There’s Nothing Like Watching Vietnam’s Waterlily Harvest
In the Mekong Delta, farmers and locals still gather the flowers on wooden boats. Now, the ritual’s also become a photo op.
Why Do Flowers Mean So Much to Us?
Icons of beauty, providers of sustenance, even symbols of divinity — blossoming plants have assumed a deep significance to ...
How the Protea Became a Symbol for South Africa
The resilient species — which regrow after wildfires — are said to capture the spirit of a nation reborn.
Following the Scent of Egypt’s Jasmine
In the Nile Delta, farming the redolent vine is both a tradition and a vital way to make a living.
Amaranths Were Nearly Wiped Out by Colonization. Now, They’re Making a Return.
Once a mainstay of Indigenous diets, the South American crop is having a resurgence in popularity, in part because of its ...
Suicide Bomber in Brazil’s Capital Rattles Nation Ahead of Global Summit
Police officials say two blasts near Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday night are being treated as terrorist acts by a lone ...
How Marigolds Became a Flower for Weddings and Funerals
A basket of rose garlands on the bank of the Ganges. Devotees, who make annual pilgrimages to the shrines and temples of ...
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A Trip Through the Pink, Fragrant Rose Fields of Oman
The damask variety, valued for its sweet scent, is responsible for the country’s renowned rose water. The cousins Abdulah ...
The New York Times10h
How the World’s Most Expensive Spice Is Grown
A glimpse at Kashmir’s saffron harvest. Paper replicas of saffron flowers, which are harvested in mid-autumn (past our press ...
The Flowers Celebrated in Festivals Across Japan
The colorful blooms of azaleas light up public spaces and private gardens.
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Orchids Are Highly Prized in the West. In the South Pacific, They’re Everywhere.
Papua New Guinea is home to thousands of species — many still waiting to be discovered. Paper replicas of Bulbophyllum levyae ...
Food, Offering, Medicine, Political Symbol: What the Lotus Means in Sri Lanka
“GROWING IN THE mud, and yet so clean, the lotus is a symbol of purity,” writes the Sri Lankan historian Ananda K. Coomaraswamy in his 1913 book “The Arts and Crafts of India & Ceylon.” The lotus pool ...