Most everyone knows that the rose is associated with love. But did you know that the marigold represents grief, pansies represent thoughtful remembrance, and the sweet pea symbolizes lasting pleasure?
There’s an entire language of flowers, in which different blooms carry different meanings. So if you're selecting flowers for a particular occasion, it’s useful to know more about flower meanings and symbolism. Bouquets and blooms are frequently involved in events like graduations, performances, funerals, anniversaries, and perhaps most notably, weddings. What floral choices are the most appropriate or meaningful for what occasions?
In this article, we’ll provide a brief introduction to the concept of flower meanings. Then we’ll give a guide to flower symbolism for thirty-five popular flowers. We’ll also discuss their cost, seasonal availability, and what flowers may be most appropriate for a particular event or circumstance. We’ll close out with a handy index so you can find flowers by price, season, birthday month, and anniversary year.
Table of Contents
The Language of Flowers: An Introduction
The Language of Flowers: An Introduction
The concept of a symbolic flower language has existed since ancient times in various cultures throughout the world. However, the significance of flower meanings peaked in the Western world during the Victorian era. The practice of sending coded bouquets was supposedly inspired by an elaborate Turkish custom that involved members of harems sending secret messages to each other through objects. It’s hard to say exactly how much truth there is to this backstory, but flower language took Victorian England—and the rest of Europe—by storm.
The first Western flower dictionary was written by Frenchwoman Charlotte de Latour in 1819 and called “le language des fleurs.” (That’s “The Language of Flowers,” for those of you who don’t speak French.) It was a runaway success and spawned countless copycats, translations, new editions, and so on.
Flower dictionary authors grabbed the meaning of flowers from myth, legend, other cultures, religion, the emblems of royal houses and lineages, each other, and so on. As you might imagine, this meant that different flower dictionaries could posit very different ideas of what the same flower meant based on whatever source material the author consulted.
Thus, the answer to the question “What do flowers symbolize?” is not as simple as people might imagine. This is because different cultures and sources can have wildly different flower meanings! In this guide, we’ve presented major interpretive discrepancies in the language of flowers where they exist and provided guidance as to how to navigate these discrepancies.
Furthermore, the same flowers can have different meanings based on their colors! Some colors are fairly consistent across flowers. For example, most guides have yellow flowers meaning friendship and cheer. Similarly, most sources have purple flowers meaning royalty. We will give guidance to different colors in the entries for given flowers where needed.
With our help, you can get a grasp on flowers and what they mean. We’ll equip you to send meaningful, heartfelt bouquets with extra-special significance.
A Note on Price Before the Flower Dictionary
In this article, I’ve used $ signs to indicate price instead of giving a more specific number. It can be hard to know the exact price of flowers per stem due to availability and variability.
Here’s the key:
- $ = <3 dollars per stem
- $$ = 3-8 dollars per stem
- $$$ = 8+ dollars per stem
It’s also worth considering that you aren’t just paying for flower rarity, but size. Baby’s breath may be cheap on a per-stem basis, but you’ll need lots of it to fill out a bouquet or arrangement. By contrast, you may only need a few stems of the more expensive hydrangea because the blooms are so profuse.
Flower Meanings A-E
Note that flowers are called by their common name as opposed to their scientific one. (These are sometimes, but not always, the same.)
Alstroemeria
Genus: Alstroemeria
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Most colors except true blues
About This Flower:
Also known as the Peruvian Lily or the lily of the Incas, alstroemeria is native to South America. It’s a popular bouquet flower that can last up to two weeks when cut. Resembling a miniature lily, the alstroemeria comes in a rainbow of colors. While not as toxic as typical lilies (which can be deadly to pets and even people), alstroemeria can make cats and dogs sick, so this flower may not be the best choice for a pet owner!
Symbolism:
The alstroemeria represents devoted friendship. Furthermore, it represents wealth and prosperity.
