meaning of flowers

Fossil evidence shows
that roses have existed
since prehistoric times.
The first cultivated roses
appeared in Asian
gardens more than 5,000
years ago. Roses were
introduced to Europe
during the Roman
Empire, where they were
mainly used for
ornamental purposes.
Cleopatra is said to have
scattered rose petals
before Mark Anthony's
feet; Nero released roses
from the ceiling during
extravagant feasts and
banquets.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Roses, it is said, blushed
with shame as God
expelled Adam and Eve
out of the Garden of
Eden. According to
Roman legend, a number
of suitors were keen on
marrying a beautiful
woman named Rodanthe,
but she did not care for
any of them. Despite her
ambivalence, the suitors
continued to woo
Rodanthe so zealously
that they broke through
the doors of her home.
Angered by their actions
and wanting to teach the
suitors a lesson, the
goddess Diana turned
Rodanthe into a rose,
and her suitors into
thorns.
The rose is the flower
emblem of England.
According to English
superstition, if the petals
fall from a fresh-cut red
rose, bad luck will soon
follow. The red rose is
the badge of the House
of Lancaster and the
flower of Eros and Cupid.
In Wales, the white rose
represents innocence
and silence, and is thus
placed on the grave of a
young child. To Native
Americans, the white
rose symbolizes security
and happiness, and is
often worn during
wedding ceremonies. The
white rose is the badge
of the House of York and
the flower of the Virgin
Mary.
Color Messages
Exquisite and radiant,
the rose is the principal
messenger of love. A
single rose denotes
perpetual love; two roses
of any color taped or
wired together signify a
commitment or
forthcoming marriage.
Single Color Meanings
Red roses of any hue say
"I love you"; deep red
roses imply unconscious
beauty.
White roses signify
spiritual love and purity;
bridal white means
happy love.
Today, yellow roses
signify joy and gladness;
historically, they meant
a decrease of love and
infidelity.
Coral roses imply desire;
orange say "I am
fascinated and
enthusiastic."
Lavender roses mean
love at first sight
Light pink roses imply
grace, gentility and
admiration; dark pink
roses say "thank you."
In general, pale-colored
roses signify friendship.
Combined Color
Meanings:
Red and yellow roses
mixed together say
"Congratulations!"
Yellow and orange roses
together imply
passionate thoughts.
Red and white roses
signify unity.
Alstroemeria
Origin & History
Alstroemeria is named
after the Swedish
botanist Baron Klas von
Alstroemeria. This South
American flower's seeds
were among many
collected by von
Alstroemeria on a trip to
Spain in 1753.
Asters
Origin & History
The English called asters
both "asters" and
"starworts". Aster, Latin
for "star," referred to
the flower's star-like
shape, while wort meant
"root," which then
applied to plants with
healing properties. There
are over 600 species of
aster, the most popular
being the Monte Casino.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Asters are the birth
flower for September,
and the herb of the
goddess Venus. Ancient
people believed that the
odor of the leaves of the
aster, when burnt, drove
away serpents. Asters
were laid on the graves
of French soldiers to
symbolize afterthought
and the wish that things
had turned out
differently. One myth
tells that asters were
created from stardust
when Virgo looked down
from the heavens and
wept. The poet Virgil
holds that the altars of
the gods were often
adorned with asters.
Color Messages
Asters convey an
afterthought or variety,
except in China, where
they signify fidelity.
Bird of Paradise
Origin & History
Botanists are divided on
how this remarkable
flower got its name.
Some maintain that the
flower's brilliant orange
and blue blossom, which
resembles a bird in
flight, is named after the
bird of paradise itself —
one of the most beautiful
bird species in the world.
However, since this
flower is also known as
the strelitzia, some
believe that it was
named after England's
Queen Charlotte, who
was born Charlotte
Mecklenber-Strelitz.
Carnations
"Carnations and my
first love!
