The national flower of Cuba is the white fairy lantern, called the mariposa in Cuba. This is an important national symbol and among the most popular flowers in Cuba. It goes by many different names though it grows mainly in North America, where it is variously called fairy lantern, globe lily or snowdrop.
These small but enchanting flowers have been important symbolically in all the regions where they have grown from one time to another, and that importance endures in modern Cuba.
They are the official national flower and embody a range of symbolic significances.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national flower of Cuba?
The national flower of Cuba goes by a variety of names, but in Cuba it is known as the mariposa–most commonly known as the fairy lantern or white fairy lantern in the English speaking world.
This is a North American species of flowering plant that is highly variable and widespread over its natural range.
It grows anywhere from 30 to 80cm at full maturity, and its stem is erect or sometimes arching, as well as being slender and sometimes branching or simple.
The plant has two different types of leaves: either cauline or basal.
Cauline means that the leaves grow on the upper part of the stem.
Basal, on the other hand, means the leaves grow closer to the base.
This is to say that the leaves of the flower grow at both the top and the bottom of the stem.
During blooming, the flower will have one long basal leaf, alongside several cauline leaves.
These leaves are usually 1-5cm in length and vary from 5 to 70cm in length depending on whether it is a cauline or basal leaf.
The flowers are borne in groups, and the most common groups have one or two flowers.
In some cases, though, many flowers can group together in a single place.
The flowers themselves are very delicate, pendent, and nodding in shape.
They are, as their name suggests, orbs of pearly white that somewhat resemble lanterns.
They can be deep red and pink, though, in some cases.
The plant flowers from March at the earliest to July at the latest, though generally April to June.
They are found in shady and open woodland and scrubland, as well, sometimes, as coastal bluffs and shaded grassland.
They are most commonly found in rocky places from Baja California to San Diego and the Bay Area.
Why, then, is this flower the national flower of Cuba?
Why is the mariposa the national flower of Cuba?
There are a variety of reasons why the mariposa is the national flower of Cuba.
It embodies a variety of things, symbolically, to the people of Cuba, on the one hand.
They are images of natural beauty and kinship with nature, and their wide range across the island has made them a common motif in the minds of the people of Cuba on the level simply of familiarity.
Most people in Cuba are familiar with this flower even simply as a member of the local plant life if nothing else.
But further as a symbol the flower has played a number of roles in Cuban history.
During Cuba’s wars of independence, the white mariposa was used by women to send messages to fighting men in the wars.
At the end of the 19th Century, Cuba was fighting for its independence in a war that became known as the Ten-Year War.
The mariposa, then, became ultimately a very important symbol of Cuban independence from colonial Spanish rule, and so the flower is not only a beautiful, physical reminder of the island today, but also of its history and the struggles that it has taken to get there.
What else is the mariposa lily called?
The mariposa lily goes by a great variety of other names which are worth looking at to give you a better idea of what flower exactly people may be talking about in different parts of the world.
Firstly, its scientific name is Calochortus albus, and perhaps its most common popular name is the fairy lantern or white fairy lantern.
It goes by other color names, like pink fairy lantern.
It is also commonly referred to as the globe lily or globe tulip.
Other names include the alabaster tulip, snowy-lily bell, and the snowdrop.
Is the mariposa lily edible?
The mariposa lily is indeed edible and all parts of the flower are often eaten.
They are said to have some medicinal uses and though they are not most well known for this feature, they are sometimes eaten by Native American communities.
They are said to heal minor ailments and provide relief for pain.
This is generally not how they are used in Cuba, though, and you should always be extremely careful when foraging wild plants for consumption.
You never know what you might be picking and you could end up with something other than what you’re looking for which is very similar in appearance but carries added risk.
So one thing that is worth remembering about this flower is that it may go by a great variety of names depending on the place and people you are in or talking to.
In Cuba it is generally referred to as the mariposa though it can go by other names even there.
It is an important national symbol for a variety of reasons and holds a great many different symbolic meanings in Cuba.