Flower of Life (fiction) - Robotech

In the storyline of Harmony Gold's Robotech, the Flower of Life is a plant species originating from the planet Optera, where it was used primarily as a food staple for the native Invid species. It was later stolen by the elders of the planet Tirol, when a young scientist named Zor learned that inhibiting the blossoming of the flower resulted in a sustained release of energy on an unmatched scale. The Tiroleans went on to become the Robotech Masters, using the energy of the flower -- protoculture -- to power a vast war machine. In an act of shortsighted callousness, the Masters remove all Flowers of Life from Optera and left the Invid to starve, setting in motion a series of events that lead to galactic war when the Invid prove willing and able to pursue those who have wronged them.

The Flower of Life appears in the middle act of Robotech (the Masters saga) and features prominently in later episodes, serving in effect as the thread that ties Robotech together. It is a semi-sentient flower that always grows as a triumvirate, reflecting the mysterious relationship between protoculture and the number three. The final battle of the Second Robotech War sees the defeat of the Robotech Masters but also unleashes the spores of the Flower of Life across the surface of Earth, where for the first time since Optera, the Flower takes root and begins to grow. This sudden, unexpected outcome makes inevitable the invasion of Earth by the Invid, which in turn triggers the Third Robotech War.