And he was
seventeen,
And I was only
twelve years —
a stately gulf
between."
- Margaret
Widdemer,
Carnations
Origin & History
The carnation —
originally called dianthus
by the Greek botanist
Theopharastus — is
native to the Near East
and has been cultivated
for the last 2,000 years.
Some scholars believe
that the name
"carnation" comes from
"coronation" or
"corone" (flower
garlands), as it was one
of the flowers used in
Greek ceremonial
crowns. Others think the
name stems from the
Greek carnis (flesh),
which refers to the
original color of the
flower, or incarnacyon
(incarnation), which
refers to the incarnation
of God made flesh.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Carnations were known
as "Jove's Flower" in
ancient Rome as a
tribute to one of their
beloved gods. In Korea, a
young girl places three
carnations in her hair to
tell her fortune. If the
top flower dies first, her
last years of life will be
difficult; if it's the middle
flower, her earlier years
will bring the most grief.
Worst of all, if the
bottom flower dies first,
the poor girl will be
miserable her whole life!
Color Messages
For the most part,
carnations express love,
fascination, and
distinction. Light red
carnations represent
admiration, while dark
red denote deep love
and affection. White
carnations indicate pure
love and good luck;
striped symbolize a
regret that a love cannot
be shared. Green
carnations are for St.
Patrick's Day; purple
carnations indicate
capriciousness.
Pink carnations have the
most symbolic and
historical significance.
According to Christian
legend, carnations first
appeared on Earth as
Jesus carried the Cross.
The Virgin Mary shed
tears at Jesus' plight, and
carnations sprang up
from where her tears
fell. Thus he pink
carnation became the
symbol of a mother's
undying love, and in 1907
was chosen by Ann Jarvis
as the emblem of
Mother's Day, now
observed in the United
States and Canada on
the second Sunday in
May.
Origin & History
The carnation —
originally called dianthus
by the Greek botanist
Theopharastus — is
native to the Near East
and has been cultivated
for the last 2,000 years.
Some scholars believe
that the name
"carnation" comes from
"coronation" or
"corone" (flower
garlands), as it was one
of the flowers used in
Greek ceremonial
crowns. Others think the
name stems from the
Greek carnis (flesh),
which refers to the
original color of the
flower, or incarnacyon
(incarnation), which
refers to the incarnation
of God made flesh.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Carnations were known
as "Jove's Flower" in
ancient Rome as a
tribute to one of their
beloved gods. In Korea, a
young girl places three
carnations in her hair to
tell her fortune. If the
top flower dies first, her
last years of life will be
difficult; if it's the middle
flower, her earlier years
will bring the most grief.
Worst of all, if the
bottom flower dies first,
the poor girl will be
miserable her whole life!
Color Messages
For the most part,
carnations express love,
fascination, and
distinction. Light red
carnations represent
admiration, while dark
red denote deep love
and affection. White
carnations indicate pure
love and good luck;
striped symbolize a
regret that a love cannot
be shared. Green
carnations are for St.
Patrick's Day; purple
carnations indicate
capriciousness.
Pink carnations have the
most symbolic and
historical significance.
According to Christian
legend, carnations first
appeared on Earth as
Jesus carried the Cross.
The Virgin Mary shed
tears at Jesus' plight, and
carnations sprang up
from where her tears
fell. Thus he pink
carnation became the
symbol of a mother's
undying love, and in 1907
was chosen by Ann Jarvis
as the emblem of
Mother's Day, now
observed in the United
States and Canada on
the second Sunday in
May.
Chrysanthemums
Origin & History
Commonly called
"mums" or "tansies," this
popular perennial's name
comes from the Greek
chrysos (gold) and anthos
(flower). The Chusan
daisy became the
"pompom
chrysanthemum" — so
called because in France,
where it was first grown,
it looked like the
pompons on sailors' hats.
