Dating back to ancient times, flowers have been a gesture of kindness. We usually gift them to those we care for. We give flowers to let them find out how special they are, to show appreciation, to celebrate occasions, or even to sympathize. What we don’t know is that giving certain types of flowers, and even their colors, actually have definitions of their own.

Floriography: (Language Of Flowers)

During Renaissance & medieval times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This can be widely seen in art where saints are often presented with flowers that represent or symbolize their virtues. Liana DeGirolami Cheney said in an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal that ”some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn.”

Back in the Victorian era, flowers began to create or add emotion. The language of flowers, sometimes referred to as floriography, began being used as a discreet form of communication. In the 18th century, sending messages in code using flowers became popular. Based on a Turkish secret language of flowers, known as Persian Salaam, a coded flower arrangement could be sent to profess feelings of attraction or even love.

Back in 1819, a book entirely about meanings of flowers called ”Le Language des Fleurs,” was written by Madame Charlotte de la Tour. A similar book, ”Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, was written in 1884 and is still being used nowadays.

Japan also has a language of flowers, which they call ”Hanakotoba.” Greeting cards in Japan use the Hanakotoba code, and still use the flower-language in popular culture such as in films and cartoons, like the anime series ”Wei Kreuz.”

Popular Flower Meanings

Purchase or borrow a flower dictionary to see the various interpretations and meanings of flowers. Some very popular flowers and their corresponding meanings are listed below:

Buttercup – riches Pink carnations – a woman’s love Chrysanthemum – love in general Forget-me-not – true love Lavender – devotion, distrust Purple lilac – first emotion of love White lily – purity Peach blossom- long-life Red rose – true love Sunflower – pure and lofty thoughts Yellow tulip – hopeless love

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