There is a language, little known,
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For Love Divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers.
–The Language of Flowers, London, 1875

"Did you know the flowers you give as gifts could be sending a secret message? Flowers have a language of their own. 

The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers.

All flowers hold different meanings, often based on the type of flower, the colour of the flower, or both. It is impossible for any person to be completely unaware of flower meanings. Once each individual flower has its meaning, a deep and fruitful message is created once the blooms are all combined into a bouquet. Flowers can add beauty and elegance to any scene and we examined some of the ways flower bouquets have added meaning to famous artwork, conveying myriad messages to the viewer. From Van Gogh and Matisse, to Warhol, O’Keefe and Shakespear, artists and writers have used flowers with a profusion of symbolism in their work."

History Note

"While flowers have held symbolic meanings for centuries – especially in religion – floriography really took off in Europe and America during the Victorian period. The Turks seemed to develop flower meanings, as early as in the 17th century, as a way for the concubine women who could not read or write to communicate with each other. In 1718 the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter expounding on the “Secret Language of Flowers” that she had discovered during her visits to Turkey.  Then, a number of flower dictionaries were published, the first in 1819 by ‘Madame Charlotte de la Tour’ (the pen name of Louise Cortambert)."

"These days if we fancy someone we generally just grind up against them in a club or swipe right. If we’re being especially classy, we might buy them a drink. 

But think back to the Victorian era, a time when you were barely allowed to look at your crush without a matron aunt breathing down your neck. Back then, people had to get creative. Thus, the ‘secret’ language of flowers was born. But it was a tricky one. A red carnation would signify love, but a striped carnation was as good as dumping someone."

The Most Popular Types of Flowers and their Meanings

"You can wish someone luck with bells of Ireland, Camellia or heather.

You can apologize with purple hyacinth.

You can wish someone success with palm leaves or yellow poppy.

You can thank someone with pink roses, or simply a bouquet of roses in full bloom" Want some more?

Here are more meanings of the most popular flowers:

Color Matters!

Roses for example hold a wealth of meaning, but the red rose is one of the purest expressions of true love. Yellow roses on the other hand (and many yellow flowers in general) carry a meaning of true friendship.

Red Flowers

Vibrant, passionate and demanding to be noticed, red is the color of love and romance. Red flowers symbolize courage, respect, constancy, admiration and, of course, desire.

Pink Flowers

Delicate light pink hues speak of gentleness, happiness and love. A very romantic flower color, it’s also a symbol of grace and innocence.

Blue Flowers

Peaceful blue is said to convey serenity and openness. A flower delivery of a bouquet containing blue flowers may be a sign to slow down, relax and release the stress.

White Flowers

White flowers can mean reverence and humility, purity and innocence or sympathy for a bereavement. Depending on the type of blooms chosen by your local florists, a bouquet of white flowers can be bold and brilliant, or gentle and self-effacing.

Yellow Flowers

Yellow flowers burst with happiness. They symbolize the bonds of friendship, the taste of success and pride. Joy is also one of the meanings of this flower, as that is one of the feelings the color is said to evoke.

Lavender Flowers

Youth and elegance, grace and refinement. Lavender flowers have a delicate, feminine and old-fashioned touch to them, even when contained in a decidedly modern bouquet.

Orange Flowers

No wallflower, here. Orange is bold, passionate and full of life. It’s no wonder that orange blooms speak of enthusiasm, excitement and exuberance.

Green Flowers

Green flowers represent the optimism of renewal, of spring and of youthfulness. Green flowers in a bouquet are also a wish for good fortune and good health.

Purple Flowers

A royal color, purple flowers symbolize dignity, tradition and success. A bouquet containing purple flowers can be symbols of admiration and adoration.

Warning! Double-Meanings

"The language of flowers is not always very precise. Petunia, for instance, means both ‘anger’ and ‘your presence soothes me’, so you’ll need to make it clear who you’re angry with. A dog rose means both pleasure and pain (one for the BDSM practitioner in your life) and a striped carnation, while normally representing a rejection, can also mean ‘I wish I could be with you’."

The Bottom Line