Appropriate Occasions:
A bouquet of these blooms is a great choice to express true friendship or to congratulate someone for a new promotion or job opportunity.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Aster
Genus: Aster
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round; fall peak
Colors: Pink, white, purple, and blue
About This Flower:
From the Greek and Latin words for “star,” this little flower is another popular choice in floral arrangements.
Symbolism:
Also known as the “herb of Venus,” this plant has long been thought to have magical and healing powers. Ancient Greek legend says the goddess Astraea looked down on earth from the sky and wept when she saw that there were no stars on earth. Her tears became the Aster flower. This flower represents daintiness, elegance, and small beginnings in the language of flowers. It’s also a love talisman.
Appropriate Occasions:
Aster is a solid component of a romantic bouquet, or to celebrate any new beginning.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The Aster is the birth month flower for September and the 20th wedding anniversary flower.
Baby’s Breath
Genus: Gypsophila
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall
Colors: White, pink (much less common)
About This Flower:
The summer-blooming baby’s breath is a popular “filler” flower in bouquets and arrangements. Baby’s breath is a fairly budget-friendly flower and frequently used as an accent flower in rose bouquets.
Symbolism:
This delicate spray of typically white blooms symbolizes purity and innocence as well as everlasting love. And, of course, it’s a symbol of babies—especially newborns!
Appropriate Occasions:
It’s a good choice as a component of any romantic bouquet, and a great choice for a flower girl or bridesmaid. Baby’s breath is sometimes sent to new parents. Lastly, it’s frequently used in funeral arrangements, where its symbolic meanings of innocence and everlasting love have particular poignancy.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Bird of Paradise
Genus: Strelitzia
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$
Colors: Orange and blue combination
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring (tropical climates)
About This Flower:
The exotic and striking Bird of Paradise is named for the tropical bird that it resembles. This bloom is native to South Africa. As the Bird of Paradise thrives in heat and humidity, they can be somewhat expensive outside of those climes, but are frequently grown as houseplants in hospitable climates. Note that this flower is poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
This showy flower signifies the wonderfully unexpected, magnificence, paradise, royalty, and joyfulness.
Appropriate Occasions:
As an exuberant and opulent flower, it’s a good choice to commemorate a happy occasion with anyone who has bold and unconventional tastes.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
This bright flower is traditionally associated with the ninth wedding anniversary.
Carnations
Species: Dianthus caryophyllus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Most colors except blue
About This Flower:
The carnation, or dianthus, is an extremely popular and affordable bouquet flower that can last up to three weeks when cut. It’s thought to be native to the Mediterranean region.
Symbolism:
In general, the carnation is associated with love and marriage. Betrothed couples were often depicted holding a carnation in Renaissance-era paintings.
However, carnations can communicate very different messages based on their color. A red carnation has a meaning of intense love and admiration. White carnations signify pure love and innocence.
The pink carnation is a symbol of mother’s day. Christian legend holds that the pink carnation sprang from the tears of Mary as she walked to the cross. Additionally, the pink carnation communicates gratitude.
Purple carnations symbolize whimsy and capriciousness. In France, they are the traditional flower of condolence after someone has lost a loved one.
Not all carnations have positive meanings in the language of flowers. The yellow carnation communicates rejection. (But if you send a bouquet of yellow carnations to a significant other, you might still want to break up with them verbally.) Striped signifies a refusal, especially a refusal of someone’s romantic advances. (But again, you probably still need to communicate with words. It’s not the Victorian era anymore!)
Appropriate Occasions:
The best occasion for carnations depends a lot on their color. Red carnations are good for a romantic bouquet, especially mixed with white carnations. White carnations are a good choice for weddings. Pink carnations are an excellent mother’s day gift.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The carnation is the birth flower for January and the first wedding anniversary flower.
