When it comes to nature deities, Flora holds the number one spot on our list. You may know Flora as the Roman goddess of flowering plants, sister of Fauna, the goddess of animals and wildlife. It likely won’t come as a surprise that Spring is Flora’s season and her divine attributes are fertility, sexuality, and blossoming.
Flora’s name comes from the Latin floris meaning, naturally enough, flower. She had two temples in Rome, one near the Circus Maximus and another on the slopes of Quirinale, one of the famous seven hills of Rome. The temple on the Circus Maximus was a neighbor of the temple dedicated to both the grain goddess Ceres and Liber and Libera, the God and Goddess of the vine, which seems fitting. Romans made offerings at the temple and asked Flora to prevent plant diseases from attacking crops, particularly wheat.
The ancient Romans honored Flora with a festival called the Floralia, timed to coincide with the blossoming of plants at the end of April. The Floralia celebrated the circle of life and flowering plants. The week-long party included chariot races, theatrical performances, feasting, and merry making. Brightly-colored clothes were worn, as were wreaths of flowers, especially roses. Festival goers would strew bean flowers and vetch as symbols of fertility. By protecting crops, Flora became a beloved Roman goddess, so beloved her image was engraved on Roman coins. On those coins, Flora was depicted wearing a crown of flowers, of course.