The lotus is the national flower of India, not a place that immediately springs to mind when thinking about corporate flowers; however, it is certainly a country that evokes a strong sense of spiritualism, as does the majestic lotus.
Being a native of Southern Asia, it is not too far fetched to believe that Buddhists consider this flower to symbolize spiritual enlightenment.
One of the reasons for this may be that the perfect flowers grow in shallow, muddy lakes but arise out of the filth and mud to bloom into a delicate flower of purity.
The lotus is commonly mistaken for a water lily and although it is an aquatic perennial, the plant is not a lily.
The leaves and flowers of the lotus plant grow above the water, whereas the water lily floats serenely on the surface.
The size of the lotus leaves can also be much bigger than those of the water lily.
The lotus may look good in a garden, but they look fantastic in flower arrangements.
Of particular interest in a corporate environment is not necessarily the short lasting flower (which endures only for a day or two) but the very long lasting and hardy lotus seed pod.
The pod provides a fabulous structural piece for corporate flowers, adding texture and interest to an office or reception arrangement.
Most arrangements that include lotus seed pods are often supplemented by a large number of blooms and foliage, but in fact these pods look very striking when arranged in a tall vase with little additional foliage.
This is when their sculptural features are very much highlighted, thus suiting a corporate environment extremely well.
The conservative environment of the corporate world is certainly at odds with the legends and stories around the spiritual lotus.
In the Greek legend of Odyssey, Odysseus tells of how his ship blew off course and ended up in a group of isles where he and his men found a tribe of people eating the lotus.
These people seemed very calm and serene.
Some of his men were given some lotus to eat and as a result the men had no care or desire to return to the vessel or to their homes - it seems the lotus is a narcotic that takes possession of those who eat it.
This also explains the term "lotus eaters" which have come to mean people who indulge and luxuriate and have little will for much else.
This culinary information is very contrary to the current day where almost all parts of the lotus are eaten, particularly in Asian cooking.
The fact that lotus leaves are considered to be 'calming' may in some way explain the reaction of the mythical explorers above.
No matter what the storytelling and history of the plant, the lotus pod is well suited to corporate flowers and provides a long lasting and different inclusion to any office vase.