Chrysanthemums had
been cultivated in
Chinese gardens for
more than 2,500 years
before first being
exhibited in England in
1795. Brought by visiting
Buddhist monks, the
chrysanthemum arrived
in Japan in AD 400.
Sentiment & Symbolism
The chrysanthemum has
been the focus of
Oriental adulation for
centuries.
In China, the
chrysanthemum's
association with autumn
stems from its tendency
to bloom in the fall.
Consequently, the
ancient Chinese chose
the Chrysanthemum
("chu hua") as their
Flower for October, a
symbol of the rest and
ease that followed the
season's final harvest.
Mums were considered
one of the four Chinese
"noble plants" (the
others being bamboo,
the plum, and the orchid)
, and were the official
badge of the Old Chinese
Army. Since
chrysanthemums were
considered the flower of
the Chinese noble class,
they were prohibited in a
lower-class person's
garden. The Chinese
believe that a
chrysanthemum given to
one's beloved, after its
being used to wipe one's
mouth after drinking
wine, will ensure undying
love and fidelity.
Called "kikus" in
Japanese,
chrysanthemums were
featured on the Imperial
Crest of Japan, and were
so beloved by Japanese
emperors that they sat
upon chrysanthemum
thrones. The Japanese
still hold the
chrysanthemum as a
symbol of the sun, and
they consider the orderly
unfolding of the mum's
petals to be a symbol of
perfection. They also
presume that a single
chrysanthemum petal
placed in the bottom of a
wine glass encourages a
long and healthy life.
Color Messages
While chrysanthemums
generally denote
cheerfulness and rest,
individual colors do carry
specific messages: red
for love, good luck and
best wishes; white for
truth; and yellow for
slighted love.
Chrysanthemums will be
welcomed throughout
the British Isles and
North America for any
occasion. In Italy,
however, their exclusive
association with the
dead makes
chrysanthemums
acceptable only for
funerals.
Daisy
"The rose has but a
summer reign,
The daisy never
dies"
- James
Montgomery, The
Daisy
Origin & History
The daisy derived its
English name from the
Anglo-Saxon term daes
eage, or "day's eye,"
referring to the way this
flower opens and closes
with the sun.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Primarily known as the
symbol of childhood
innocence, this charming
wildflower is said to
originate from a Dryad
who presided over
forests, meadows, and
pastures. According to
Roman mythological
legend, the nymph
Belides, as she danced
with the other nymphs at
the edge of the forest,
caught the eye of
Vertumnus, the god of
the orchards. To escape
his unwanted attention,
she transformed herself
into the flower bellis,
which is the daisy's
botanical name.
Similar in appearance to
some chrysanthemums,
daisies continue to be
associated with
simplicity and modesty
— two characteristics
carried over from
Victorian times. A well-
known practice
originated with
heartbroken Victorian
maids who wished to be
loved once again by their
suitors. A maid would
pluck a daisy's petals one
by one, chanting, "He
loves me, he loves me
not," for each petal
pulled. Of course, it was
the last petal that
predicted the situation's
outcome.
A young maiden would
also pick a handful of
daisies with her eyes
closed. The number of
blossoms she held in her
hand told of the number
of years that remained
until she married.
While its modest
simplicity made the daisy
a favorite flower of many
poets, its healing and
predictive powers made
it popular not only with
farmers, but also with an
infamous English king.
Spring, medieval farmers
would say, would not
arrive until one could set
a foot on twelve daisies;
to dream of daisies in
springtime or summer
was a lucky omen, but
dreams of them in fall or
winter meant certain
doom. Transplanting wild
daisies to a cultivated
garden was considered
to be very unlucky. King
Henry VIII ate dishes of
daisies to relieve himself
from his stomach-ulcer
pain; during this time it
was also believed that
drinking crushed daisies
steeped in wine, in small
doses over 15 days,
would cure insanity.
