Everyone knows the aesthetic value you get from pretty flowers. But most people aren’t aware that the various types of flowers have different symbols and meanings. In addition, flower symbolism can vary to the different types of flowers and flower color. Learn about different flower meanings and flowers colors.
Flower Color Meanings
Flowers come in various colors, which can affect the flowers meaning. You can find flowers in nearly every color of the rainbow, with each color having meaningful symbols.
Red
Red flowers have the meaning of passion and true love. But flowers in a beautiful bold red can also mean desire, respect, and courage.
Orange
Plants that produce flowers in brilliant, bold orange represent positive emotions like enthusiasm and excitement.
Yellow
Flowers in yellow have associations with joy and happiness. But it’s also an ideal flower shade to symbolize friendship. Yellow flowers have a cheerful personality with a bright hue that can make someone’s day better and imbue a space with positive energy.
Pink
Flowers in pink are a lighter shade of red and offer symbolisms of love, gentleness, femininity, and happiness. The most popular holiday for a pink shaded bloom is Mother’s Day.
Green
Green flowers offer a more natural look than more vibrant colored flowers. Wild green flowers have associations with renewal and rebirth. It can also represent youthfulness, good fortune, and good health.
Blue
It’s rare to find flowers in a brilliant blue, but that makes the fewer selections that much more special. Blue plants are symbolic of peace and tranquility. It’s known to invoke feelings of relaxation and remove stress and negative emotions.
Purple
Flowers in purple represent royalty and success. But it can also express tradition and feelings of admiration. Another option is lavender-colored flowers, which are a light shade of purple. Pale lavender-purple flowers can mean elegance, grace, and youth.
White
White flowers are often used for positive events, like bridal bouquets during weddings or memorial events like funerals. Flowers in a pure white can mean sympathy, innocence, and purity.
Flower Meanings by Type
Each secret meaning can have one or several types of flowers. Learn about these flower meanings and the names of flowers assigned to these meaningful symbols.
Admiration
Use flowers to express feelings you may have trouble voicing, like admiration. Flowers that you can use to show affection and respect include the Dianthus, Orchid Cactus, Heath, Camellia, and Lungwort.
Anger
When you’re angry, sending flowers is an easier and safer way to express the negative emotions of hostility, displeasure, and annoyance. The color red is most symbolic of the passionate feeling of anger. And only one flower represents the intense emotion – the beautiful Petunia.
Anticipation
Express your excitement and anticipation over a prospective future event with the appropriate types of flowers, like Cornflower (Bachelor’s Button), Windflower, and Golden Bell.
Beauty
There are several flowers connected with the flower meaning of beauty. Flowers often get this meaning due to their unique, colorful look. Or you can use these flowers to send unspoken messages to tell someone you think they are beautiful.
Flower species representing beauty include Lotus, Swamp Lily, Calla Lilly, Hawaiian Lei Flower, Dahlia, Beauty Bush, Bird of Paradise, Hibiscus, Amaryllis, Magnolia, and Canna Lily.
Caution
You can use flowers as a message of caution to scare someone away from you. Or you can use it to tell someone to be cautious during a trip. You can use flowers like Wolfsbane, Azalea, Goldenrod, Oleander, Devil’s Trumpet, and Begonia.
Charm
Flowers that represent charm can be used to attract someone’s attention or to charm them your way. Several flowers symbolize joy, including Godetia, the Hawaiian Lei flowers, wishbone, buttercup, Gentian, Hibiscus, Blanket Flower, and Oleander.
Cheerfulness
When you need to express cheer or spread it around to boost spirits, you can use flowers like Bugleweed, Tickseed, St. John’s Wort, Xeranthemum, Chrysanthemum, Crocus, Gerbera, and Spurge.
Confidence
Boost your confidence and show your pride with confident symbolic flowers like Amaryllis, Grape Hyacinth, Montbretia, and Dahlia.
Courage
Another meaning that flowers can have is courage or bravery. You can use a flower to recognize a person’s brave actions. Or it can use them as a reminder to be courageous.
Any plants on this list will serve as signs of bravery and courage. You can use species like Beardtongue, Masterwort, Protea, Mullein, and Borage.
Creativity
Flowers are an excellent way to express your creativity due to the vast range of colors, patterns, sizes, and shapes. Some of the best flowers to symbolize creativity are the Tassel flower, Lupine, Grape Hyacinth, and Vervain.
