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

Agapanthus:


Secret Love





Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria:


Friendship and devotion





Amaryllis

Amaryllis:


Dramatic, pride, splendid beauty





Azalea

Azalea:


Abundance, Chinese symbol of womanhood





Begonia

Begonia:


Deep thoughts





Cactus

Cactus:


Endurance





Carnation

Carnation:


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





Freesia

Freesia:


Innocence and friendship





Gardenia

Gardenia:


Joy, purity and sweet love





Gerbera

Gerbera:


Happiness





Gladiolus

Gladiolus:


Joy, purity and sweet love





Lily

Lily:


Magnificent beauty, prosperity and celebration





Orchid

Orchid:


Love, delicate beauty, luxury and strength





Peony

Peony:


Healing, happy marriage and prosperity





Rose

Rose:


Love, gratitude, friendship and joy





Stephanotis

Stephanotis:


Good luck and marital happiness





Sunflower

Sunflower:


Sunshine and adoration





Tulip

Tulip:


Caring, royalty, declaration of love and forgiveness