Create a Bouquet Inspired by Iconic Videogame Flowers

When you think of Valentine’s Day gifts, the usual suspects probably come to mind. From heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to bright red cards and fluffy teddy bears, you might begin wondering if there’s a more exciting way to say “be mine”. Now, I’m not saying ditch the chocolates — because it’s really not Valentine’s Day until you’re drowning in sweetness — but why not riff on the classic bouquet of red roses and create a subtle floral tribute to videogame flowers instead? If your partner loves games, this is the perfect gift, and if a bouquet is too much, you can choose a single flower from the bunch.

However, you might be single this Valentine’s, which leads me to believe that you clicked on this article solely with curiosity about iconic flowers in gaming. In which case I’d say there’s no need to wait for someone to bring you a bouquet; giving yourself fresh flowers (especially ones inspired by games) is just as delightful. The availability of these flowers will certainly depend on your location and seasonal climate, but hopefully this article can give you an idea of what to look for. I’ll also do my best to include multiple options, including flowers from other seasons if you’d like to try this out at a different time of year.

Super Mario Brothers — Fire Flower

While not as iconic as Mario and Luigi, the Fire Flower is likely the most memorable flower in gaming history, and you can even decorate your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island with it if you purchase it from Nook Shopping.

I don’t know of any real-life flowers that give you the ability to throw bouncing fireballs at your foes, but I do know of flowers that can match the Fire Flower’s orange-red and yellow colour scheme. Monsella tulips are eye-catching with their yellow petals and red flame-like streaks, but even red tulips would work as well, evoking passion, romance, and love. Other options include bright red zinnias with a yellow centre, orange dahlias, and yellow-red Picotee begonias.

Cuphead — Cagney Carnation

To this day, I don’t remember how many times my partner and I died trying to beat the Cagney Carnation in the Floral Fury level of Cuphead, but it was definitely good fun. Come to think of it, Cuphead might actually be a great co-op game to play with your valentine!

Of course, if you’d like to pay homage to the Cagney Carnation, an orange carnation is the perfect match. Their elegant, ruffled petals would be a beautiful addition to any bouquet. They also look especially lovely when paired with roses and lilies.

Pokémon — Roselia

Roselia (and its evolution line, Budew and Roserade) is an adorable light green Pokémon with red and blue roses in each of its hands. Including both colours of roses would be a fun twist on the classic red bouquets that everyone buys on Valentine’s Day.

While red roses are usually in supply year-round, blue ones might be more difficult to find as the blue pigment is not a natural variety of the flower. If roses are either out of stock or not your preference, I’d recommend getting hydrangeas! They bloom in shades of blue and pink, allowing you to easily connect them to Roselia’s colour scheme.

Undertale — Flowey

Flowey is the main antagonist of Undertale who regularly launches verbal insults at you as well as “friendliness pellets”, which are not friendly in the slightest. His character design includes golden petals, a white centre, and a green stem (plus, a deceivingly easy-going smile). If you’re active on the Undertale subreddit, you may have already seen the popular theory that Flowey is inspired by yellow flowers found in the classic JRPG Earthbound — they do look very similar.

If you want to find your own real-life Flowey (that isn’t set on killing you), white or yellow daisies would be the best addition to your bouquet, especially since the shape of their petals matches well with Flowey’s. Yellow bidens and white coneflowers are also great alternatives for their daisy-like appearance.

Final Fantasy VII Remake — Aerith’s Flowers

Final Fantasy often uses flowers to symbolise themes across their games, and the yellow flowers that Aerith gifts Cloud in the Final Fantasy VII Remake are meant to symbolise reunion, which is fitting on multiple levels from characters reuniting with each other to fans reuniting with the original game many years later.

The flowers have a particular resemblance to the Golden Splendor lily (also known as a Trumpet lily), a yellow flower with flaring petals and a maroon stripe. Yellow lilies have a variety of meanings attached to them, as most flowers do, including happiness, new beginnings, and love.

While there are many flowers that make appearances in our favourite videogames, the ones I have mentioned will surely add a romantic touch to any gaming-themed flower gift. Overall, if you’re planning on putting this exact bouquet together, you’ll end up with a beautiful combination of red tulips, orange carnations, roses, daisies, and lilies. And you can always use dahlias, bidens, and hydrangeas for just as gorgeous alternatives!