Cruelty
We’ve all had an experience with a cruel person. So if you’re forced to interact with someone with nasty attitudes and behavior, silently acknowledge their awful behavior with a symbolic Tiger Flower.
Danger
Some flowers can be symbolic of danger, announcing that something unpleasant or unwelcome is happening or is nearby. Two flower species say danger – Angel’s Trumpet or Azalea.
Death
Death is a common association of flowers, one of the most used items for funerals and consolation gifts. Flowers can represent death based on how they are used or behave. But they can also be symbolic of death due to the flowers being used for funerals and deaths.
Flowers make a lovely way to celebrate a person’s life who’s gone. You have options of Lily, Chrysanthemum (Mum), Dianthus, Rafflesia, Monkey Orchid, Gladiola, Wolfsbane, Red Spider Lily, Gerbera, Rose, Hydrangea, Morning Glory, Cally Lily, Lily of the Valley, Poppy, and Forget Me Nots.
Desire
When you experience a strong desire toward someone or something, you can use flowers to express these intense emotions. Three flower species can represent desirous feelings – Oleander, Camellia, and Petunia.
Determination
Determination is a strong urge to achieve or experience something. It’s also the drive to keep trying something when you fail until you get it right.
Use these flowers to represent feelings of commitment and determination – Amaryllis, Rock Rose, Blue Star, Dandelion, and Scorpionweed.
Encouragement
Use flowers to give someone encouragement, hope, support, and confidence. Types include Black-eyed Susans or Camas.
Endurance
Flowers can be an excellent reminder of a message without having to speak the words. You can use flowers to inspire someone to exert strength and endurance to help them stay on track and get through hard times.
The different kinds of flowers representing strength and endurance are Rondeletia, Rock Rose, Hen and Chicks, Foxtail Lily, Magnolia, Zinnia, Xanthisma, and Artichoke Cactus, Scorpionweed, Blue Star, Quesnelia, Kalanchoe, Prunus, and Dandelion.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is contagious, and you can use flowers to share or express feelings of eager and intense interest, approval, or enjoyment.
Try these flowers to represent an enthusiasm for life – Godetia and Firecracker Bush (the Hummingbird flower).
Faith
Faith is a crucial component of many people’s lives, representing their core values and living standards. Faith can be in oneself, your family, a specific belief, or religion.
Flowers symbolic of faith include Iris, Violet, Honeysuckle, Marigold, and Silky Oak (Spider Flower).
Family
Family is your biggest support system, made up of the most important people in your life. Use flowers to express family unity, a love for your family, and honor past, present, and future generations. Flowers symbolic of the family include Hydrangeas, Spurge, Dianthus, and Hyacinths.
Fertility
Flowers that represent fertility are often due to the abundant growth of the blooms. You can use several types to gift to someone trying to have a baby. Or it could mean a way to congratulate someone on the news of pregnancy or a baby’s birth.
Species of flowers that symbolize fertility include Toad lily, Hollyhock, Ferze, Poppy, Zygo, Wake Robin, Butterfly Pea Plants, Catmint, Horny Goat Weed, Queen of Orchids, Snowdrops, Lotus, and Cornflower.
Fidelity
The word fidelity means lasting and honest support. It can also represent a continual loyalty to something or someone. Using species like a wallflower, Twinspur, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, and Squill offers the ultimate way to show your love for someone.
Freedom
Freedom is your biggest asset, and you can show it with flowers like Milkweed, Freesia, the Bird of Paradise (Crane Flower), and Guernsey Lily.
Friendship
Flowers have many uses and can be used for every situation and relationship. You can even use flowers to represent friendship at all levels.
Send a message to your friend using flowers like Nemesia, Cymbidium, Cranesbills, Fawn Lily, Balloon Flower, Geraniums, Phlox, Diascia, Mums, Freesia, Celosia, Zinnia, Peruvian Lily, and Hostas.
Fun
Send a Larkspur flower to a friend or family member as an expression of fun.
Glory
Glory in all its forms is a powerful emotion that portrays independent, strong, and beautiful characteristics. These stunning flowers – Canna Lily and Flame Lily – symbolize all that glory represents.
Good fortune
You can use flowers to spread good fortune to friends and family. Look for stunning plants like Guernsey Lily, Ice Plant, Red Hot Pokers (Torch Lily), Dietes, Glorybower, Peony, Spirea, Peruvian Lily, Heath, Goldenrod, Ornamental Onion, Yarrow, Spurge, Daffodil, and Myrtle.