Cherry Blossoms
Subgenus: Prunus Cerasus
Cost Range (Per Stem): n/a; not generally purchased for bouquets
Seasonal Availability: Spring
Colors: White and pink
About This Flower:
The fragile, flowering blooms of the cherry tree don’t often appear in bouquets. They briefly bloom in gorgeous profusion in the early spring, only to fade and fall several weeks later.
Symbolism:
The brief life of cherry blossoms makes them a symbol of the bittersweet beauty of the impermanent and transient. In China, cherry blossoms are a symbol of a good education and the flower of April. In Japan, cherry blossoms represent wealth and prosperity. They are also the flower of March and the national flower of Japan.
Appropriate Occasions:
You likely won’t be sending anyone cherry blossoms in a bouquet, but a cherry blossom motif will communicate a meaning that you are aware of a poignant sweetness that may not last.
Birthdays and anniversaries: N/A
Chrysanthemum
Genus: Chrysanthemum
Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round; late summer/fall peak
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The chrysanthemum (or mum) originated in China, and typically blooms in the fall.
Symbolism:
In China, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn. In many countries the chrysanthemum is a mourning flower and primarily used for funerals. In the United States, however, it symbolizes hope in dark times and optimism and cheer. In Victorian times, white chrysanthemums symbolized truth. A wedding bouquet of white chrysanthemums represented the honest and faithful nature of the bride.
Appropriate Occasions:
The mum is a good choice to send to those in mourning. Additionally, it can be used for get-well-soon bouquets or sent to anyone who needs a lift.
Finally, for a wedding bouquet with traditional significance, consider white mums.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The chrysanthemum is the November birthday flower and the thirteenth wedding anniversary flower.
Daffodil
Genus: Narcissus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: Yellow
About This Flower:
The perennial daffodil, which blooms in late winter and early spring, is a variety of the genus narcissus. It’s a popular bouquet flower. Be warned that the daffodil is poisonous to pets!
Symbolism:
In Victorian England, the daffodil represented chivalry. A cheerful early bloomer, the daffodil now symbolizes new beginnings and new life. As such, it’s become a flower emblematic of both Easter and the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. (The Annunciation is when Mary was informed by the angel Gabriel that she would bear Jesus, for those who aren’t as familiar with the Christian canon). In Wales, daffodils were traditionally placed on the graves of loved ones on Palm Sunday.
Appropriate Occasions:
The daffodil is appropriate to celebrate a new baby, a new job, or anything else new in life!
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The daffodil is the birth flower for March and the tenth wedding anniversary flower.
Dahlia
Genus: Dahlia
Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$
Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The bright dahlia is native to Mexico. Dahlias come in a huge variety of shapes and colors. Painter Frida Kahlo frequently wore the blooms in her hair.
Symbolism:
The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. Because it is hard to cultivate successfully in Europe’s harsher climes, the Victorians believed it symbolized instability. However, it now carries a message of dignity and regality.
Appropriate Occasions:
The dahlia is a versatile flower appropriate for many occasions, including to express gratitude, best wishes, or admiration.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Daisy
Genus: Bellis
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall
Colors: White
About This Flower:
The classic, cheerful daisy is a well-loved flower. The name “Daisy” is thought to come from the Old English version of “day’s eye,” because the flowers open with the sunrise and close at night.
Symbolism:
The daisy symbolizes innocence, gentleness, and purity. The flower was associated with Aphrodite (and her Roman counterpart, Venus) in ancient times. However, the flower now most strongly signals a youthful, inexperienced innocence and purity.
Appropriate Occasions:
The daisy is an appropriate floral gift for girls and young women. It can be a charming flower to adorn flower girls at weddings.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
They daisy is associated with April birthdays and fifth wedding anniversaries.
Flower Meanings F-K
Read on for flowers and meanings from F-K!
Forget-Me-Not
Genus: Mysotis
Cost Range (Per Stem): Not commonly sold; consult with florist
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer
Colors: Blue
About This Flower:
The little forget-me-not is a spring-blooming wildflower that naturally grows along riverbanks and streams. The forget-me-not is more likely to be grown in a garden or found in the wild than it is to appear in a typical store-bought bouquet.
