Floriography: The Secret Message of Flowers

When gifting flowers, especially during Valentine's Day season, it's important to recognize the message that you are sending with each type of flower within your bouquet. The term for this is floriography, which means the language of flowers, deriving from the Latin flōris, meaning flower, and the English graphy meaning field of study. The art of floriography originally started in Ottoman, Turkey, and saw a new life during the Victorian era in Europe, thanks to two authors, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Aubry de La Mottraye.

Different flowers symbolize different things and different colors or shades of flowers can symbolize different things as well. Here is a list of some love-inspired flowers to include in your bouquets this Valentine season.

One of the most popular flowers to give on romantic occasions is the rose. However, be careful to select the appropriate color rose, or you may be sending a different message than intended.

Another flower with many meanings is the carnation. This flower has religious ties as some Christians believe carnations first bloomed when the Virgin Mary wept as Jesus carried the cross. Not only that but green carnations are a queer symbol first used by the poet and playwright Oscar Wilde in 1892. More recently, actor Elliot Page wore a green carnation on his lapel at the 2021 Met Gala as a nod to his recent transition.

While roses and carnations come in a variety of colors that give them different meanings, most flowers come in a few or a single color. Here is a list of some love-related flowers to incorporate in your bouquets this holiday season.

Ambrosia (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - Reciprocated love

Chrysanthemum - General: optimism, joy; long life; fidelity

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) - Lust

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) - Protection

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) - Purple: Please forgive me

Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulis) - Your looks freeze me

Lilac (Syringa) - First emotions of love

Lily (Lilium) - General: love between two women

Lungworts (Pulmonaria) - You are my life

Mallow (Malva) - Consumed by love

Orchid (Orchidaceae) - White Orget: My thoughts will follow into your dreams

Oregano (Origanum) - Blushes

Pansy (Viola) - Think of me

Peony (Paeonia) - Red: Love, passion

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) - Tender recollections

Petunia - Your presence soothes me

Phlox - Our souls are united

Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) - You are delicious

Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus) - Fantasy

Quince (Cydonia oblonga) - Temptation

Rush Daffodil (Narcissus jonquilla) - Desire

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) - Your purity equals your loveliness

Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata) - Never-ending love

So, while you may have been unaware of the meaning of the flowers you’ve been giving and receiving, with this new knowledge, hopefully, you can keep the art and science of floriography alive and give meaningful messages within the flowers you send.

The sources for the meanings of each flower listed in this article can be found through the following links:

A Victorian Flower Dictionary

Plant Symbolism