Grace
Almost every flower can have the meaning of grace due to how they sway and move in the wind. So, giving someone the gift of a flower can represent that you feel the person has grace and sophistication.
Flowers that can symbolize grace include Snapdragon, Jacobinia, Primrose, Hawaiian Lei flower, Beauty Bush, Weigela, Marigold, and Lotus.
Gratitude
You can use flowers as a gift of gratitude to tell someone to thank you for their support, a generous action, or as a sign of appreciation for their actions or behaviors. Options include Sweet Pea, Globe Flower, Lisianthus, Bellflower, and Dianthus.
Growth
The Solidago plant – Goldenrod – represents a gradual increase in development – growth.
Happiness
Happiness can be hard to find in the hectic chaos of life. However, flowers are an easy way to inspire feelings of satisfaction with little effort.
Look for species like Honeysuckle, Marguerite Daisy, Catnip (Catmint), Dandelion, Clown Flower (Wishbone), Lupine, Marigold, Blazing Star, Lisianthus, Flamingo flower, Lily of the Valley, Sweet Pea, Geranium, Cranesbills, Vervain, Blanket flower, Rain lily, Columbine, Mums, and Spurge.
Health
Another possible flower meaning is health. You can give these flowers to someone in recovery from being sick as wishes for a speedy recovery. Or you can provide the flowers to someone who’s sick that you want to cheer up.
Potential flower species that you can use to send messages related to health are Yarrow, Star Grass, Coneflower, Sage, Laceleaf, Elephants Ear, Valerian, Flamingo Flower, Hyssop, Mullein, Mallow, Tanacetum, Foxglove, Dandelion, Bee Balm, and Vervain.
Honesty
Star of Bethlehem and the Chinese Bellflower – Balloon flower – are two stunning flowers that symbolize honesty. These flowers tell someone you’ll be there for them, and it gives your honest thoughts about them.
Hope
Hope is a wonderful thing to experience. But there are plenty of times when it’s an emotion that can be difficult to feel when things get hard.
There are plenty of different flower species that can represent feelings of hope. Try Prunus, Prickly Pear, Winter Aconite, Cornflower, Forget Me Not, Plumbago, Star of Bethlehem, Passion Flower, Snowflake, Iris, Snowdrop, Ulex, Poppy, and Petunia.
Immortality
Several types of flowers can represent the meaning of immortality – eternal life or living forever. Choose from Gomphrena, Xerochrysum, Spiderwort, Wisteria, Celosia, Crane flower (Bird of Paradise), Xeranthemum, and Tanacetum.
Independence
Flowers can mean independence and be a good gift for someone confident and independent. You can use Sea Holly, Heather, or Globe Thistle.
Innocence
The color white almost always symbolizes innocence. But the specific flower species can also specifically represent innocence, typically given to children or parents.
Flowers that can represent innocence include Daisy, Lily, Bugle Lily, Violet, Star of Bethlehem, Gerbera, Mountain Avens, Baby’s Breath, Blue Daisy, African Daisy, Magnolia, Myrtle, Lilac, Snowdrops, and Freesia.
Joy
The color yellow is often symbolic of joy. But you can also use specific flowers to share positive energy and joy with friends, family, or others. Choose from Bird of Paradise, Dandelion, Wood Sorrel, Blazing Star, Marigold, Myrtle, Lisianthus, Crocus, Lungwort, Larkspur, Blanket flower, Mum, Gardenia, and Rain Lily.
Justice
Flowers that mean justice are often used to express a sign of guilt or remorse. The only flower that has the symbolism of justice is Jasione.
Longevity
Longevity means long life, and a flower that’s symbolic of longevity is the perfect way to wish someone a long, happy life and good fortune, whether given to someone you want to live a long time or for a new baby.
Love
Flowers that mean love can send a message of gratitude to someone you care about or send an unspoken message of love. Many flowers have silent meanings of love, like the most popular one – the Rose.
Other flowers include Bleeding Heart, Lily of the Nile (African Lily), Tulip, Jasmine, Mallow, the Pincushion flower, Love-in-a-Mist, Impatiens, Wisteria, Lilac, Morning Glories, Balloon flower, Baby’s breath, Violet, and Hydrangeas.
