While the shamrock, with its occasional tiny white and pink springtime blooms, is considered the unofficial flower of Ireland, the Emerald Isle is home to a colorful, charming array of beautiful flowers.
The Easter lily is a symbol of peace in Ireland, but you'll find rarer native Irish flowers among the island's deep green glens, rolling green hills and craggy coastline.
The famed Irish folk tune, "My Wild Irish Rose," is love song that also aptly describes seeing so many roses grow wild along the many country roads and walking paths of Ireland.
Ireland is home to an estimated 850 flowering plants, and springtime is when you'll see most of them in the countryside, in spring gardens and along roadsides from Londenderry to Killarney.
Ireland is alive with the colors of spring! But what exactly is blooming in the countryside? And how do the Irish refer to these flowers - in English and in Gaelic? Here, we take a quick look at seven springtime beauties you'll find across the Emerald Isle.
#1
Common name: Bitter-vetch
Irish name: Corra meille
These flowers are typically found in dry areas of Ireland. They bear small flowers in groupings of two to six that start out reddish purple and then fade into a blue-green hue. They bloom throughout the spring season in Ireland.
#2
Common name: Bluebell
Irish name: Coinnle corra
In Ireland, bluebells hit their peak each April, creating a carpet of purplish-blue across wide areas of the countryside. They are bulbous perennials that often cover woodlands, but they can also be found in home gardens.
#3
Common name: Poppy
Irish name: Cailleach dhearg
The familiar faces of poppies appear during late spring and summer in Ireland. You might see their paper-like orangey-red petals blooming along roadsides. However, you'll have to be quick, as their petals quickly drop.
#4
Common name: Geranium or Crane's Bill
Irish name: Crobh dearg
There are numerous varieties of this popular plant, which can be seen in even the rockiest regions of the Emerald Isle. It is a familiar flower in many destinations around the globe from late spring through summer. Colors range from white to pink, purple, coral, and red.
#5
Common name: Dog-Rose
Irish name: Feirdhris
From June to August, you'll find these fragrant blooms in trees and shrubs along Irish roadsides. The native plants feature five petals that are typically a light, pastel pink or white in hue.
#6
Common name: Blackthorn
Irish name: Draighean
These white flowers with numerous stamens have a distinctive look. You'll find them on shrubs and trees. But beware: the branches come with thorns. Interestingly, the fruit-or sloe-of the plant is a key ingredient in a potent gin.
#7
Common name: Bulbous Buttercup
Irish name: Tuile thalún
A member of the ranunculus family, these native wildflowers can be found across the Ireland countryside. Their cheerful yellow faces, which feature five petals, bring a bit of sunshine to grassy knolls - and to those who pick them.
Celebrate Ireland's wildflowers with beautiful finds from Creative Irish Gifts. See our handmade, hand painted porcelain spring wildflowers mugs made in Ireland.
Or, add a colorful Irish leprechaun with a wheelbarrow full of Irish flowers to your garden. We have lovely Irish flower vases in Galway crystal or Belleek porcelain.
Research for this post was gathered from irishwildflowers.ie and wildflowersofireland.net. Visit these websites to learn more and to see other varieties of Irish wildflowers and other native Irish plants.