Flower Meanings
Over time many flowers have come to have some special meanings associated with them.
Learn about the colour Meaning of Flowers
Acacia |
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Secret Love, Beauty in Retirement, Chaste Love |
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Alstroemeria |
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Named after Swedish botanist Baron Klas von Alstroemer. He collected seeds on a trip to Spain in 1753, among which were seeds of this South American flower. |
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Amaryllis |
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Pride, Timidity, Splendid Beauty |
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Anemone |
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Or windflower, as it was believed wind made the blossoms open. Another legend says it grew for the gods on Mount Olympus, where prevailing winds blew. |
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Anthurium |
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From a Greek word meaning
flower tail (anthus meaning flower, oura meaning tail). Also known as
the painted tongue and sometime in jest referred to as the "little boy
flower" (we'll let you figure this one out for yourself). |
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Aster |
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In Greek it means star, for its star-like blossoms. Legend says that it was created from stardust when Virgo looked down from the heavens and wept. |
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Baby's Breath |
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Appropriately named for its small, softly-scented blossoms and it's scent. The botanical name, gypsophila, means love chalk, referring to its preference for chalky soil. |
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Bachelor Button |
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Celibacy |
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Bells of Ireland |
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Good Luck |
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Bittersweet |
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Truth |
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Bluebell |
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Humility, Constancy |
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Birch Leaves |
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Given to a man by a woman as a show of encouragement. |
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Bird-Of-Paradise |
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Strelitzia as it is also called, is named after actual
birds-of-paradise, which are the most beautiful birds in the world, with
brightly coloured plumage and fan like tails. |
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Carnation |
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From an old Italian word meaning complexion. The earliest carnations bore flesh-coloured flowers, which gave rise to the name. |
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Carnation - White |
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Pure and ardent love. Good luck to give to a woman. |
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Calla Lily |
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Beauty |
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Camellia |
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Admiration, Perfection, Good Luck Gift to a Man |
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Candytuft |
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Indifference |
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Chrysanthemum |
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From
a Greek word meaning gold flower. In the language of flowers, red
shades speak of love, white of truth, and yellow of slighted love. Also
cheerfulness and optimism. |
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Crocus |
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Cheerfulness, Abuse Not |
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Daffodil |
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Ornarcissus.
In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection. He
was turned into a flower, to nod into the water at his reflection
forever. Also means "The sun is always shining when I'm with you, regard." |
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Daisy |
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From
the Old English phrase day's eye – many open in the morning, revealing
the centre disc and close again each night. The disc is made up of
hundreds of tiny flowers. |
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Dandelion |
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Faithfulness, Happiness |
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Delphinium |
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The
name is derived from the Greek word for dolphin because of the fancied
resemblance of the flower spurs (or partly opened buds) to a dolphin's
head. |
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Dendrobium Orchid |
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Dendron
means tree. These orchids grow on trees and areepiphytes, which means
they depend on the tree for structural support but not nutrition. |
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Forget-me-not |
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Faithful love and undying memory, good luck to give to a woman. |
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Freesia |
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Named after German botanist Friedrich H. T. Freese. He was a pupil of Dr. Christian P. Ecklon who named this genus for Freese. |
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Gardenia |
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"I love you in secret". Good luck to give to a man. |
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Gerbera Daisy |
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Named
after Truagott Gerber, a German botanist and naturalist who traveled
extensively in Russia and wrote an important monograph on Russian
specimens. Also known as gladiator, because of its sword-shaped leaves,
derived from a Latin word meaning little sword. Referred to in history
as the sword lily. |
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Gladiolus |
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Love at First Sight |
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Heather |
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Wishes Will Come True, Admiration |
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Holly |
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Defense, Domestic Happiness, Foresight |
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Honeysuckle |
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A wedding will follow shortly. |
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Iris |
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"I have a message for you." |
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Ivy |
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Wedded Love, Fidelity, Friendship, Affection |
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Jasmine |
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Amiability |
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Jonquil |
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Love Me, Desire, Sympathy, Desire For a Return of Affection |
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Larkspur |
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Fickleness |
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Lilac - mauve |
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"Do you still love me?" |
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Lily |
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Throughout
the ages, the lily has stood for purity and sweetness, modesty,
whiteness and fragility. Various species are widely referenced in Greek
mythology. |
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Lily of the Valley |
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"Let's make up." |
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Moss |
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Maternal love, charity. |
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Monkshood |
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Chivalry |
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Myrtle |
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Love, Hebrew Emblem of Marriage |
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Narcissus |
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Egotism, Formality, Stay as Sweet as You Are |
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Nerine |
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Named after the Nereids in Greek mythology. The Nereids were sea nymphs, daughters of the sea god Nereus. |
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Orange Blossom |
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Innocence, Eternal Love, Marriage and Fruitfulness |
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Orchid |
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Love, Beauty, Refinement |
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Petunia |
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"I am furious!" |
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Peony |
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Happy Marriage, Bashfulness |
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Poppy |
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Pleasure, Consolation, Wealth, Success |
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Protea |
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Named
after the sea god Proteus who could assume different shapes. And,
indeed the protea comes in many forms, from tiny dwarf flowers, to
shrubs, to trees. |
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Rose |
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Romans
believed white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell, as she mourned
the loss of her beloved Adonis. Her son Cupid, stung by a bee, shot
arrows in the rose garden. The sting of the arrows became thorns. Venus
pricked her foot on a thorn, and the droplets of blood dyed the roses
red. A single, full bloom means: I still love you; (Pink) - please
believe me; (Red) - love and desire; (Yellow) - infidelity and jealousy
[but now often means friendship]; (White and Red together) - unity and
warmth of heart. Go to our dedicated rose page for much more information
on roses. |
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Rosebud |
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Beauty and Youth, A Heart Innocent of Love |
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Rosemary |
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Fidelity and love, remembrance. |
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Snapdragon |
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So
named because of its snout-like blossoms. A light pressure on either
side of a single blossom will make the jaws of the dragon open. |
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Smilax |
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Loveliness |
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Statice |
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Or
sea-lavender because it grows wild in salt-marshes. The Greek word
statice means causing to stand as the spikes stand fresh-looking for
months. |
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Stock |
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Bond of Affection, Promptness, Lasting Beauty |
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Sweet Pea |
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Good-bye, Departure, Blissful Pleasure, Thank You For a Lovely Time |
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Tulip |
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Named
so because it resembled the colourful Turkish tulband (turban).The word
was later corrupted to tulipan, and much later, abbreviated to tulip.
Means declaration of love, symbol of perfect lover; (Red) - believe me;
(Variegated [bicolour]) - beautiful eyes. |
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Violet |
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"I return your love", good luck to give to a woman. |
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Zinnia |
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Lasting affection. |
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