Loyalty
Loyalty is an emotion often represented by the color purple. And there are also flowers that you can use to send the message of loyalty and faithfulness, like Squill, Speedwell, Cinquefoil, Mum, Edelweiss, and Sunflower.
Majesty
Snakes Head, Crown Imperial, and Checkered Lily are various names given to the Fritillaria flower, symbolic of majesty, authority, and supreme greatness.
Modesty
There are multiple types of flowers symbolic of modesty – being humble about yourself and your abilities rather than being overconfident or too proud.
You can give these flowers to a self-aware person without requiring someone to give them credit for their accomplishments. Choose Snowdrops, Blanket Flower, Lily, Viola, Cosmos, Mum, Hyssop, and Jasmine.
New beginnings
New beginnings are an important life experience that allows you to have personal growth that can make you into a better person.
You can use flowers to represent the challenges, celebrations, and enlightenments that can come from new beginnings. Xerophyllum has the most significance for this meaning. But other flowers that send the same message include Fairy Lily, Lewisia, Australian Honeysuckle, Daisy, Deutzia, Butterfly Bush, Daffodil, Russelia, Butterfly Pea Plant, Hawaiian Lei, and winter aconite.
Nobility
Flowers representing nobility – the quality of a noble character and behavior – include Globe Thistle and Magnolia.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia can be a positive feeling of happy remembrance or a negative sense of sadness when you think of the past. The delightful look of the Periwinkle flower is symbolic of nostalgia.
Passion
Many flower symbolisms are positive and associated with romantic meanings, like passion. You can use flowers with passionate intentions to tell someone how you feel romantically. Or it can mean you’re passionate about your feelings of joy, friendship, or other emotions.
Passionate flower types include Gentian, Flame of the Woods, Bougainvillea, Flame Lily, Tulip, Camellia, Saxifrage, Dianthus, Lily, Marigold, and Iris.
Patience
You can use flowers symbolic of patience to give to someone patient with you. You can pick from gorgeous sights like Starwort, Orchid Cactus, False Goat’s Beard, and Ornamental Onion.
Peace
Several unique plants mean peace and tranquility – Golden Poppy, Stonecrop, Poppy, Cosmos, Solomon’s Seal, Christmas Rose, Lisianthus, and Pincushion flower.
Perfection
If you’re looking for elegant flowers that symbolize perfection, go for the dainty Camellia or the exotic Canna Lily.
Perseverance
Perseverance is when you make a continued and persistent effort to do something, whether in pursuit of love or life. Spoonwood is the most symbolic flower of persistence as the Magnolia and Dandelion.
Playfulness
The fun nature and look of the luscious Hyacinth plant make it the perfect representation of playfulness.
Politeness
The Whiteweed – Flossflower – or Ageratum flower is a species of flower that means politeness. You can give them to someone that you feel embodies the persona of politeness.
Power
Flowers can represent power, offering protection from bad luck and scaring evil away. Types of flowers that can mean power include Devil’s Trumpet, the unique Kunzea, Borage, Cinquefoil, a Grape hyacinth, Canna Lily, Dandelion, Monkey Orchid, Iris, Snakes Head, and Magnolia.
Pride
Flowers can also symbolize pride and make a good gift for someone who feels a sense of pride in themselves. You can use Amaryllis, Checkered Lily, Dianthus, Camas, Magnolia, or Lobster Claw (False Bird of Paradise).
Protection
We always want to protect our family, our friends, and ourselves. Flowers have been a symbol of protection for centuries.
False Indigo is the most representative of protection. Other flowers include Yarrow, Witch Hazel, Tanacetum, St. John’s Wort, Foxglove, Masterwort, Hyssop, Heath, Windflower, Oenothera, Hoya, Yucca, Mallow, Spurge, Mullein, Snapdragon, Gorse, Vervain, and Fawn Lily.
Purity
You can also use several flowers to symbolize purity. Flowers with this meaning are superb gifts for a person you find beautiful and innocent.
Species include Lotus, Gardenia, Baby’s Breath, Lily, Avens, African Daisy, Snowflake, Lily of the Valley, Daisy and Blue Daisy, Calla Lily, Bleeding Heart, Lavender, Gerbera, Yucca, Pincushion, and Tulip.
Rebirth
Rebirth is another meaning that you can express with flowers, whether as a live plant or cut floral bouquet. Whether the situation is starting a new job, getting a new home, the start or end of a relationship, a changing lifestyle, or other life change.
