Birth flower for July 3
Hibiscus
Meaning: New love, passion
Each hibiscus flower usually lasts just one day, opening in the morning and fading by evening, yet the plant keeps up a nonstop relay of blooms all year. It is Malaysia's national flower, called bunga raya there. In Okinawa, red hibiscus is traditionally planted by family graves and known as the "flower of the afterlife." Many children in Taiwan have picked one to sip the sweet nectar at its base.