The Lunar New Year also referred to as the Chinese New Year started on January 29th and runs until February 12th. 2025 is the Year of the Snake and will be celebrated by communities around the world. In Chinese culture, it is believed that gifting flowers and houseplants during this festival can bring good fortune and luck so why not gift or enjoy British Garden Centres’ choice of plants to enhance your home and bring in the Lunar New Year in style?
Orchids – Thought to represent both fertility and abundance, orchids are a popular choice for Lunar New Year. The most popular are Phalaenopsis orchids, Cymbidium orchids and Dendrobium orchids, associated with wealth and prosperity. These exquisite flowers are great houseplants, with their delicate petals and graceful shapes making them a cherished symbol of good fortune and new beginnings.
Bamboo – Bamboo is often associated with good luck and prosperity in various cultures, particularly in Asia so is the ideal plant to gift over the Lunar New Year. The popular houseplant is known for its strength, flexibility, and resilience, with its hollow centre of bamboo representing openness and the ability to receive. Lucky Bamboo prefers bright, indirect light and the roots like to be consistently moist, to bring positive energy for the Year of the Dragon.
Chinese Jasmine – This is a beautiful blooming plant that showcases tiny white star-like flowers with delicate yellow centres. Symbolising both happiness and forever love during the Lunar New Year, the Jasmine perfume will fill your home with a sweet scent over the celebratory period. A decorative and fitting addition to celebrations like the Lunar New Year, we recommend you keep our jasmine plant in a location where it receives plenty of filtered sunlight.
Clivia minata – This is a popular flowering plant that is often associated with Chinese New Year celebrations. It is loved for its lush green foliage and vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that come in shades of orange, red, or yellow. Clivia is believed to bring both rarity and elegance, making it a symbolic and decorative choice for the lunar season. Place it in a well-lit room, but avoid exposing it to direct sunlight, especially during the hottest part of the day.
Pilea ‘Coin Plant’ – Pilea peperomioides, commonly known as the Chinese Money Plant, Coin Plant, or Pancake Plant is perfect for the Chinese New Year and is well associated with bringing wealth and fortune. The plant boasts round coin-shaped leaves which are seen as a symbol of prosperity and are often gifted over the Lunar New Year. It can tolerate lower light conditions, but it thrives in a well-lit spot without direct sunlight and will be a welcome addition to your Chinese New Year decorations in an attractive pot or container.
Azalea – Azaleas, known for their vibrant and colourful flowers, are often associated with the Chinese New Year. The blooming of these flowers during the celebration is considered a symbol of success and auspiciousness. A time for new beginnings and fresh starts, Azaleas, with their blossoming flowers, symbolise the renewal of life and the promise of positive things to come in the new year. Red and pink azaleas are often chosen for the festive time, and they like well-draining, acidic soil to grow in.
Narcissus – The daffodil is often called “water仙” (shuixian) in Chinese and holds a special place in Lunar New Year celebrations. These familiar yellow flowers, with their trumpet-shaped blooms and sweet fragrances, are meant to reflect good fortune, prosperity, and wealth. The ability of narcissus to bloom with minimal care, often just water and sunlight is said to represent immortality and resilience. Although narcissus bulbs cannot be put in the ground now, potted bulbs can be bought from your local garden centre to bring sunshine to the home during the Year of the Snake.
Jade Plant – Commonly associated with Chinese New Year and known as the money plant, it is considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In Chinese culture, the Jade Plant is believed to attract wealth and fortune. Jade Plants are relatively easy to care for, making them accessible to a wide range of gardeners, including those who may not have a green thumb. They will thrive in well-draining soil, moderate sunlight, and allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants for British Garden Centres said: “Celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake by bringing positive energy into your home with our top tips for gifts. Buying plants for the occasion is a tradition symbolising prosperity and good luck and your local British Garden Centres has a wide selection of plants perfect for celebrating this special time of year.”
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