Birth flower for February 12
Noble orchid
Meaning: modest beauty, noble character
In China this little spring orchid is a classic noble orchid, one of the Four Gentlemen of art alongside plum, bamboo and chrysanthemum. An old Confucian saying praises the orchid that grows deep in the forest and stays fragrant even when no one is there, making its quiet scent a symbol of modest virtue. In Japan the flowers are pickled in salt and steeped into a celebratory orchid tea.