The flower declared Mexico’s national flower in 1963 was the dahlia.
The designation was made by presidential decree on 13 May 1963, during the administration of Adolfo López Mateos. The decree recognized the dahlia, in the genus Dahlia, as a national symbol of Mexican floriculture, reflecting its aesthetic, ornamental and economic importance.
Dahlias are native to Mexico and belong to the daisy family, Asteraceae. Indigenous peoples cultivated and used them before the arrival of the Spanish. Their tubers were eaten in some regions, while their hollow stems and traditional medicinal uses also attracted attention. The plant’s Aztec name, acocoxóchitl, is often associated with its hollow, water-holding stems.
A common mix-up is to treat “national flower” as though it refers to one single species. The 1963 designation applied to the dahlia as a group, encompassing the genus and its cultivated varieties. Dahlias now come in many colors, sizes and flower forms, but their Mexican origin remains central to their national symbolism.