Flower Meanings

I'm a big devotee of electronic greeting cards.  I especially like Jacquie Lawson cards, and as many of those as I send, I should be getting a kick-back.  (Just kidding.  I'm not.)  Several of my friends now use this website, and I got a card for Mother's Day which offered the 'meanings' of flowers in the ecard bouquet.  

Flower symbolism has its roots in rural traditions, but by the 19th century British aristocrats were well versed in flower symbolism and using them for social occasions.  An ancient example of the rural tradition would be the Druids who used mistletoe in place of a 'white flag'.  By the 1800's making advantageous marriage contracts for their aristocratic chattel daughters rose to a strategically played game by parents often interested in financial alliances and social climbing within a very structured hierarchy.  What's love got to do with it?  Nothing.  [However, it's fodder for romantic novels!] 

So HOW were feelings declared?  With bouquets of flowers sent from gentlemen of all ages to young ladies.  The chaperone system was no joke.  Young women protected their reputations since purity was a top selling point in contracting an advantageous marriage.  Men used flower bouquets to declare themselves as well as speculate on the character of young women.  Flowers arrived the afternoon after a major social occasion such as a ball, a theater visit, or a musical evening.  The number of bouquets received was signal of the popularity of young debutantes.  

Some of the symbols are fascinating.  Here's a list.  You can imagine the creativity of the bouquets.

Asparagus foliage:  Fascination

Acacia:  Secret Love  OR Elegance

Anthurium:  Happiness

Aster:  Love OR Daintiness 

Baby's Breath:  Innocence

Balsam:  Ardent Love

Bellflower:  Unwavering Love

Bird of Paradise:  Faithfulness (when given by a man to a woman)

Bluebell:  Loyalty

Calla Lily:  Magnificence & beauty

Carnation (red) - Love

Carnation (green) - Love between two men

Carnation (white) - Innocence, pure love

Carnation (yellow) - Rejection, disappointment

Columbine - Faithlessness

Daffodil - Uncertainty, return my love

Daisy - Innocence

Delphinium - Joy

Gardenia - Secret love  OR  Good luck

Honeysuckle - Devoted Love

Hyancith (purple) - Forgive me

Hyancith (red/pink) - Playfulness

Hyancith (yellow) - Jealousy

Iris (purple) - Wisdom

Iris (yellow) - Passion

Iris (white) - purity

Larkspur - Levity, OR fickleness OR haughtiness

Lavender - Happiness

Lilac (purple) - First love

Lilac (white) - Youthful innocence

Lily - Love between two women

Lily of the Valley - Sweetness

Lime Blossom - Fornication

Mint - Suspicion

Narcissus - Unrequited love OR selfishness

Orange Blossom - Good luck in marriage

Orchid - Refined beauty

Pansy - Thoughfulness

Poppy (red) - Sacrifice and remembrance - (this flower came to symbolize WWI, and is still used in 

                                                                       Britain today to symbolize loss in wartime)

Rose - every shade of a rose has meaning:  Red - true love; Yellow - friendship; Pink - Grace; Coral/Orange - passion; Lavender - love at first sight; White - purity; Red & White together - United; Red & Yellow together - joy

Snapdragon - Graciousness

Sunflower - Adoration OR Loyalty

Tulip, like roses, every color has a meaning:  Red - passion or perfect love; Pink - friendship; White - forgiveness; Yellow - cheerful thoughts; Variegated - beautiful eyes; Black - strength.

Violet (blue) - Faithfulness

Violet (white) - Daydreaming OR love between two women

Zinnia - Thinking of you

If you managed to work your way through this long list (and it's only a skimming of ALL the plants and flowers and their symbolism), then you can see a carefully put together bouquet in the 19th century is the equivalent of a 20th century phone call or a 21st century text.  Now, I don't know about you, but I really like the 19th century way of declaring feelings.  You might pause, though, the next time you send flowers, and make sure you're saying what's in your heart.