What is the flower for Juneteenth?

As I set out to learn as many of the Juneteenth traditions as I can the question came to me about a flower: Is there a flower that is associated with the Juneteenth celebration? The answer is yes, the flower used to commemorate the Juneteenth celebration is the Poppy for its power of joy, comfort, and healing.

Red poppy flowers are said to represent consolidation, remembrance, and death. My own interpretation of these attributes, as they relate to the Juneteenth celebration, is the Consolidation of the American African family because, during the days of slavery, it was impossible for a slave to keep their family together. As a result, slave family members could be sold off, auctioned off, or transferred to other members of the slaveholder family. June 19th, 1865, meant that even though it would have been virtually impossible, the newly freed slaves in the state of Texas, for the first time, could consider consolidating their families, separated by slavery, back together. For the first time ever, in 1865, a black man could be considered the head of his household, with a qualifying child or dependent.

Quotes, Juneteenth
by GK Designs

The Remembrance part of Poppy's power simply means not ever forgetting what our enslaved ancestors lived through and taking time, like the Juneteenth celebration, to remember their struggles to enjoy the freedoms almost none of the ex-slaves would live long enough to see. Where Death is concerned, to me, it's honoring the ancestors who chose death rather than enslavement. I honor all of the dead, enslaved African souls, who refused to live in bondage and whose souls have long since made the return trip to the motherland they still remembered, where they could be free.

Dinosaurs
by GK Designs

Even though the poppy flower is a versatile symbol that represents everything from peace to death the flower's representation of the Juneteenth celebration holds the most meaning for me.