The Language of Flowers

http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/flowerlanguage.html#T

Ever wondered what the flowers mean when you give it to your Sweet Heart or what to present at a wedding or funeral. Here are some meanings behind what flowers mean.

A
• Acacia - Secret love; chaste love; beauty in retirement; elegance; friendship; hope• Acanthus - Art or artistic; the fine arts; artifice• Achillea millefolia - War • Aconite (Wolf's Bane) - Misanthropy • Acorn - Nordic symbol of life and immortality • Agapanthus - Love letters • Agnus castus - Coldness; indifference • Allspice - Compassion• Almond Blossom - Hope; lover's charm• Aloe - Grief • Alstroemeria - Devotion; friendship• Alyssum - Worth beyond beauty • Ambrosia - Love returned• Amaranth - Fidelity• Amaranth, Globe - Unchangeable; immortality; unchanging love• Amaryllis - Pride; Timidity; splendid beauty • Anemone - Unfading love; truth; sincerity; anticipation; forsaken; fading hope • Angelica - Inspiration• Aniseed - Restoration of youth • Apple blossom - Preference; good fortune • Arbor Vitae - True friendship• Arbutus - Thee only do I love • Artemisia - Dignity• Asphodel - My regrets follow you to the grave • Aster - Love; daintiness• Azalea - Take care of yourself for me; fragile passion; temperance; Chinese symbol of womanhood
B
• Bachelor's Buttons - Celibacy; single blessedness; hope in love • Baby's Breath - Everlasting love; happiness; pure in heart • Basil - Best Wishes; love; hatred• Bay Leaf - Strength; I change but in death• Bear's Breeches - Art or artistic; the fine arts; artifice• Begonia - Beware• Betony - Surprise • Bells Of Ireland - Good luck• Bilberry - Treachery • Bird Of Paradise - Magnificence• Bittersweet - Truth • Bluebell - Humility; constancy• Borage - Courage; bluntness• Bouquet of withered flowers - Rejected love• Broom - Humility; neatness • Bulrush - Indiscretion; docility • Burnet - A merry heart• Buttercup - Cheerfulness; ingratitude; childishness; desire for riches
C
• Cactus - Endurance; warmth; grandeur • Calendula - Joy• Calla - Magnificent beauty • Camellia - Admiration; perfection; good luck gift to a man; loveliness• Camellia (Pink) - Longing for you• Camellia (Red) - You're a flame in my heart• Camellia (White) - You're adorable• Camomile - Energy in adversity • Candytuft - Indifference• Carnation (in general) Bonds of affection; health and energy; fascination; alas for my poor heart• Carnation (pink) - I'll never forget you• Carnation (purple) - Capriciousness; whimsical; changeable• Carnation (red) - My heart aches for you; admiration• Carnation (solid colour) -Yes• Carnation (striped)- No; refusal; sorry I can't be with you; wish I could be with you• Carnation (white) -Sweet and lovely; innocence; pure love; woman's good luck gift• Carnation (yellow) - You have disappointed me; Rejection; disdain• Cattail - Peace; prosperity• Cedar - I live for thee; think of me• Celandine - Joys to come • Chamomile - Patience ; attracts wealth• Chysanthemum (in general) - Cheerfulness; You're a wonderful friend• Chysanthemum (red) - I love• Chysanthemum (white) - Truth• Chysanthemum (yellow) -Slighted love• Cinnamon - My fortune is yours• Clover (four-leaf) - Good luck; be mine• Columbine - Folly• Coreopsis - Always cheerful• Corn - Riches • Cornflower - Delicacy; refinement • Coriander - Lust• Cowslip - Pensiveness; winning grace• Coxcomb - Foppery• Crocus - Cheerfulness; abuse not; joy • Crown Imperial - Majesty; power • Cyclamen - Resignation and goodbye; diffidence
D
• Daffodil - Respect; regard; unrequited love; deceit • Dahlia - Good taste; instability• Daisy - Innocence; loyal love; purity; faith; cheer; simplicity • Dandelion - Wishes come true; faithfulness; happiness; rustic oracle• Daphne odora - Painting the lily • Delphinium - Airy• Dogwood - Durability
E
• Edelweiss - Daring; noble courage• Eglantine - Poetry; I wound to heal • Elder - Zealousness • Elm - Dignity • Eucalyptus - Protection• Eupatorium - Delay
F
