Flags With Plants

What do plants mean on flags?

Leaves and trees stand for the land, its natural wealth and peace. An olive branch is a symbol of peace, while a laurel or oak wreath stands for victory and honor. Some plants are national emblems, such as the maple leaf of Canada and the cedar of Lebanon.

Flags with plants

• Canada: a red 11-point maple leaf on white.
• Lebanon: a green cedar on the white stripe.
• Cyprus and Eritrea: olive branches. Eritrea has a gold olive wreath inside a red triangle.
• Hong Kong: a white bauhinia flower on red.
• Macau: a white lotus flower over a bridge, with stars, on green.
• Mexico: a prickly pear cactus under the eagle.
• Belize: a mahogany tree in the arms, with a wreath of leaves.
• Grenada: a nutmeg on the green part near the hoist, with a border of stars.
• Vanuatu: a boar's tusk with two crossed namele fern fronds, in a yellow Y and black triangle design.
• Norfolk Island: a green Norfolk Island pine in the center of white.
• Equatorial Guinea: a silk-cotton tree in the arms on the white stripe.
• San Marino: a wreath of oak and laurel around the arms.
• Guatemala: a laurel wreath around the arms.
• Fiji: sugar cane and coconut palm in its shield.
• Haiti: a palm tree on the arms.

Palms and territories

Plants are very common on the emblems of Caribbean and Pacific territories. Palm trees appear on several territory flags, including the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Guam. The Northern Mariana Islands show a wreath of flowers and the US Virgin Islands an olive branch, held by an eagle.

Plants on a flag also show the economy of a country. Fiji's shield includes sugar cane, Grenada's flag the nutmeg that made it famous, and Belize's mahogany tree recalls its logging past. Sometimes they are chosen for symbolism rather than trade, such as the lotus of Macau or the bauhinia of Hong Kong. Both are flowers that are well known in the region and were picked as new emblems after the transfer of sovereignty.