Flower species that mean rebirth and new beginnings include Lewisia, Australian Honeysuckle, Spring Beauty, Rain Lily, Deutzia, Xerophyllum, Butterfly Pea Plant, Butterfly bush, Daffodil, Lilac, Russelia, St. John’s Wort, Calla Lily, Daisy, Lotus, and Hyacinth.
Remembrance
Flowers that represent remembrance are a suitable way to make someone reminiscence – remember – old memories. Or you can use them for someone who lost a loved one. Appropriate flowers are Poppy, Forget Me Not, Milkweed, Sea Lavender, Zinnia, Bachelor’s Button, Gladiola, Myrtle, Viola, and Lilac.
Romance
Romance is one of the most common meanings of flowers. You can use flowers as romantic gestures for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and other celebrations between two people. Flowers that are symbolic of romance are Jasmine, Vervain, and Oleander.
Sacrifice
You can acknowledge someone’s sacrifice and hard work with Poppies or Hyssop flowers.
Sadness
Flowers are also commonly associated with sadness. It may be nostalgia for memories or sadness over a chance that’s no longer available.
Sad flowers include Sowbread, Lily, Periwinkle, Hyacinth, Chrysanthemum, Gladiola, Lily of the Valley, and Dianthus.
Sincerity
Sincerity is a feeling of honesty safe from duplicity, deceit, and hypocrisy. Sincere people are kind, truthful, and serious.
You can use Sowbread flowers to give a sincere apology to the person you love or to express your sincerity.
Spirituality
Zygo and Orchid Cactus flowers symbolize spirituality, including strong feelings and beliefs of religious practices, rather than life’s physical properties.
Strength
Flowers can also mean strength. These flowers can be the perfect selection to give someone you love the power they need.
Potential options are Gladiola, Cinquefoil, Ornamental Onion, Coneflower, Masterwort, Valerian, Rock Rose, Blue Star, Camas, Scorpionweed, Bishop’s Hat (Horney Goat Weed), Columbine, and Snapdragon.
Success
When someone achieves success in their lives, flowers are an appropriate gift to give as a sign of congratulations and achievement. Flower types include Baby Blue Eyes, Glorybower, Sea Lavender, Yarrow, and Nasturtium.
Temptation
Azalea flowers are symbolic of temptation and make a suitable choice for a person going through a challenging issue.
Thoughtfulness
Flowers that represent thoughtfulness can be good for someone you care about and want to show consideration. For example, you can give somebody close to you Sage flowers or a Bird of Paradise plant.
Thoughtlessness
Thoughtlessness is when someone lacks consideration for others and acts carelessly. You can use Rocktrumpet – Mandevilla – flowers for someone inconsiderate and thoughtless of you and others.
Trust
Freesia, Star of Bethlehem, and Iris flowers are symbolic of trust. You can use these plants to tell someone how much you trust them without having to repeat the words constantly.
Vanity
Hydrangeas are a bountiful ball flower that means vanity or excessive pride in yourself based on appearance, abilities, achievements, or other factors.
Victory
Nasturtium, Baby Blue Eyes, and Spirea are flowers that you can use to represent victory or a successful win over an opponent or enemy.
Wealth
Everyone wants to experience the non-stress of being wealthy and prosperous. And most of us aren’t scared to do whatever we can to boost our odds.
Several flowers are said to boost your odds of receiving wealth and abundance. Species include the aptly named Treasure Flower, the Lily of the Incas (Peruvian Lily), Bee Balm, Spirea, Peony, Japanese Rose, Bachelor’s Button, Heather, Wax Plant, Kalanchoe, Jacaranda, and Lotus.
Wisdom
Flowers like Iris, Columbine, Solomon’s Seal, Sage, Jacaranda, Perovskia, Lilac, and Spurge are symbolic of wisdom or being wise. Give any of these flowers to a person that’s caring and smart.
Youth
You can also use different types of flowers to symbolize youth. Any of these flowers can make a perfect bouquet for younger women. Go with youthful plants like Crocus, Lobster Claw, Rose Mallow, Primrose, Oenothera, and Dandelion.
Final Thoughts
We’ve covered multiple flowers and their meanings to demonstrate how versatile flowers are in sending unspoken messages. Many purposes share different flowers, and several flowers can have different meanings. Remember these flower meaning symbolism the next time you need flower ideas for any occasion.