The cosmo flower is a genus of roughly 20 species in the asteraceae family. These flowers – which can be either perennially or annually blooming – are native to Mexico and nearby areas of the United States, as well as Central and Southern America. These flowers, though simple in appearance, come in a surprising amount of variety. Their leaves may be bipinnate or pinnate, the flowers may be either solid, striped or bi-colored. The colors themselves come in the usual white, yellow, orange, pink and red; however, the cosmos atrosanguineus is a deep brownish burgundy that is well loved, not only because of its unique, romantic coloring, but because of its unusual chocolate-like scent.
Unlike many other blossoms, the cosmo flower does not have a particularly long history; however, what history it does have is various and unique. The cosmo flower was said to have been named by Spanish priests who grew them in their mission gardens. The priests felt that because of their symmetrically aligned petals these flowers should be named after the Greek word for “ordered universe.” Much later in history, during the 1999 World Kindness Movement conference in Tokyo, the cosmos bipinnatus was adopted as the emblem for the organization. Cosmos are also the focus of small tourist attractions. One great example of this is the Cosmo Hanatsumi at Harvest Hill, which runs between late September and early October. At this event a person can amble around a 4,000 square meter farm, and – for a small fee – pick some flowers to take home with them.
The cosmo flower is mostly thought to be the symbol of order, peace and modesty. When given as a gift to a romantic partner, these flowers are commonly meant to represent the notion of walking together hand in hand, or to express the joys that love and life can bring. Along with their harmonious symbolism, cosmos are also representative of October births and 2nd wedding anniversaries, and are frequently given as simple tokens of affection on these particular events.