Over time many flowers have come to have some special meanings associated with them. With these Flower Meaings you can prepare floral arrangements that actually say something.

Acacia

Secret love, beauty in retirement, chaste love, elegance, friendship

Alstroemeria

 Named after Swedish botanist Baron Klas von Alstroemer. He collected seeds on a trip to Spain in 1753, among which were seeds of this South American flower.

Amaryllis

Pride, timidity, splendid beauty, beautiful, timid, proud

Anemone or windflower

as it was believed wind made the blossoms open. Another legend says it grew for the gods on Mount Olympus, where prevailing winds blew. Symbol of love, daintiness, fading hope.

Anthurium

 From a Greek word meaning flower tail (anthus meaning flower, oura meaning tail). Also known as the painted tongue.

Aster

 In Greek it means star, for its star-like blossoms. Legend says that it was created from stardust when Virgo looked down from the heavens and wept. (China) love of variety

Azalea

Your blush has won me

Bachelor Button

Celibacy, hope in love

Baby's Breath

 Appropriately named for its small, softly-scented blossoms. The botanical name, gypsophila, means love chalk, referring to its preference for chalky soil.

Begonia

Deformity

Bells of Ireland

Good luck

Birch Leaves

 Given to a man by a woman as a show of encouragement.

Bird-Of-Paradise

 Strelitzia as it is also called, is named after actual birds-of-paradise, which are the most beautiful birds in the world, with brightly colored plumage and fanlike tails.

Bittersweet

Truth

Bluebell

 Humility, constancy

Cactus

 Grandeur; warmth

Calla Lily

 Magnificent beauty

Camellia

 Admiration, perfection, good luck gift to a man

Candytuft

 Indifference

Carnation

 From an old Italian word meaning complexion. The earliest carnations bore flesh-colored flowers, which gave rise to the name. Woman's love, fascination. My heart aches for you, admiration

Carnation, white

 Pure and ardent love. Good luck to give to a woman.

Cattleya

Mature charms

Cedar

 I live but for thee. Think of me.

Chrysanthemum

 Loveliness and cheerfulness. You're a wonderful friend, With love, cheerfulness and optimism From a Greek word meaning gold flower. In the language of flowers, red shades speak of love, white of truth, and yellow of slighted love. Also cheerfulness and optimism

Cornflower

 Delicacy, refinement

Coxcomb

 Foppery

Crocus

 Cheerfulness. Abuse not.

Daffodil or Narcissus.

In Greek mythology Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection. He was turned into a flower, to nod into the water at his reflection forever. Hope Also means: You're the only one. "The sun is always shining when I'm with you. Deceitful,unrequited love.

Daisy

 From the Old English phrase day's eye. Many open in the morning, revealing the center disc and close again each night. The disc is made up of hundreds of tiny flowers. Innocence, loyal love.

Dandelion

Faithfulness, happiness

Delphinium

 The name is derived from the Greek word for dolphin because of the fancied resemblance of the flower spurs (or partly opened buds) to a dolphin's head.

Dendrobium Orchid

 Dendron means tree. These orchids grow on trees and are epiphytes, which means they depend on the tree for structural support but not nutrition.

Diosma

 Your simple elegance charms me

Forget-me-not

 Faithful love and undying memory, good luck to give to a woman. True love.

Freesia

 Named after German botanist Friedrich H. T. Freese. He was a pupil of Dr. Christian P. Ecklon who named this genus for Freese.

Gardenia

 Refinement. "I love you in secret". Good luck to give to a man.

Gerbera Daisy

 Named after Truagott Gerber, a German botanist and naturalist who traveled extensively in Russia and wrote an important monograph on Russian specimens.

Gladiolus

 As in gladiator, because of its sword-shaped leaves, derived from a Latin word meaning little sword. Also referred to in history as the sword lily. Ready-armed love at first sight

Heather

Wishes will come true, admiration

Holly

Am I forgotten? defense, domestic happiness, foresight

Honeysuckle

 A wedding will follow shortly.

