Flower and Plant Meanings

The idea of giving a bouquet of flowers has a long and varied history, eventually giving rise to the modern expression of affection - the personal gift of thanks and love which the giving or sending of a bouquet now denotes. There have been many attempts to define and list the 'language of flowers', enabling the sender to fine-tune their message to convey a precise meaning. Some associations are well known, of course, such as red roses for romantic love to send as Valentines flowers.

As there are so many legends, stories and facts associated with each variety, it’s impossible to list all the symbolic meanings for each flower, but here we’ve listed some of the most popular.

Agapanthus:

Secret Love

Alstroemeria:

Friendship and devotion

Amaryllis:

Dramatic, pride, splendid beauty

Azalea:

Abundance, Chinese symbol of womanhood

Begonia:

Deep thoughts

Cactus:

Endurance

Carnation:

Mother's love, gratitude, passion, remembrance, pure love and good luck

Freesia:

Innocence and friendship

Gardenia:

Joy, purity and sweet love

Gerbera:

Happiness

Gladiolus:

Joy, purity and sweet love

Lily:

Magnificent beauty, prosperity and celebration

Orchid:

Love, delicate beauty, luxury and strength

Peony:

Healing, happy marriage and prosperity

Rose:

Love, gratitude, friendship and joy

Stephanotis:

Good luck and marital happiness

Sunflower:

Sunshine and adoration

Tulip:

Caring, royalty, declaration of love and forgiveness