Published on September 28, 2023
Names of flowers in Spanish: What to know before you grow
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet laments, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” You grow, girl! But, while flowers smell sweet in any language, flower names in Spanish may be important to learn if you plan on giving or growing any of your own.
It shouldn’t be too tough, because there are quite a few Spanish cognates that share a root (hah!) with English. For example: begonia is the same in both English and Spanish. Even so, there are some Spanish names for flowers you’ll just have to memorize, especially for species that are native to parts of Latin America.
When it comes to flower names in Spanish, there are lots. Here are some of the most popular flowers:
| Spanish flower name | English flower name |
| abelia | abelia |
| adelfa | oleander |
| amarilis | amaryllis |
| amapola | poppy |
| anturio | anthurium/painter’s palette/flamingo flower |
| áster | aster/Michaelmas daisy |
| azafrán | safflower |
| azalea | azalea |
| ave del paraíso | bird of paradise |
| begonia | begonia |
| brezo | heather |
| cactus de Navidad | schlumbergera/holiday cactus/Chritstmas cactus |
| cala | calla lily |
| camelia | camellia |
| campanilla | campanula/bellflower |
| ciclamen | cyclamen |
| clavel | carnation |
| crisantemo | chrysanthemum |
| eléboro | hellebore |
| espatifilo | peace lily |
| espina de Cristo/corona de Cristo | crown of thorns |
| espirea | spirea |
| falso jazmín | Carolina yellow jasmine |
| flor de cera | wax flower/porcelain flower |
| gardenia | gardenia |
| gazania | gazania/treasure flower |
| geranio | geranium |
| gerbera | gerbera daisy |
| girasol | sunflower |
| galadiolo | gladiola |
| guzmania | guzmania |
| hemerocallis | daylily |
| hibisco/flor de jamaica | hibiscus |
| hortensia | hydrangea |
| jacinto | hyacinth |
| jazmín | jasmine |
| kalanchoe | kalanchoe |
| lavanda | lavender |
| lirio | lily |
| madreselva | honeysuckle |
| margarita | marguerite daisy |
| narciso | daffodil |
| orquídea | orchid |
| pensamiento | pansy |
| peonías | peony |
| rosa | rose |
| siempreviva | golden everlasting/strawflower |
| tulipán | tulip |
| violeta | viola |
If you like flowers, chances are you’ve got a few houseplants. Here are some names for plant types, flower types and parts of plants in Spanish.
| Spanish plant name | English plant name |
| totora | cattail |
| suculenta | succulent |
| la cinta/malamadre | spider plant |
| crotón | garden croton |
| helecho | fern |
| poto | golden pothos |
| claveles del aire | air plants |
| monstera | split-leaf philodendron |
There are three main types of flowers by life cycle:
| Spanish flower name | English flower name |
| anuales | annuals |
| perennes | perennials |
| bienales | biennials |
| Spanish name | English name |
| ramo de flores | bouquet of flowers |
| hoja | leaf |
| tallo/caule | stem |
| raíces | root |
| semilla | seed |
| fruto | fruit |
| penca | cladode (the flat, thick leaf of a cactus) |
| espinas | thorns/spikes |
| pétalo | petal |
| polen | pollen |
| pistilo | pestle |
There are differences between Spanish spoken in different countries, and flowers that originate in the Americas were often given new names by Spanish colonialists.
It’s important to have this context because translation apps typically default to Castilian Spanish. Here are some native flower names from Latin America; let’s see which ones changed and which ones remained:
| Native name | Origin | Spanish name | English name |
| cempasúchil | Mexico | tagete | Aztec marigold |
| dahlia | Mexico, Guatemala | dahlia | dahlia |
| cuetlaxochitl | Mexico | flor de nochebuena | poinsettia |
| mburucuyá | Brazil | pasionaria | passion fruit flower |
| copihue | Chile | copihue | Chilean bellflower |
| patujú | Bolivia, Peru | heliconia | hanging lobster claw |
| chuquiragua | Ecuador, Peru | chuquiragua | flower of the Andes |
| sacuanjoche | Nicaragua | plumeria | frangipani |
Who doesn’t like a bouquet of flowers on a special occasion? With your new vocabulary of flower names in Spanish, you can go to the florista (florist) and ask for specific flowers. No more of those discount pre-made bouquets! Now, you can make your own and impress your date.
