Birth flower for December 31
Mount Cook lily
Meaning: Pure white of the high country
Despite its name, the Mount Cook lily is not a lily at all but the largest buttercup in the world, with flowers up to about seven centimetres across. Waxy white petals ring a crown of golden stamens, and its big round leaves are shaped like shields or shallow bowls that hold raindrops. It is one of the signature summer flowers of New Zealand's Southern Alps.