Long before 花 existed, scribes wrote its ancestor 華 as a tree caught mid-bloom: a trunk with branches lifting upward and clusters of blossoms hanging from the very top. Centuries later the picture was rebuilt from two simpler pieces — the grass sign 艹 planted on top, and 化 ("to change") lending its sound below — as though a flower is simply what a growing, green thing becomes.
A piece of culture
A civilization named after its blossoms 花's traditional root 华 blooms inside 华夏 (Huáxià), one of the oldest names Chinese civilization gave itself — often explained as pairing splendor (华, the flowering magnificence of fine dress and ceremony) with grandeur (夏, "great"). The name is still alive today: Chinese people around the world call themselves 华人 (huárén, "Chinese person"), and 中华 (Zhōnghuá) sits at the heart of the country's full name, 中华人民共和国 — that blossoming 华 quietly at its center.