• Fennel - Worthy of all praise; strength• Fern - Sincerity • Fern (Magic) - Fascination; confidence and shelter• Fern (Maidenhair) - Secret bond of love • Feverfew - Protection• Fig - Argument • Fir - Time• Flax - Domestic symbol; fate; I feel your kindness• Forget-me-not - True love; memories; forget me not• Forsythia - Anticipation• Foxglove - Insincerity • Fuchsia - Good taste • Fuller's Teasel - Misanthropy
G
• Gardenia - You're lovely; secret love; refinement; joy• Garland of roses - Reward of virtue• Garlic - Courage; strength • Geranium (Oak leafed) - Friendship• Geranium (Rose) - Preference• Geranium (Scented) - Preference, melancholy; stupidity; folly• Gillyflower - Bonds of affection• Gladiolus - Love at first sight; ready-armed; strength of character; generosity• Gloxinia - Love at first sight• Golden Rod - Precaution • Grass - Submission; utility • Guelder Rose - Winter; age
H
• Harebell - Submission; grief • Hawthorn - Hope • Hazel - Reconciliation • Heather (lavender) - Admiration; solitude • Heather (pink) - Good luck• Heather (white) - Protection; wishes will come true; good luck• Helenium - Tears • Heliotrope - Devotion; eternal love; faithfulness• Hemlock - You will be my death • Hibiscus - Delicate beauty • Holly - Good will; defence; domestic happiness; foresight• Hollyhock - Female ambition; fecundity • Honesty - Honesty; fascination • Honeysuckle - Generous and devoted affection; sweetness of disposition• Hop - Injustice • Hyacinth (general) - Rashness, sorrow, flower dedicated to Apollo• Hyacinth (blue) - Constancy• Hyacinth ( purple) - I'm sorry; please forgive me; sorrow• Hyacinth (red or pink) - Play • Hyacinth (white) - Loveliness; I'll pray for you • Hyacinth (yellow) - Jealousy• Hydrangea - Thank you for understanding; frigidity; heartlessness; vanity• Hyssop - Wards away evil spirits; cleanliness
I
• Ice plant - Your looks freeze me • Iris - Faith; hope; wisdom and valour; my compliments; eloquence; message• Ivy - Fidelity; friendship; affection; marriage
J
• Jasmine - Amiability; wealth; grace and elegance • Jonquil - Love me; affection returned; desire; sympathy• Judas Tree - Unbelief; betrayal • Juniper - Protection; succour
K
• Kingcup - Desire for riches
L
• Laburnum - Forsaken; pensive beauty• Larkspur (pink) - Fickleness; levity • Laurel (mountain) - Ambition; glory• Lavender - Devotion, distrust • Lemon - Zest• Lemon Balm - Brings love• Lemon verbena - Attracts opposite sex• Lilac - First love• Lily (general) - Purity • Lily (calla) - Beauty• Lily (day) - Coquetry • Lily (eucharis) - Maidenly charms• Lily (orange) - Hatred• Lily (tiger) - Wealth; pride• Lily (white) - Virginity; purity; majesty; it's heavenly to be with you• Lily (yellow) - I'm walking on air; false and gay• Lily of the valley - sweetness; return to happiness; humility; perferct purity• Lobelia - Malevolence• Love-in-a-mist - Perplexity• Love-lies-bleeding - Hopeless; not heartless• Lupin - Voraciousness; admiration
M
• Magnolia - Sweetness; beauty; love of nature; nobility; dignity; splendid beauty• Marigold - Comforts the heart; grief; cruelty; jealousy; sacred affection• Marjoram (sweet) - Joy and happiness; blushes• Meadowsweet - Uselessness• Michaelmas Daisy - Afterthought; farewell• Mignionette - Your qualities surpass your charms• Mimosa - Sensitivity• Mint - Protection from illness; warmth of feeling; virtue• Mistletoe - Kiss me; affection; I surmount difficulties; sacred plant of India, magic plant of the Druids• Monkshood - Beware, a deadly foe is near; chivalry • Morning Glory - Affectation• Moss - Maternal love; charity • Myrrh - Gladness• Myrtle - Love; love in absence; remembrance; Hebrew emblem of marriage• Myrtle (wax) - Discipline; instruction
N
• Narcissus - Egotism; formality; stay as sweet as you are; you love yourself too well; self-esteem• Nasturtium - Conquest; victory in battle; maternal love; charity; patriotism• Nightshade - Truth
O