Color Messages
Generally speaking,
daisies indicate
innocence, purity, and
gentleness on behalf of
both the giver and the
receiver. Daisies say,
"You have as many
virtues as this plant has
petals," or, "I will
consider your request." A
white daisy represents
shared feelings of
affection, while a red
daisy tells of beauty
unknown to the
possessor.
Origin & History
The daisy derived its
English name from the
Anglo-Saxon term daes
eage, or "day's eye,"
referring to the way this
flower opens and closes
with the sun.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Primarily known as the
symbol of childhood
innocence, this charming
wildflower is said to
originate from a Dryad
who presided over
forests, meadows, and
pastures. According to
Roman mythological
legend, the nymph
Belides, as she danced
with the other nymphs at
the edge of the forest,
caught the eye of
Vertumnus, the god of
the orchards. To escape
his unwanted attention,
she transformed herself
into the flower bellis,
which is the daisy's
botanical name.
Similar in appearance to
some chysanthemums,
daisies continue to be
associated with
simplicity and modesty
— two characteristics
carried over from
Victorian times. A well-
known practice
originated with
heartbroken Victorian
maids who wished to be
loved once again by their
suitors. A maid would
pluck a daisy's petals one
by one, chanting, "He
loves me, he loves me
not," for each petal
pulled. Of course, it was
the last petal that
predicted the situation's
outcome.
A young maiden would
also pick a handful of
daisies with her eyes
closed. The number of
blossoms she held in her
hand told of the number
of years that remained
until she married.
While its modest
simplicity made the daisy
a favorite flower of many
poets, its healing and
predictive powers made
it popular not only with
farmers, but also with an
infamous English king.
Spring, medieval farmers
would say, would not
arrive until one could set
a foot on twelve daisies;
to dream of daisies in
springtime or summer
was a lucky omen, but
dreams of them in fall or
winter meant certain
doom. Transplanting wild
daisies to a cultivated
garden was considered
to be very unlucky. King
Henry VIII ate dishes of
daisies to relieve himself
from his stomach-ulcer
pain; during this time it
was also believed that
drinking crushed daisies
steeped in wine, in small
doses over 15 days,
would cure insanity.
Color Messages
Generally speaking,
daisies indicate
innocence, purity, and
gentleness on behalf of
both the giver and the
receiver. Daisies say,
"You have as many
virtues as this plant has
petals," or, "I will
consider your request." A
white daisy represents
shared feelings of
affection, while a red
daisy tells of beauty
unknown to the
possessor.
Gladiolus
Origin & History
The name "gladiolus" is
derived from the Latin
word gladius, meaning
"sword," for the shape of
its leaves. An ancient
name for the gladiolus
was "xiphium," from the
Greek word xiphos, also
meaning sword. African
gladioli were imported in
large quantities to
Europe from South Africa
during the 18th century.
Sentiment & Symbolism
The gladiolus flower is
the birth flower for
August; it also
represented the Roman
gladiators. Before the
African gladioli became
popular in the West, the
Mediterranean and
British gladiolus flowers
were used to treat
physical ailments. The
English used the
gladiolus flower's stem
base (corms) as a
poultice and for drawing
out thorns and splinters;
powdered corms mixed
with goat's milk was
commonly used to soothe
the symptoms of colic.
Color Messages
The gladiolus flower
signifies remembrance. It
also expresses
infatuation, telling the
receiver that he or she
"pierces the heart."
Lily
"Consider the lilies
of the field,
how they grow;
they toil not,
neither do they
spin."
Book of Matthew,
VI, 28
Origin & History
The lily's name has pre-
classical origins; indeed
it was the Greek name
leirion and the Roman
name lilium from which
the name "lily" was
derived.
Sentiment & Symbolism
In Christian symbolism
the lily represents purity,
chastity, and innocence.
White lily bouquets are
especially popular in
Christian homes during
the Easter holiday, for
they symbolize Christ's
resurrection.
