The naming of military projects after flowers serves a contradictory function in warfare: it generates an aesthetic image for destructive technology, making it more memorable while also striking a symbolic balance between the violence of the weapon’s aggression and the beauty of nature.
Flowers are also used in protests as a reminder of the human cost of war and as a symbol of life's frailty, in contrast to their use in military settings.
Vinicius de Moraes, a Brazilian poet, singer, and composer, wrote Rose of Hiroshima immediately after the 1945 nuclear blasts as a warning against war's dehumanising effects. The poem speaks of horrific destruction. It discusses the generations harmed by war, as well as the pain left behind for future generations. Its symbolism cries out for empathy.
Building on this theme, the Rose of Hiroshima became an effective protest symbol, initially as a poem and later as a song. Its verses highlight the tragedy created by the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which the Americans called Fat Man and Little Boy.
In a paradox, the small tree oleander (classed as Nerium oleander) is officially the "city flower" of Hiroshima, as it was the first to bloom on the burnt, radioactive land following the 1945 atomic explosions, representing strength and hope.
Weapon development also incorporates floral terminology to either reflect visual effects or establish an ironic contrast. Russia, for example, uses flower names for artillery, tree names for missiles, river names for air defence, and destructive natural phenomena for rocket systems, as well as female names for nuclear weapons. Developers claim that an explosion from a mortar can resemble an opening bud. It is comical, if not tragic!
The Oreshnik (Hazel Tree in Russian) is a Russian intermediate-range, nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missile, first used in November 2024 against Ukraine. The missile can carry multiple warheads and, reportedly, has devastating capabilities.
Project Flower was the codename of a weapons alliance between Iran and Israel. According to public records, the project involved Iranian funding for Israeli research into surface-to-surface missiles, which ironically are now a major component of Iran's anti-Israel arsenal.
The military agreement from 1977 was one of various pacts established using the ‘oil-for-arms’ framework. The project attempted to develop medium-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The design was based on an American missile, and its components were manufactured in Israel. The project ended two years later, when the Islamic Revolution broke out.
There are various reasons for military engagements and weapons being named after flowers, but the primary ones are symbolic and historical. Pear blossom spear, which created a flower-like appearance upon ignition, was used during the Song Dynasty in China. The Wars of the Roses were a series of armed confrontations from 1455 to 1485, fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York for control of the English throne. The First Opium War, fought in 1839 between Britain and China, was sparked by China's attempts to disrupt Britain's lucrative trade in opium, a poppy-derived addictive substance.
Anti-war movements, in contrast, utilise flowers to convey the delicate nature of existence, pain, and a stance against violence. Flower Power (1960s) began as a protest against the Vietnam War. During the 2022 Russian attack of Ukraine, the sunflower, the country’s national flower, became a global symbol of resistance and resilience.
Military brutality reveals profound irony. Institutions that are designed to protect are instead acting as agents of chaos, highlighting the contrast between the military’s noble purpose and the reality of its actions that destroy communities. Naming weapons of war after flowers suggests that beauty can mask lethality. It is the symbol of innocence surrounded by horror!
Sonia AmbrosionThe writer is a journalist, academic and researcher in media studies
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