• Oak leaves - Bravery• Oleander - Caution; beware• Orange - Generosity• Orange Blossom - Wisdom; purity; eternal love; your purity equals your loveliness• Orange (mock) - Deceit • Orchid - Love; beauty; refinement; you flatter me• Orchid (Cattleya) - Mature charm
P
• Palm leaves - Victory and success• Pansy - Thoughts; love• Parsley - Festivities• Pasque Flower - You have no claims• Peach blossom - Longevity; I am your captive• Peony - Shame; bashfulness; anger; indignation• Peppermint - Warmth of feelings• Periwinkle (blue) - Early friendship• Periwinkle (white) - Pleasures of memory• Persicaria - Restoration• Petunia - Resentment; anger; your presence soothes me; never despairing• Phlox - Agreement; unanimity; sweet dreams• Pine - Hope; pity• Pink - Boldness• Poinsettia - Be of good cheer• Polyanthus - Pride of riches• Poppy (general) - Eternal sleep; oblivion; imagination; extravagance• Poppy (red) -Pleasure; fantastic extravagance• Poppy (white) - Consolation; sleep• Poppy( yellow) - Wealth; success• Prickly Pear - Satire• Primrose - I can't live without you; early youth; young love • Primrose (evening) - Inconstancy
Q
• Quaking Grass - Agitation• Queen Anne's Lace - Fantasy• Quince - Temptation
R
• Ranunculus - You are radiant with charms• Rocket - Rivalry• Rose (red) - Love ; I love you• Rose (white) - Eternal Love; innocence; heavenly; secrecy and silence• Rose (pink) - Perfect happiness; please believe me• Rose (yellow) - Friendship; jealousy; try to care• Rose (black) - Death• Rose (red and white) - Together; unity• Rose (thornless) - Love at first sight• Rose (single, full bloom) - I love you; I still love you• Rose bud - Beauty and youth; a heart innocent of love• Rose bud (red) - Pure and lovely• Rose bud (white) - Girlhood• Rosebud (moss) - Confessions of love• Roses (bouquet of full bloom) - Gratitude• Roses (garland or crown of) - Beware of virtue; reward of merit; crown ; symbol of superior merit• Roses (musk cluster) - Charming • Rose (tea) - I'll always remember• Rose (cabbage) - Ambassador of love• Rose (Christmas) - Tranquilize my anxiety; anxiety• Rose (damask) - Brilliant complexion• Rose (dark crimson) - Mourning• Rose (hibiscus) - Delicate beauty• Rose leaf - You may hope • Rosemary - Remembrance; commitment; fidelity• Rudbeckia - Justice• Rue - Disdain
S
• Saffron - Beware of excess• Sage - Wisdom; long life; domestic virtue• Salvia (blue) - I think of you• Scabious - Unfortunate love• Shamrock - Lightheartedness• Smilax - Loveliness• Snapdragon - No; deception; gracious lady; presumption • Snowdrop - Hope• Spearmint - Warmth of sentiment• Spiderflower - Elope with me• Spindle Tree - Your charms are engraved on my heart• Statice - Lasting beauty• Star of Bethlehem - Atonement; purity• Stephanotis - Happiness in marriage; desire to travel; come to me• Stock - Lasting beauty; promptness• Strawberry - Perfect goodness• Sunflower - Loyalty; haughtiness; you are splendid• Sweet Basil - Good luck• Sweet pea - Goodbye; departure; blissful pleasure; Thank you for a lovely time• Sweet William - Grant me one smile; perfection; gallantry• Syringa - Memory
T
• Tamarisk - Crime• Thrift - Sympathy• Thyme - Strength and courage; activity• Tuberose - Dangerous pleasure• Tulip(general) - Fame; charity; declaration of love;• Tulip(red) - Believe me; declaration of love• Tulip(variegated) - Beautiful eyes• Tulip(yellow) - Hopeless love
U
V
• Valerian - An accommodating disposition• Vernal Grass - Poor but happy• Veronica - Fidelity• Violet - Modesty; faithfulness• Violet (blue) - Watchfulness; faithfulness; I'll always be true• Violet (white) - Let's take a chance on happiness• Viscaria - Will you dance with me?
W
• Wallflower - Fidelity in adversity• Water Lily - Purity of heart• Wistaria - I cling to you • Woodruff - Sweet humility• Wormwood - Absence
X
• Xeranthemum - Cheerfulness under adversity
Y
• Yarrow - Health; healing• Yew - Sorrow
Z
• Zinnia - Thoughts of friends• Zinnia (magenta) - Lasting affection• Zinnia (mixed) - Thinking of an absent friend• Zinnia (scarlet) - Constancy• Zinnia (white) - Goodness• Zinnia (yellow) - Daily remembrance