Agapanthus
Agapanthus, also known as the “African lily," is associated with love and comes in colors like blue, purple, and white. Its name derives from the word “love" in ancient Greek, making it the perfect gift for a special person in your life.
Allium
The allium is a flower that starts as a bulb and grows into many blooms all clustered together, making it a perfect symbol of unity.
Almond blossom
The beautiful white almond blossom is a resilient flower that symbolizes fertility and love in many cultures. In fact, ancient Romans used almond blossoms to create fertility amulets.
Photo credit: "Creative Commons Almond blossoms" by Renee Grayson is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original
Alstroemeria
With their vibrant and colorful flowers, alstroemeria symbolize mutual support and friendship. If you're looking for a gift for your BFF, give them a bouquet of these flowers!
Amaryllis
Amaryllis is a winter flower that is known for its vibrant red shade, representing love and attraction. These beauties also come in white, orange, pink, purple, and yellow, and symbolize sorrow, positive energy, friendship, spirituality, and good luck, respectively.
Photo credit: JonRichfield, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Anemone
The anemone is a flower with a rich history. In mythology, it came from Aphrodite's tears mourning her love, Adonis. Today, it is a symbol of protection and anticipation since many believed an anemone closing its petals signaled impending rain.
Aster
Although asters have different meanings depending on the type, these flowers are most commonly associated patience, elegance, and daintiness.
Astilbe
Astilbe, a mainstay of summer gardens, symbolizes patience in general, but different colors have different meanings. Lavender astilbe represents feminine beauty and serenity, red represents strong love, and peach represents friendship and gratitude. Regardless of the color, these flowers are the perfect gift for someone you love and admire.
Azalea
Beloved around the world, azaleas symbolize temperance and prudence, making them the perfect flower to show your admiration for the steadfast people in your life.
Bellflower
The beautiful bloom of the bellflower can brighten your garden or even your kitchen counter. However, if you want to send a message, make sure you pick the right color. Blue bellflowers symbolize tranquility and calmness, cream represents peace, purple means royalty, magenta symbolizes romantic love, and pink is a sign of platonic love.
Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susans are unique flowers that can survive harsh conditions, such as drought and freezing temperatures. Like other flowers, they have different meanings depending on their color. Their most common color combination is yellow and black, with the yellow representing friendship and the black symbolizing positive change. They're the perfect gift for a friend going through hard times.
Brunia
This silver shrub is a common guest at weddings, featured in brides' bouquets all over the world. The brunia represents chivalry, making it the perfect plant to celebrate a couple's first step into married life.
Buttercup
Buttercup flowers are primarily yellow and symbolize youthfulness and good health. But this flower comes in a rainbow of colors with various meanings: Pink symbolizes romance, green represents rebirth, red stands for passion, and orange conveys friendship.
Camellia
Need a flower to declare your love and affection? The camellia might be just what you're looking for. Red camellias symbolize desire, pink camellias show longing, and white camellias represent platonic love and friendship.
Carnation
Carnations are said to symbolize both beauty and pride. However, a carnation's meaning can also be broken down by color. A pink carnation, for instance, represents gratitude or the love of a woman, whereas white carnations often symbolize remembrance or pure love.
Celosia
Celosia is an ornamental plant known for its vibrant shades, including red, orange, white, yellow, pink, purple, orange, and green. The flower, which gets its name from the Greek word keleos, symbolizes boldness and determination.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, or mums, have a variety of meanings depending on their location and color. (They hold great significance particularly in China and Japan.) In the United States, they represent happiness, friendship, and well-being. Red chrysanthemums mean passion, orange symbolize excitement, and yellow stand for celebration.
Cornflower
In Victorian times, eligible bachelors would wear cornflowers to show they wished to marry. Today, the flower is commonly used in weddings and represents hope, fertility, fidelity, and love.
Crocus
Need a fresh start? Consider the crocus, a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings since it blooms in early spring.
Daffodil
The daffodil has a few meanings, including chivalry and new beginnings, and is generally associated with the start of spring.
Daisy
The iconic daisy has been admired for ages. The Victorians believed this classic bloom represented loyalty and innocence. Today, the daisy stands for purity and joy.
Dahlia
What flower is prettier than the dahlia? These beauties have a variety of meanings depending on their color. Red dahlias symbolize perseverance, pink mean feminine beauty and kindness, purple indicates respect, white represents innocence and purity, and green embodies change. However, don't give anyone a black dahlia — those are an omen of bad luck!
Dianthus
Dianthus, also known as "pinks," is the emblem of love, passion, and gratitude. The ancient Greeks even referred to it as "The Flower of the Gods" because of its beauty. Today, people send dianthus to show how much they appreciate people in their lives.
Dusty miller
The dusty miller, a silvery shrub, is an intriguing plant that has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, and can thrive through the toughest of droughts. It symbolizes purity and new harvest, making it a great fit for a fall garden or bouquet.
Eryngium
The distinctive, spiky eryngium symbolizes independence and attraction. If you want to give a flower to someone unique in your life, give them this one-of-a-kind bloom!
Freesia
The sweet-smelling freesia is known for its fragrance and bold shades, each of which has a unique meaning. For example, red freesia is the embodiment of love, whereas pink stands for motherly love and purple strength. No matter the color, freesia is a perfect gift for a special someone.
Gardenia
Gardenias symbolize secret love, making them the go-to flower for those who want to anonymously share their feelings of affection with somebody. Additionally, gardenias can be used in a non-romantic way, as they also symbolize joy.
