London Pride (flower)
Encyclopedia
London Pride, Saxifraga x urbium, is a perennial
garden
flower
ing plant. Alternative names for it include St. Patrick's Cabbage, Whimsey, Prattling Parnell, and Look Up And Kiss Me.
, and Saxifraga spathularis (which is the plant to which the name St Patrick's Cabbage more correctly belongs, coming from western Ireland
). The hybrid has been known at least since the 17th century.
The name is sometimes applied to any of several closely related plants of the saxifrage
genus. The section Gymnopera of the genus Saxifraga are collectively referred to as "London Pride saxifrages", and others of them have "London Pride" in their common names, for example the Lesser London Pride, S. cuneifolia, and the Miniature London Pride, S. umbrosa var. primuloides.
and ordinary Londoners, and of the futility of seeking to bomb them into submission. A song
by Noel Coward
, celebrating London and the flower, achieved great popularity during the World War II
years. In the language of flowers
, London Pride is held to stand for frivolity, and its day is 27 July, but this is not widely known.
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
ing plant. Alternative names for it include St. Patrick's Cabbage, Whimsey, Prattling Parnell, and Look Up And Kiss Me.
Taxonomy
The "true" London Pride is a hybrid between Saxifraga umbrosa, native to the Spanish PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, and Saxifraga spathularis (which is the plant to which the name St Patrick's Cabbage more correctly belongs, coming from western Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
). The hybrid has been known at least since the 17th century.
The name is sometimes applied to any of several closely related plants of the saxifrage
Saxifrage
Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of Holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin + ...
genus. The section Gymnopera of the genus Saxifraga are collectively referred to as "London Pride saxifrages", and others of them have "London Pride" in their common names, for example the Lesser London Pride, S. cuneifolia, and the Miniature London Pride, S. umbrosa var. primuloides.
Description
London Pride is tolerant of dry, shady conditions. It grows to a height of 15–30 cm (6–12 inches) and provides rapid ground cover without being aggressively invasive, and in late spring produces a mass of small pale pink rosette flowers growing from succulent stems. It will grow well in neglected or unfavourable urban spaces where few other flowers flourish, and is a common garden escapee.Symbolism
In particular, tradition holds that Saxifraga x urbium rapidly colonised the bombed sites left by the London Blitz of the early 1940s. As such it is symbolic of the resilience of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and ordinary Londoners, and of the futility of seeking to bomb them into submission. A song
London Pride (song)
"London Pride" is a song written and composed by Noël Coward.- Composition :Coward wrote "London Pride" in the spring of 1941, during the Blitz. According to his own account, he was sitting on a seat on a platform of a damaged railway station in London, and was "overwhelmed by a wave of sentimental...
by Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, celebrating London and the flower, achieved great popularity during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years. In the language of flowers
Language of flowers
The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken...
, London Pride is held to stand for frivolity, and its day is 27 July, but this is not widely known.