Your family’s history isn’t just a forgotten story told around the dinner table. It’s also a vibrant garden bursting right on your coat of arms. Yes, plants! Not just some random leafy doodles, but carefully chosen flora cultivated on your family crest.
Showing your family crest during the medieval era was the way to announce your identity across kingdoms and wars, with plants as one of the starring roles on the shield.
From regal roses to spices, we’ll help you discover how these plants describe your familial roots (or did your ancestors simply have green thumbs?).
How Plants Ended Up on Shields
Imagine charging at someone in war and seeing someone wave a turnip on their banner. Sounds silly, but back then, it meant something to a clan or family.
So, how did plants earn a place among fierce animals and powerful weapons?
It started with symbolism and practicality. Most noble families drew their power and identity from landownership, agriculture, or nature. These included plants like wheat and laurel and trees like oak, which highlighted their ties to the prosperity of their land. Eventually, plants became just as symbolic as any sword or animal!
Plants on Coat of Arms
Flowers
Rose - The rose symbolizes beauty, love, and optimism. It represents hope for the future and family strength. For example, the Tudor rose is famously associated with the English royal family, symbolizing the union of two warring houses.
Cinqfoil - The cinqfoil is a five-petaled flower shape that stands for joy, hope, and renewal. It often appears on shields to celebrate life’s beauty and the promise of a bright future for the family’s descendants.
Lily - According to legend, an angel delivered a lily (which later became known as the fleur-de-lis) to King Clovis of France at his baptism. The fleur-de-lis is strongly associated with French royalty and nobility, as well as purity and divine favor.
Leaves
Leaf - Leaves symbolize faith and endurance. They serve as reminders of the family’s connection to their ancestors and the spiritual strength that carried them through tough times.
Laurel - Laurel leaves are traditional emblems of victory, honor, and achievement. They celebrate family accomplishments and the respect earned over time. Laurel wreaths were also famously worn by Roman military generals and ancient Greek poets. Now you know where the term “laureates” came from!
Wheat/Grain - Wheat and other grains represent a good public reputation. They symbolize faithfulness, hospitality, and abundance.
Wheat sheaf - Bundles of wheat, a.k.a. sheaves, symbolize community, unity, and collective strength. Kind of like Aesop’s famous fable about the bundle of sticks. You can see the sheaf of wheat in the coat of arms of the Earl of Chester, symbolizing agricultural prosperity.
Trees
Oak tree - The oak tree stands for longevity, strength, and endurance. It symbolizes families with a proud heritage able to withstand the test of time. One famous example is the coat of arms belonging to one of the guards of King Charles II, recalling the story of him hiding in an oak tree after the Battle of Worcester.
Palm tree - The palm tree is a symbol of strength, resilience, and hope. It stands for righteousness, victory, and the hope of resurrection. This is especially true for families with deep religious faith.
Fruit/nuts:
Acorn - The acorn is a classic heraldic symbol of independence, strength, and potential growth. It represents the power of transformation and the promise passed down through generations.
Pine cone - Pine cones stand for the beauty and diversity of the natural world. They honor the respect early families had for nature and its resources, symbolizing harmony with the environment.
Vegetables
Turnip - The turnip appears on the shields of the Rueppen von Pfeilberg family in Germany. Since the German word for turnip, Rübe, sounds like their family name, this root vegetable has become a clever personal emblem.
Garlic- The Italian delle Agli family surrounded their shield with garlic cloves, a witty pun on their name (aglio means garlic in Italian). The garlic symbol is seen from their walls to their tableware. Talk about edible branding!
Why include plants?
Plants might not be as fierce as lions or dragons, and they also don’t grab as much attention as bright colors. But in heraldry, adding plants to your family crests tells a richer story and brings depth to a family’s lived experiences.
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Plants symbolize connection to the land
Connection to the land was a key theme. This was especially relevant in a time when farming was the economic backbone of society.
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Plants represent culture and religion
Many plants, such as lilies and palm branches, had biblical and Christian meanings. The fleur-de-lis (a stylized lily) was linked to the Virgin Mary and represented purity and light (aside from making a cameo in King Clovis’ dream). -
Plants portray personal or family values
Plants represent values important to families. For example, having a tree on a family crest can symbolize a family’s strength and endurance, while having a flower can mean remaining faithful even during the most doubtful times.
Curious what symbols might be sprouting in yours? Our team can help you find your family crest and uncover the roots (and trees, fruits, branches, flowers… everything!) of your family crest.
How Do People Choose Plants?
Choosing plants for a coat of arms was much like selecting any other symbol: it had to represent the family’s identity, values, or history.
Sometimes the choice was practical. Maybe the family grew wheat, owned an oak grove, or just really liked vegetables. Other times, it was to express qualities the family upholds, such as strength, faith, or hope. In some cases, plants were chosen simply because they held special meaning or a personal connection, much like choosing your favorite flower for your first tattoo.
Growing Your Family Story
Plants on your coat of arms are the leafy storytellers of your roots. So, if you want to know more about what plants were meaningful to your ancestors, finding your family crest is the first step. You’ll likely spot some plants that speak to you and maybe even explain why you’re so drawn to your current plant favorites!
Image sources:
Emblem with a crown and vine, source
Diamond Jubilee State Coach at the Royal Mews via Wikimedia Commons, source
Coat of arms granted to Colonel Careless via Wikipedia, source