Legend tells that the lily
sprang from Eve's tears,
when upon being
expelled from Eden she
learned she was
pregnant. Other folklore
tells of lilies, unplanted
by any human hand
spontaneously appearing
on the graves of people
executed for crimes they
did not commit. Some
believe that planting
lilies in a garden will
protect the garden from
ghosts and evil spirits.
In China, the day lily is
the emblem for
motherhood. To dream
of lilies in spring foretells
marriage, happiness and
prosperity; to dream of
them in winter indicates
frustration of hopes, and
the premature death of
a loved one. The Romans
were said to cure corns
with the juice from lily
bulbs. In ancient Greek
and Roman marriage
ceremonies, lilies,
symbols of purity and
innocence, along with
wheat, the symbol of
fertility, were placed on
the bride's crown. Long
ago, Spaniards believed
that eating a lily's petals
would restore someone
who had been
transformed into a beast
back into human form. In
medieval times, lilies
symbolized feminine
sexuality.
Color Messages
On the whole, lilies imply
purity of the heart.
While lilies come in a
variety of colors, most
people readily associate
lilies with white,
meaning innocence and
sweetness. The white
Madonna lily is
considered the special
flower of the Holy Virgin,
for Christian lore tells
that the lily had been
yellow until the day the
Virgin Mary stooped to
pick it. Yellow lilies
express gratitude and
gaiety.
Lily of the Valley
Sentiment & Symbolism
The lily of the valley
signifies the return of
happiness. Legend tells
of the affection of a lily
of the valley for a
nightingale that did not
come back to the woods
until the flower bloomed
in May.
Orchid
Origin & History
The orchid's name
originates from the
Greek orchis, meaning
"testicle," and its history
is one of lust, greed, and
wealth. Some orchids are
called "ladies' fingers,"
"ladies' tresses," or
"long purples." Orchids
were collected
extensively during the
1800s; once, four
thousand trees were cut
down for the orchids
growing on their
branches. One collector
alone was believed to
have sent hundreds of
thousands of orchids to
England, where most of
them died.
Sentiment & Symbolism
There are nearly 25,000
varieties of orchids.
Greek women thought
they could control the
sex of their unborn
children with orchid
roots. If the father ate
large, new tubers, the
child would be male; if
the mother ate small
tubers, the child would
be female. Indeed, the
orchid's reproductive
behavior has intrigued
botanists for years: to
germinate, an orchid's
seeds need to be
penetrated by fungus
threads. The
paphiopedilum orchid
was named for Phaphos,
a temple on Cyprus
where the love goddess
Aphrodite was
worshipped (and where
prostitutes were said to
be readily available.) The
most famous orchid, the
vanilla orchid, was said
to give strength to the
Aztecs, who drank vanilla
mixed with chocolate.
Color Messages
The orchid is a flower of
magnificence that brings
a universal message of
love, beauty, wisdom,
and thoughtfulness. In
China it signifies
refinement, and the
innocence of children. A
pink orchid conveys pure
affection; the popular
cattalya orchid denotes
mature charm, and is
often used in corsages
for Mother's Day.
Poinsettia
Origin & History
Originating from tropical
Mexico, the poinsettia
was named for Dr. Joel
Roberts-Poinsett, the US
Ambassador to Mexico,
who brought the first
poinsettia flower to the
United States in 1928.
Sentiment & Symbolism
The poinsettia's rich
scarlet color comes from
its bracts (the leaf-like
sections which grow
before the flower) rather
than the actual flowers
themselves. In Mexico
(where poinsettias are
known to grow as high as
sixteen feet) it is known
as the Flor de Noch
Buena, the "Flower of
the Holy Night." Its
bracts are said to
resemble the flower of
Bethlehem; therefore, it
is used to decorate
churches at
Christmastime. To make
a poinsettia bloom again
the following Christmas,
one must cover it every
evening so it gets little
light. The poinsettia is a
member of the euphobia,
or spurge family. The
name "spurge"
originates from the Old
French espurge; it was
one of the powerful
purgatives used in
medieval times to rid the
body of black bile and
melancholy.
