Do you know what certain flowers symbolise? Flowers have meanings and symbolism from love, hope, loss, rejection and good luck.
Whether you are choosing flowers for a wedding bouquet, a friend or a partner, or simply looking to plant flowers in your garden, discover the secret language of flowers!
The historical significance of flower meanings
Flowers have their own symbolic language which has been recognised for centuries throughout Europe and Asia. The language of flowers is commonly affiliated to the Victorian era during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837 - 1901). Flowers were gifted to express feelings which under strict etiquette and the custom of the times would not approve to be expressed openly.
Mythologies, folklore, sonnets, and plays of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Chinese are filled with flower and plant symbolism. Flowers also play a large role in William Shakespeare’s works. Almost every sentiment under the sun can be communicated with flowers.
If you want to send a message of love, then send them red roses or red tulips. If you want to show devotion and remembrance, then send carnations. Whatever you want to say, you can say it with flowers. Here are 14 flowers and their meanings for next time you're sending a Waitrose flower delivery.
Lily flower meaning
Different coloured lilies have different significance. White ones signify purity, pink ones signify prosperity, red ones signify passion, orange ones signify pride, and yellow ones signify gratitude.
Lilies are frequently used for weddings, particularly in the bride's bouquet. Calla lilies can also represent resurrection, which makes them also commonly used in funeral floral arrangements.
Lotus flower meaning
The symbolism of lotus flowers means rebirth, self-regeneration, purity, and enlightenment.
Lotus flowers return into the ground at night and re-bloom in the morning, hence symbolising rebirth.
They are the national Flower of Vietnam and India and hold a lot of significance in the eastern regions. A pink Lotus shows a devotion to Buddha while purple represents spirituality. Green is the colour of rebirth, white represents purity and blue signifies wisdom, logic and enlightenment.
If you’re gifting a lotus or lotus statue, give some thought to what the colour represents because it will make the gift all the more meaningful.
Iris flower meaning
Iris symbolizes eloquence. Purple iris is symbolic of wisdom and compliments.
The Blue iris symbolizes faith and hope. Yellow iris symbolizes passion while white iris symbolizes purity.
Carnation flower meaning
Different variations of carnation flowers have a very different meaning.
White carnations mean innocence and pure love. Pink means “I will never forget you”. Whereas yellow carnations mean rejection and disappointment, red means you are heartbroken and two-toned means refusal. These flowers are quite cryptic indeed.
As carnations represent devotion and remembrance, they are often gifted and decorated at funerals.
Magnolia flower meaning
These spring flowers represent a “love for nature,” dignity and nobility.
In ancient China, magnolias were thought to be the perfect symbols of womanly beauty and gentleness. White magnolias are often seen in bridal bouquets because they are thought to reflect and highlight the bride's purity.
Red roses meaning
A red rose represents feelings of love. They are one of the flowers most associated with love.
There are over 120 variations of roses. They are timeless and classic flowers that are the perfect flower for Valentine's Day, representing love and desire.
Daisy flower meaning
Daisies are very popular wildflowers. They represent purity, loyal love, innocence, and new beginnings.
They make great housewarming gifts or get well soon presents.
Sunflower meaning
Apparently, when Spanish explorers reached the American continent, they believed sunflowers were made of real gold. That's where the sunflower got its symbolism of "false riches."
Sunflowers are gifted as a third-anniversary flower as they also represent adoration and pure thoughts. Their sunny appearance makes them a fantastic gift to brighten up a new home or cheer up a friend. However, a tall sunflower has a negative connotation, haughtiness.
Red tulip meaning
A red tulip represents passion and a declaration of love. Red roses aren’t the only romantic bloom out there.
You can show your love by giving red tulips, so you do not need to splurge on a bouquet of roses to show how much you care.
White tulip meaning
If you are looking for forgiveness, white tulips are the best choice. These flowers are used to show worthiness and to seek forgiveness, making them the perfect choice if you want to give someone an apology.
Edelweiss flower meaning
This flower means courage and devotion due to their perseverance to grow in Alpine conditions.
You may have heard of the flower from the Sound of Music, so you can not only give these flowers to fans of the musical but to someone that has been through hardships and is persevering.
Lavender flower meaning
Lavender flowers symbolise purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness. Purple is the colour of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement and luxury.
Not only does a bouquet of lavender send a message of devotion. It also has calming aromatherapy properties and is often associated with helping you to sleep. A bouquet of lavender may make a wonderful gift for a student, or someone that is stressed and needs some relaxation.
Daffodil flower meaning
These bright yellow flowers symbolise "new beginnings." The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and is a symbol of St. David’s Day.
Send daffodils to someone celebrating a new job, a new home, a new member of the family or for any big changes in their life.
Peony flower meaning
In the Victorian era, peony flowers represented anger. However, in modern times, peonies are linked to romance, marriage, prosperity, good fortune and even bashfulness.
Whether you are looking to gift flowers to someone who’s getting married, graduating or recently gave birth it would be appropriate to send a bouquet of peonies.
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