The Meaning of Flowers: What Does That Bouquet Say?
We use flowers to say so many things, from "I love you" to "I'm sorry" and everything in between. Humans have been using flowers to express and punctuate feelings since the dawn of time and so over the eons certain flowers have come to symbolize certain things. The meanings of flowers can vary based on culture, context, and occasion but here are some popular blooms and their most commonly associated messages.Roses
The Romans and Greeks both associated roses with goddesses of love (Aphrodite and Venus) and although roses today are most often used to express romance and passion they can have other meanings as well.
Red -- Love, Passion
Yellow -- Friendship, Jealousy
White -- Humility, Innocence, Purity
Pink -- Gratitude, Admiration, Happiness
Dark Crimson -- Mourning
Lilies
Most commonly seen in white and popular for both weddings and funerals, lilies symbolize purity and are often associated with angels, godliness, and the heavens.
White -- Chastity and virtue, Sympathy
Tiger, Stargazer -- Wealth and prosperity
Carnations
Over the last 2,000 years carnations have been revered for their full and ruffled blooms and are a light shade of pink in their most natural state. And although they've been considered a "cheap" flower in recent years (due to their hardy and versatile nature) carnations have a rich history and are beginning to make a glamorous comeback.
Pink -- Motherly love, remembrance
White -- Pure love, Good luck
Light Red -- Admiration
Deep Red -- Deep love
Tulips
Originating in Persia and Turkey, Tulips have a naturally youthful and happy nature and are one of the few flowers that can rival roses as a powerful declaration of love.
Red -- Perfect love
Yellow -- Happiness, Cheerful thoughts, Sunshine
White -- Forgiveness
Orchids
A longtime symbol of refinement, luxury, and delicate beauty, orchids exude exotic charm and grace and are among the most coveted of ornamental blooms.
Pink -- Delicate beauty, pure love/affection, luxury, refinement, splendor
Cattelya -- Mature charm
Flowers can symbolize many things and often mean different things to different people depending on their tastes, backgrounds, and culture. When giving flowers the recipient's personality should always be considered, i.e. I always prefer yellow roses over red and don't care that they're supposed to mean friendship or jealousy -- I just think yellow is more beautiful and unique. Symbolism has its place but sometimes the real value of a flower lies simply in enjoying its natural beauty.
Clearly there are too many flowers in the world for us to list them all here but did I miss any you were curious about?