Iris

Fleur-de-lis, your friendship means so much to me, faith, hope, wisdom and valor, my compliments "I have a message for you." Eloquence

Ivy

 Fidelity, friendship, marriage, wedded love, affection

Jasmine

Amiability

Jonquil

Love me, desire, sympathy, Desire for a return of affection

Larkspur (pink)

 Fickleness

Larkspur (Purple)

 Haughtiness

Lilac (white)

 Youthful innocence

Lilac, mauve

Do you still love me?

Lily

Coquetry, pride, purity

Lily of the Valley

Sweetness, return of happiness, humility, You've made my life complete, let's make up Throughout the ages, the lily has stood for purity and sweetness, modesty, whiteness and fragility. Various species are widely referenced in Greek mythology.

Lily (calla)

 Maiden modesty; beauty

Lily (tiger)

 I dare you to love me

Lily (white)

 Purity and sweetness

Lily (yellow)

 Coquetry, falsehood, flirtation

Mistletoe

 I want to be kissed; you

Monkshood

Chivalry

Moss

Maternal love, charity

Myrtle (wax)

 Discipline, instruction. Love in absence Hebrew emblem of marriage, love

Narcissus

 Egotism, you love yourself too well Formality, stay as sweet as you are

Nerine

Named after the Nereids in Greek mythology. The Nereids were sea nymphs, daughters of the sea god Nereus.

Orange Blossom

Innocence, eternal love, marriage and fruitfulness

Orchid

Love, beauty, refinement You are a belle, you flatter me

Peony

 Anger, indignation, happy marriage, bashfulness

Petunia

Your presence soothes me, I am furious!

Poppy

Pleasure, consolation, wealth, success

Protea

 Named after the sea god Proteus who could assume different shapes. And, indeed the protea comes in many forms, from tiny dwarf flowers, to shrubs, to trees

Ranunculus

 I am dazzled by your charms

Rose

 Romans believed white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell, as she mourned the loss of her beloved Adonis. Her son Cupid, stung by a bee, shot arrows in the rose garden. The sting of the arrows became thorns. Venus pricked her foot on a thorn, and the droplets of blood dyed the roses red.

A single, full bloom means: I still love you,
(Pink) - please believe me,
(Red) - love and desire, unity, romantic love
(Yellow) - infidelity and jealousy [but now often means friendship],
(White and Red together) unity and warmth of heart

Rose (white)

 I am worthy of your love, silence, innocent love

Rose

I love you, perfect happiness, always, love at first sight, joy and gladness, please believe me, love and desire, friendship, unity and warmth of heart

Rosebud

 Beauty and youth, a heart innocent of love

Rosemary

Fidelity and love, remembrance

Smilax

Loveliness

Snapdragon

 So named because of its snout-like blossoms. A light pressure on either side of a single blossom will make the jaws of the dragon open. Deception, gracious lady, presumption

Spider Lily

 Elope With me

Star of Bethlehem

 Atonement

Stephanotis

Happiness in marriage, desire to travel, come to me

Stock

Bond of affection, promptness, lasting beauty

Sunflower

 You are splendid

Statice

 Or sea-lavender because it grows wild in salt-marshes. The Greek word statice means causing to stand as the spikes stand fresh-looking for months.

Sweet William

 Grant me one smile

Sweet Pea

Good-bye, departure, blissful pleasure, Thank you for a lovely time.

Tuberose

 Dangerous

Tulip

 Named so because it resembled the colorful Turkish tulband (turban). The word was later corrupted to tulipan, and much later, abbreviated to tulip. Also declaration of love, symbol of perfect lover,

(Red) believe me,
(variegated [bicolour]) beautiful eyes. Perfect lover, fame, beautiful eyes, hopeless love

Violet

 "I return your love", good luck to give to a woman. Modesty, faithfulness, Let's take a chance on happiness

Yarrow

 Cure for heartache

Zinnia

 Lasting affection, goodness, daily remembrance

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Basic Florals

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