What Are These Flowers' Hidden Meanings?
Before you give a bouquet to your beloved, learn the "flower language" of each bloom
Almost all of us know that a rose symbolizes love (it also symbolizes passion), but do you know what the other flowers we are familiar with mean?
More than a hundred years ago, Victorian couples practiced floriography, which is the “language of flowers.” According to this practice, each species (and sometimes, color) of flower represents an emblematic meaning. So when a man presented his lover with coral-colored roses, that meant he absolutely desired her, and if a woman sent a cyclamen bloom to her man, she was bidding him goodbye. That is why Victorian lovers took their flowers seriously, having shops meticulously construct an extravagant bouquet that showed their beloved exactly what they meant.
The concept may seem old-fashioned today, but if you would like to make your bouquets extra-special (be it for a lover, your mother, or a best friend), pick flowers that express your feelings for that person. And before you send the bouquet over, write the blooms’ meanings on a note card as a sweet touch.
Here are some of the popular flowers and their meanings:
Orchid: Admiration, innocence
Tulip: Love, confidence
Chrysanthemum: Loyalty, love
Peony: Romance, prosperity
Calla Lily: Purity, passion
Gladiola: Strength, integrity
Hydrangea: Emotion, understanding
Sunflower: Adoration, loyalty
Source: “Flower Meanings and Symbolisms,” www.ftd.com
