the type of plants and flowers you like best for your garden and flower beds. Keep in mind the history behind the names you see on plant markers. It may have had no significance to you before but now that you know many of the plants and flower you love most have Greek ties, you’ll be looking at their names closely.