Gladiolus
These vibrant flowers, which go by the nickname “glads," symbolizes moral character and faithfulness. In ancient times, Roman warriors would wear them into battle for protection. Today, the flower has a plethora of additional meanings according to its color. White gladioli represent purity and spirituality, yellow and orange symbolize congratulations, purple mean grace and nobility, and pink and red honor love and romance.
Gypsophila
Also called “baby's breath," gypsophilia is a beautiful, delicate flower perfect for wedding bouquets. In fact, white baby's breath symbolizes young love, whereas its pink counterpart stands for appreciation, femininity, and elegance.
Hyacinth
The gorgeous hyacinth is one of the most iconic flowers, but be careful sending one, as each color dictates a different message. Blue hyacinths represent care, purple flowers say you are seeking forgiveness, and yellow hyacinths symbolize jealousy.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas represent many feelings. One is gratitude, but they don't always symbolize something sweet. They can reflect narcissism or vanity, depending on the situation.
Hypericum
Hypericum, also known as St. John's wort, has been used medicinally for centuries. The ancient Greeks even believed it had the power to ward off evil spirits! Today, you can use this symbol of protection to bring beauty and volume to your garden — just know that it spreads rapidly and is classified as a weed in many areas.
Iris
The iris, named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, embodies faith, courage, and honor, and is a wonderful flower to add to your spring garden.
Larkspur
Larkspur is an iconic bloom, and is even the July birth flower! It embodies youthfulness and positive spirits, but different colors have their own meanings as well. Blue larkspurs symbolize dignity, white represent happiness, and purple stand for someone's first love.
Lavender
Calming lavender is the perfect flower for any occasion. Its vibrant purple hue represents serenity, grace, calmness, and royalty, making it a great gift for that person who is your rock in life.
Liatris
Looking for a flower for your beau? Liatris comes in both purple and white, and symbolizes feelings of happiness in a romantic relationship, making it the ideal gift for Valentine's Day or an anniversary.
Lily
Lilies are generally symbolic of purity and refined beauty, but we can take their meaning one step further and break it down by color. Orange lilies, for example, symbolize passion, whereas white lilies are an indicator of modesty.
Lisianthus
The rose-like lisianthus is a symbol of appreciation and gratitude, and can be used for everything from anniversary gifts to wedding bouquets. Some associate this flower with the zodiac sign Sagittarius, so it's a great birthday present for anyone born between Nov. 23 and Dec. 21.
Marigold
Marigolds' beautiful orange and gold colors symbolize a desire for wealth and to succeed. They can also be used when grieving over the loss of a loved one or celebrating those who have passed.
Myrtle
The myrtle is a staple at wedding ceremonies, and it's no wonder why. This plant has embodied love and romance since the time of ancient Greece, when it was the sacred flower of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Photo credit: "Creative Commons queen's crape myrtle" by Dinesh Valke is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original
Orchid
Orchids symbolize love, fertility, thoughtfulness, and charm. Long associated with femininity, these flowers also suggest an element of exotic beauty.
Pansy
The perennial pansy is another flower that exemplifies romantic love. In fact, receiving a pansy in Victorian times meant that your lover was thinking of you!
Peony
The pretty peony is one of the most well-known blooms in the world. It symbolizes prosperity and good luck, so it's a wonderful flower for anyone starting a new chapter in their life. The peony can have other meanings depending on the culture as well. In China and Japan, it is widely used in celebrations and symbolizes wealth.
Periwinkle
Periwinkles embody faith, trust, and love in the language of flowers. In Christianity, they also symbolize chastity and purity, and are associated with the Virgin Mary.
Phlox
A garden staple, phlox embodies unity, partnership, and harmony. The Victorians even used these blooms to propose! Give your lifelong love phlox to show them how much you care.
Polemonium
Also known as “Jacob's ladder," polemonium is a blue flower that grows in loose clusters. It gets its name from the biblical story of a ladder going toward heaven, and symbolizes the connection between humans and the divine.
Pomegranate
The vibrant red pomegranate isn't just a fruit — it's also a flower! The pomegranate, featured in the Greek myth of Persephone, symbolizes fertility and abundance, and is associated with the goddess of spring.
Photo credit: "Creative Commons pomegranate flower" by Lars Hammar is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original
Snapdragon
The towering snapdragon is a uniquely shaped and beautiful flower that symbolizes grace under pressure. Honor the toughest person in your life with a beautiful snapdragon — they deserve recognition!
Stock
Stock symbolizes a happy life and contentment, and is a great gift for everyday and special occasions alike. In Victorian times, these flowers represented everlasting beauty and affection.
Sunflower
Who doesn't love sunflowers? The gorgeous yellow and black bloom is recognized worldwide, but its symbolism may not be as well known. Whereas sunflowers have a variety of meanings depending on the culture, in the United States they generally signify loyalty and adoration.
Tulip
A popular flower found in spring gardens, the tulip symbolizes a perfect love, one that can be between family members, friends, or romantic partners. Tulips can also represent charity and royalty.
Yarrow
Want to send flowers to someone recovering from an injury or illness? Send them a yarrow bouquet. These flowers, known by the scientific name Achillea millefolium, are named after the invincible hero Achilles. These unique blooms symbolize healing, courage on the battlefield, and recovery.
Yarrow comes in a rainbow of shades, each with their own meaning. White yarrow represents regeneration and starting a new chapter in life, pink represents joy and excitement, yellow stands for friendship and positivity, red signifies love, strength, and endurance, and orange represents admiration and companionship.
Zinnia
It makes perfect sense that zinnias symbolize endurance considering they are one of the species that lasts the longest during their bloom— sometimes up to five months! These flowers can also be used simply to show that you are thinking of someone.
