Valentine's Day celebrates the heart in all its forms—love that is bold or tender, hopeful or quietly vulnerable. Few symbols capture this emotion as naturally as the bleeding heart flower, pictured here. With its unmistakable heart-shaped blooms, the plant emerges each spring, growing up to 2 feet tall and spreading nearly 30 inches wide, creating a graceful, almost poetic display.
It is widely believed that Valentine's Day has pagan roots, specifically in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which celebrated fertility and the onset of spring.
