When you need to make an apology for something, gifting flowers can be a way to show your sincerity. Multiple flowers symbolize forgiveness, whether you’re telling someone you forgive them. Or if you’re asking them to forgive you for your wrong-doing. Try these nine flowers for forgiveness.
Flowers That Show Forgiveness
There are many occasions for which you might need to express or accept an apology. And there are different people to whom you may have to request or grant forgiveness, from friends to family to acquaintances like co-workers, neighbors, or teachers.
White Tulip
Tulips – Tulipa of the Liliaceae family – symbolizes forgiveness, peace, new beginnings, serenity, and purity. These Forgiveness flowers are suitable for family and special friends to whom you want to make amends and repair the relationship to have a better future.
Include white tulips as a symbol of renewal and new beginnings. It means your relationship is starting afresh with the troubles left in the past. This flower gets its name from the Arabic word for a turban – dulband – due to the flower’s significance in Turkish cultures.
Purple Hyacinth
The Hyacinth flower – Hyacinthus orientalis of the Asparagaceae family – is appropriate I’m sorry flower to give to a family member or a close friend when there are hurt feelings or when you need to apologize for telling a lie.
Blue hyacinths are symbolic of peace, family togetherness, and rebirth and are suitable for a bouquet of sorry flowers. Purple hyacinths are flowers that mean regret, sadness, or sorrow. These flowers are native to the Mediterranean and play a role in Greek culture and Apollo. The name comes from hyakinthos – the name of Apollo’s lover – meaning flower.
Daffodil
Daffodils – Narcissus pseudonarcissus of the Amaryllidaceae family – are spring’s first flowers and represent rebirth and forgiveness. However, when gifting these flowers as an apology present as a bouquet, one flower means doom.
‘The Poet’s Flower’ – Narcissus – ties to a Greek myth of the same name. Daffodil is from the Dutch word – affo Dyle – meaning which comes early. It’s native to northern Europe and grows as a wildflower in temperate climates globally.
Ivy Flowers
Native to Europe, Ivy plants – Hedera of the Araliaceae family- date back in history to being sacred in Greek and Roman mythology and before to the Druids, who believed Ivy meant female divinity. The main meanings of Ivy are friendship, marriage, and fidelity. The genus name means ‘the clinging plant”, a loose translation from “to grasp” or “get.”
You can use a bouquet of live Ivy plants as an apology in the hopes of resolving the issue with peace and happiness. Ivy looks great when mixed with other flowers like tulips or roses. Use Ivy to make up for something about which you feel deep guilt or sorrow.
Yellow Rose
Roses – Rosa of the family Rosaceae – are a flower beloved by everyone and with many different symbols like love, life, secrecy, and romance. In addition, the color is often symbolic of individual meanings. For example, red roses mean passion, while white roses mean purity. Rose cultivation began in China 5,000 years ago, although rose fossils date 35 million years.
Yellow roses mean forgiveness and friendship. You may decide to use multiple rose colors to make a bouquet of apology roses. Or these flowers may be part of a mixed bouquet of different beautiful flowers, like white orchids, another flower of forgiveness.
Carnation
You can use pink carnations – Dianthus caryophyllus of the Caryophyllaceae family – as apology flowers to ask forgiveness of a friend. For example, use carnations for I’m sorry flowers if you apologize for being an absent friend. Or it can be an I’m sorry flower for being consistently late or flaking at the last moment.
These Forgiveness flowers send the message that your friendship is important. And that you are making an effort to fix the rift.
Spring Crocus
Spring Crocus – Crocus vernus of the Iridaceae family – are symbolic of purging after an inappropriate action, giving this early spring flower the nickname ‘Penitent’s rose.’
It’s also a symbol of the external part of the soul or heart and how it expands when forgiven by someone we love. These flowers are native to Europe, growing wild in high alpine regions.
Violets
Violets – Viola odorata of the family Violaceae – are native to East Africa, where a story says an author – Stanley Mooneyham, found them growing wild. The violet becomes the forgiveness flower in the story because it releases a fragrant aroma after it’s crushed, as if it’s forgiving you for destroying it.
Violets have symbolism in Greek mythology, a prominent myth of Zeus and Hera, the rulers of all gods and goddesses. Because Zeus gave his wife a bouquet to apologize, it’s still an apology flower.
Aster
Asters – Asteraceae family – are the birth flower of September and represent love, bravery, faith, and wisdom. The name aster means star in Greek, referring to the flower’s star shape. You can get asters in mauve, red, pink, white, and lilac.
In Greek mythology, the Aster was an offering to the Gods. So, it now means to take care of yourself and deep affection and emotional love for the recipient.
What Different Colors of Flowers Express Forgiveness
In the language of flowers, a color can have as much meaning as the flower type.
White
White has multiple meanings, with the two most significant to apology flowers being unity and sympathy. Understanding where another person is coming from and being able to sympathize with their perspective helps your apology become sincere.
Pink
Pink’s association with romance gives this color meaning of love and gratitude. Therefore, flowers of this color are an appropriate choice for Forgive me flowers for a romantic partner. Pink flowers in an apology bouquet mean you love the person, appreciate them as they are, and who they are mean a lot to you.
Yellow
Use yellow to represent joy and friendship. In addition, they can express a sincere apology to someone close to you. When picking a flower for forgiveness, choose yellow with flowers that mean regret to make up for a hurtful or misunderstood gesture.
Blue
Blue symbolizes hope and truth, making them important symbols of forgiveness for a sincere apology. The best course is always honesty and truthfulness when you’re giving flowers for an apology.
Red
Red is appropriate for flowers that represent forgiveness of a spouse to whom you want to apologize but also express passion and love. Darker reds are best for conveying your sincerity, while adding white flowers represents unity.
What Is the Best Flower to Show Forgiveness?
White tulips are among the best flowers to apologize for, with yellow roses strong competition (or a classic apology bouquet). Violets are an appropriate apology flower to give to someone to symbolize your forgiveness of their actions.
How Many Roses Should Be Used for Forgiveness?
If you’re sending a bouquet of roses as an apology, you’ll need to send 15 roses, saying I’m sorry.
Conclusion
Apologizing can be a difficult thing that many people often struggle with due to our pride. Flowers are a great way to non-verbally express your feelings and say, “I’m sorry.” The type of flower, the color, the offense, and the person you’re sending the flowers to determines the appropriate type to send to request (or give) forgiveness.