Plants produce beautiful and fragrant flowers in order to preserve their species. Blooming, bearing fruit, and spreading seeds away are their instinct. But there are times when plants are more faithful to their instincts than ever before.
Bamboos seldom flower because they grow by expanding their underground rhizomes, not seeds. But when they are in an extreme situation where they cannot expand their roots, they bloom. In order to leave their seeds, they flower one last time before they die. Firs too produce unusually colorful and abundant flowers when they are in a bad environment. Oriental orchids too give out flower stalks when their survival is threatened.
Plants’ desperate effort to preserve their species by flowering in endangered situations is called Angstblüte in biological terms. It is a German word composed of Angst (meaning fear and anxiety) and blüte (meaning blossom). It is translated as “Blossoms of Fear.”
Sometimes, we face severe trials where there seems no way out. Nevertheless, we must never back down. That may be the best time to blossom. Angstblüte!