By Leean Lester
During the Victorian times, certain flowers had specific meanings due to flower selection being limited. People back then used more symbols and gestures for communicating. In this day and age, with so many flower choices, no wonder there are no set rules. Many people have assigned their own personal meanings – for example, a certain flower or color might remind them of a special event or a certain person in their lives. However, there is a set tradition of meanings associated with roses and other flowers that you might use as a good starting point. I hope you find this as fascinating as I do!
The Meanings of Rose Colors
Single rose in any color: simplicity, gratitude
Red: love, beauty, courage and respect, romantic love, congratulations, “I love you,” “Job well done,” sincere love, passion
White: purity, innocence, silence, secrecy, reverence, humility, youthfulness, “I am worthy of you,” heavenly
Pink: appreciation, “Thank you,” grace, perfect happiness, admiration, gentleness, “Please believe me”
Yellow: joy, gladness, friendship, delight, promise of a new beginning, welcome back, remember me, jealousy, “I care”
Orange: desire, enthusiasm
Lavender: love at first sight, enchantment
Black*: death, farewell
Blue*: the unattainable, the impossible
* These roses are genetically engineered and do not occur naturally.
The Meanings of Flowers
Baby’s Breath: festivity
Black-eyed Susan: encouragement
Carnations: red = flashy, pink = gratitude, striped = refusal, yellow = cheerful, and white = remembrance
Daisy: innocence
Forget-me-nots: remember me forever
Holly: domestic happiness
Iris: inspiration
Jasmine: grace and elegance
Orchid: delicate beauty
Pansy: loving thoughts
Sunflower: adoration
Sweetpea: shyness
Violet: faithfulness
The Meanings of Colors for Flowers
Blue: The pale blue hues of a hydrangea or deep blues of an iris can calm worries.
Pink: This color represents grace, gentility, happiness, and youth.
Purple: Its origins are tied to royalty. It represents dignity, pride, and success.
Red: The color red has an indisputable energy to it. It has the power to transform an otherwise unassuming flower into the essence of desire, strength, and passionate love.
White: This color is often associated with innocence, humility, and reverence. Put simply, white flowers evoke simple beauty.
Yellow: This color evokes feelings of joy and lightheartedness. Also a symbol of friendship.
Orange: There’s nothing bashful about the color orange—its message is clear and blatantly proud. Symbolizing energy, enthusiasm, and warmth.
Green: This color is synonymous with nature—and can be the perfect complement to any other bloom. It represents health, resilience, good fortune, and youth.
Lavender: This color is the color of royalty, and lavender is femininity all grown up.
Until next month, may the spirits bless you with what you need or ask for!