The title of the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" ("From the Mars Hotel", 1974, lyrics by Robert Hunter) is in the song: "She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls." Preparing for class discussion, I thought of the song "Barbara Allen": "In Scarlet Town, where I was born." I found a Bible verse: "O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury" (2 Samuel 1:24). In class, a student mentioned Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel "The Scarlet Letter". In flower symbolism, begonias mean "beware". From Barbara Allen's cruelty and Biblical luxury to Hester Prynne's adultery and a warning, those "scarlet begonias" apparently make this woman someone to avoid. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 12 March 2026)