Due to the specificity of the color and its uniqueness, it is considered something of a national treasure and a symbol of good luck for the people of Fiji
The Tagimoucia flower (Medinilla waterhousei as its scientific name) is the national flower of Fiji and one of the rarest on the planet.
Its two-tone flower consists of a crimson shell with white teardrop-shaped florets and blooms for about three months a year.
It grows only on Taveuni, the third largest island of Fiji, at an altitude of more than 600 meters, in the caldera of the volcano and therefore its access is very difficult – the most difficult trek on the island. In fact, due to its difficult access, many residents have only seen it from photographs
The #tagimoucia is #Fiji‘s endemic and elusive national flower, as well as one of the rarest flowers on Earth. via @BBC https://t.co/xzDiMfPMjC
— meme tuivuniwai (@msenikau) January 25, 2023
The uniqueness of the soil is actually one of the secrets of the special plant as all attempts to transplant it to other islands of Fiji have failed.
Due to the specificity of the color and its uniqueness, it is considered something of a national treasure and a symbol of good luck for the people of Fiji.
High school and university students who on their graduation day are used to wearing garlands with the rare flower.
Sisters Helen and Heather Trail representing Taveuni with their beautiful Tagimoucia flower salusalus at the Graduation ceremony today. 😃
That early hike up for the flowers just for the ceremony was surely worth it ladies. 😄#USPGraduation2022 pic.twitter.com/g1daEFlExe— The University of the South Pacific (@UniSouthPacific) October 6, 2022
In 2013, an image of Tagimoucia was used to replace Queen Elizabeth on the front of Fiji’s $50 note.
The legend of the princess in love and the warrior
According to the legend of the island, as reported by BBC Travel, behind the extremely rare flower with two-colored petals hides a tragic love story.
Long ago, the tribes of Somosomo and Qamea were at war.
In a case of forbidden love, the Somosomo chief’s daughter had promised her heart to a Qamea warrior, while her father had promised her hand to another.
The Somosomo chief found out and ordered the Qamea warrior to be killed.
The girl climbed to the top of the island, and began to mourn at the thought of losing her lover. He cried uncontrollably and dug furiously in the dirt.
Thus Lake Tagimukia was formed and its tears became the first Tagimukia flowers.
This is an aerial view of our famous Lake Tagimaucia. it is located at the very top of Taveuni Island#coconutgrovefiji #lake #tagimauciaflower #taveuni #nature #mountain #climb #hike #famous pic.twitter.com/LXOkItBP3z
— Ronna goldstein (@goldstein_ronna) April 12, 2021
The warrior Qamea was killed and the two primary colors of the flower represent in Fizti folklore two lovers separated by death.
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