Color Messages
Popular worldwide as
"the Christmas flower",
white, pink and red
poinsettias bring wishes
of mirth and celebration.
Tulip
Origin & History
The tulip is a wildflower
said to originate from
Persia. In the 1500s,
tulips were extensively
cultivated in Turkey, and
because of their
resemblance to the
"tulbend" — a turban
worn by Turkish men —
were called tulipan.
In 1562, tulip bulbs from
Constantinople reached
Antwerp by ship. Before
the turn of the century,
tulips had been such a
rarity that only the
wealthy in Holland could
afford them;
consequently, tulips
became a status symbol
for the rich. However, by
the 1620s, buying and
selling tulips became an
activity for merchants,
and "tulip madness"
ensued. Tulip trading
crashed in 1637, throwing
Holland into financial
ruin. After the Dutch
government enforced
strict laws for cultivating
and selling bulbs, the
tulip became the
national emblem of
Holland.
Sentiment & Symbolism
Oriental legend recounts
that a Persian youth,
named Ferhad, fell in
love with a maiden
named Shirin. When
Shirin did not accept
Ferhad's feelings for her,
he went out into the
desert to die from his
broken heart. As he
pined, each tear that fell
into the sand turned into
a beautiful tulip.
Among the Persian
people, the tulip is an
offering a young man
makes to his beloved. By
offering her a tulip, he
says, "as the redness of
this flower, I am on fire
with love." Shortly after
World War II, the Dutch
shipped hundreds of
thousands of tulip bulbs
to Ottawa, the capital
city of Canada. This
symbolic gesture showed
their thanks, not only to
Canadian soldiers for
freeing Holland from
German occupation, but
also for the Canadian
government's welcoming
Queen Maria to reside in
Ottawa while the war
raged on. This
remarkable gesture
continues to this day.
Color Messages
For the most part, tulips
are a declaration of love;
a gift from a "perfect
lover." Variegated tulips
are for "beautiful eyes".
Red tulips indicate an
irresistible love, while
yellow tulips denote a
hopeless love with no
chance of reconciliation.
Violet
"Such a starved
bank of moss Till,
that May-morn,
Blue ran the flash
across;
Violets were born!"
- Robert Browning,
The Two Poets of
Croisic
Origin & History
Napoleon was a devout
fan of the violet: when
he married Josephine,
she wore violets, and on
every wedding
anniversary he sent her a
violet bouquet. In 1814,
before leaving for his
exile in St. Helena,
Napoleon asked to visit
Josephine's tomb. There
he picked the violets
that were found in a
locket around his neck
when he died. The
French Bonapartists thus
chose the violet as their
emblem, and Napoleon
was nicknamed
"Corporal Violet."
Sentiment & Symbolism
Greek legend tells of a
nymph named Io, who
was beloved by Zeus. To
hide her from Hera, his
wife, Zeus changed Io
into a white cow. When
Io wept over the taste
and texture of the
coarse grass, Zeus
changed her tears into
dainty, sweet-smelling
violets only she was
permitted to eat. Roman
myth tells a different
story, one of lovely maids
of antiquity who became
the victims of Venus'
wrath when Cupid
judged them more
beautiful than her. In her
jealous fury, Venus beat
the maidens until they
became blue, and thus
turned into violets.
To dream of violets is a
promise of advancement
in life. It is said that a
garland of violets worn
about the head prevents
dizziness. They are
considered a good luck
gift to any woman in any
season, but where violets
bloom in autumn,
epidemics will follow
within the year.
Color Messages
Violets are a symbol of
faithfulness. Blue violets
say "I'll always be true"
and signify constancy;
white violets depict
modesty, or the desire to
"take a chance on
happiness"; and yellow
violets convey modest
worth.