Flower Language: How to Say What You Feel With Flowers

 

Have you ever had a keen desire to express your profound feelings of watchfulness, but you lacked the words? Haven’t we all? If only you had had violets at hand, you could have sent them to show your abiding “watchfulness, modesty, and faithfulness” with the coy gentility of a Bridgerton dandy. To help you in this matter, we at Meridian Floral have scoured the internet and an old book to bring to you a little history on the Language of Flowers, also known as floriography, the Victorian art of expressing a broad array of human feelings with flowers.

If you’re thinking that such a practice seems outdated and even frivolous, then we would say: how many chilly rebukes did you miss by not knowing about the flowers you’ve been given? Your old coworker Debra might have been signaling the end of your working friendship when she sent you yellow roses. Your niece might have been declaring war on your gifts of crocheted gnomes when she sent you marigolds. It’s better to know about these things when they happen, so we suggest you read on.

The Historical Origins of Flower Language

Flower language is unique in that it seems an obscurely old-fashioned practice while at the same time is complex and specific enough to be sort of modern, yet the earliest references to the art are from very old sources indeed. Lilies are famously associated with purity and innocence in the Song of Solomon, and roses have long been associated with beauty in adversity from the Bible to Shakespeare. In the East, the lotus is an even more famous symbol than the rose, and the giving of flowers for particular occasions is a tradition in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean households that is strongly observed today. In Islam, many traditions were passed down from the Bible, and the Ottomans famously had a whole courtly life surrounding the giving and receiving of certain flowers. They even thought that daffodils represented inattentive lovers (link).

Many of these traditions carried on throughout the medieval period, and became more popular again as arts and culture blossomed in the Renaissance, but it wasn’t until the Victorian era that many people took an active interest in the meaning of more than just a few kinds of flowers. This was a time where people were fascinated with feelings and with their nuances, and when society frowned on expressing them openly, especially if they were amorous feelings. The language of flowers became so popular that it traveled across the pond to America, where it had a brief time in the sun in the late 1800’s. After World War I, flower language fell out of fashion, but today, partly due to social media and the amazing ability to find these old ideas, it’s making something of a comeback!

The Symbolism of Well-Known Flowers

Roses

Roses have always been one of the most important flowers in Western culture, and can be found in lots of different colors. It’s said that in Victorian times, there was a unique meaning for every shade of rose that you can think of, but the important ones are: red, for love and passion; white, for purity and innocence; pink, for admiration, gratitude, and affection; and yellow, for jealousy or “you’re in trouble mister”.

Lilies

Like roses, lilies could also have many meanings due to their variety, but today it’s generally agreed that lilies are a symbol of sweetness, purity, and grace.

Chrysanthemums

In China, chrysanthemums symbolize good fortune and long life, while in the West they symbolize cheerfulness and love.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are a popular flower, especially in the summer, and their tendency to turn towards the sun is reflected in their meaning: adoration.

Tulips

Tulips were practically worshiped by the Ottomans, but they’ve grown wild in Europe for centuries. Tulips are famously a declaration of love, from hopeful to hopeless.

Carnations

Back in the day, carnations were your go-to for rejection. Send someone yellow carnations and, if they read this newsletter, they’ll feel the sting of your disdain.

 

Why You Ought to Learn Flower Language

More Communication in Marriage

They say that the secret to a healthy marriage is communication, but no one ever said it had to be verbal. Train your spouse in flower language and send them a clue when they’ve done something right or wrong. You can also give them a little anticipation of some excitement to come with a gift of jasmine flowers.

Symbolism in Books and Movies

Many movies and TV shows use flowers as subtle symbolism, and by learning floriography, you can notice themes that others might not. Think of Buttercup in the Hunger Games, Daisy in the Great Gatsby, and Lily Potter in the Harry Potter series.

A Secret Language With Your Friends

Lots of people send flowers to their friends, but it’s even more fun if your gifts have a secret meaning that no one else knows. Send your friends some zinnias to tell them you miss them.

Roast Someone While Looking Good

Send your terrible boss a bouquet of anemone, basil, hydrangea, and scarlet geraniums (designer’s choice link) and they’ll thank you for the slap you just gave them across their face.

Trivia

Maybe it’ll be a trivia question and you’ll win some points!

 

Our Table of Flowers and Their Meanings

 

We made this table for you to reference easily, but it's not the whole list of flowers, which is over 20 pages long. You can find that here!

Famous Books on Flower Language

1. "Le Language des Fleurs" by Charlotte de Latour” (1819):

   - This book, often considered the first dictionary of flower meanings, was published in France and listed various flowers and their symbolic meanings. Unfortunately, there aren’t any free translations that we could find.

2. "Flora’s Dictionary" by Elizabeth Wirt” (1829):

   - One of the first American books on the subject, it provided detailed descriptions and meanings of flowers. This book was written in an attempt to make flower symbolism accessible to Americans.

3. "The Language of Flowers" by Kate Greenaway” (1884):

   - This illustrated book became one of the most famous Victorian guides on floriography. Greenaway's beautiful illustrations and her comprehensive list of flower meanings contributed significantly to the popularity of the practice. It also happens to be the source we used!

 

 

Flower Delivery in Meridian & Custom Arrangements That Say How You Feel

Now we don’t want you thinking that if we make a bouquet for you with lots of yellow carnations that it means we don’t like you; we’ll leave such things to our customers. You can however be sure that if you request special flowers for an expressive bouquet of symbolic flowers, we’ll do our absolute best to find them for you. We can even have your emotionally weighty arrangement delivered to any location in Meridian, Boise, Eagle, and the rest of the Treasure Valley! We hope that you’ve had fun learning about flowers and their history—we know we did. Stay tuned for more articles about the history of flowers, gift-giving, and flower arranging here at Meridian Floral & Gifts, the best Meridian Idaho florist.