Lapageria rosea - Copihue

The Copihue (Lapageria rosea), also known as the Chilean Bellflower and Chilean Glory Flower, is the national flower of Chile. It grows in forests in the southern part of Chile, being part of the Valdivian flora. It is the only species in the genus Lapageria, and is an evergreen climbing plant reaching up to 10 m high among shrubs and trees. The flowers are red, with six tepals; the fruit is an edible berry with numerous small seeds. In the wild the plant is pollinated by hummingbirds.

There are several legends in Chile relating to the origin of the Copihue. One tells of how, after a great battle of the mapuche people, some survivors climbed trees to see the outcome of the battle. Seeing that all their friends were dead, they wept, and their tears became flowers of blood, to honor the souls of their dead friends.

Another legend tells of two leaders of the Mapuche people: Hues, the daughter of Copiñiel, the leader of all the mapuches; and Copih, the chieftain of the pehuenche tribe. The two young people secretly fell in love. One day, Copiñiel found them exchanging vows on the banks of the Nahuel lake, and, in a fit of rage, ordered them both stabbed through the heart by spears. His guards obeyed, and the two lovers were killed, fell into the lake, and disappeared in the water.

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