Symbolism:
As you might imagine from its name, the “forget-me-not” symbolizes remembrance, particularly remembering a loved one when they are apart from you.
There are several legends about how the forget-me-not got its name. One posits that a knight leaving on campaign crouched by the riverbank and picked some for his lady love, admonishing her not to forget him.
A Christian legend supposes that when the Lord named all of the flowers, he reached the end of the plants. Then a little, overlooked flower said, “What about me?” And so the lord named it the “forget-me-not.”
A German folktale holds that the flower got its name when a man bent down to pick the flowers from the riverbanks for his fiancee. He lost his footing and fell in. As the river carried him away, he threw the flowers to his love with a cry of “forget me not!” (The Germans can be a little morbid with their folktales.)
Appropriate Occasions:
Because of their message of faithful love, forget-me-nots are a perfect flower for spring weddings and romantic bouquets. Furthermore, because they symbolize remembrance, they are appropriate for funerals and for honoring the dead more generally.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Freesia
Genus: Freesia
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The beautiful, spring-blooming freesia is considered one of the most fragrant flowers out there. It’s known for its pleasant, citrusy smell. The freesia is a fairly popular bouquet flower that comes in a variety of colors.
Symbolism:
The freesia primarily signifies innocence, trust, and friendship. It can also signify a love that is careful and slow, as opposed to one that is rushed and passionate.
Appropriate Occasions:
While its meaning may not seem as explicitly romantic as some other flowers, it’s nonetheless a popular wedding flower. In addition to weddings, the freesia is a particularly appropriate gift to honor a close friendship.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The freesia is the traditional seventh wedding anniversary flower.
Gardenia
Genus: Gardenia
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: White and yellow
About This Flower:
The pale gardenia, part of the coffee family, blooms on small evergreen trees and shrubs in warm climates. Because they come from a shrub, gardenias are not particularly common in store-bought bouquets. On a cut branch, gardenias can last multiple weeks. Otherwise, the cut blooms last only a few days.
Symbolism:
In the Chinese tradition, these beautiful flowers are a paean to feminine elegance and creativity. Similarly, in the Western canon, the gardenia signifies refinement and loveliness. They can indicate a secret love. In the American South, where gardenias are common, they have a particular connection to Southern hospitality.
Appropriate Occasions:
Gardenias can be a beautiful and unusual wedding flower, although the cut flower will need to be affixed to artificial stems by a florist so that they can be included in a bouquet. Otherwise, you may not have much occasion to gift gardenia blooms unless you give a plant wholesale—only a good idea if you know the recipient likes to garden!
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Gerbera Daisy
Genus: Gerbera
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Every color but blue and green
About This Flower:
The gerbera daisy (also known as the African or Transvaal daisy) is a bright and cheerful flower that blooms in a huge variety of bright colors. Because they are hardy and last well over a week when cut, they are a common bouquet flower at all times of the year. They are readily available for purchase and fairly affordable.
Symbolism:
The gerbera daisy symbolizes cheerfulness, joy, and innocence.
Appropriate Occasions:
The gerbera daisy is a great flower for anyone who needs a pick-me-up. Additionally, gerberas are appropriate to celebrate an accomplishment like a new job, graduation, or housewarming.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
As the Gerbera is a daisy type, it’s appropriate for April birthdays.
Gladiolus
Genus: Gladiolus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round, summer peak
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
Native to South Africa, the summer-blooming gladiolus is another popular cutting and bouquet flower. Be aware that the gladiolus is poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
Some think that the flower, also known as the “sword lily,” may be the “lily of the field” to which Jesus referred in Matthew 6:28. With its bladelike sheaf of blooms, the gladiolus indicated to the Victorians that the receiver had pierced the sender’s heart. Now the flower symbolizes grace, fidelity, honor, and a strong character.
Appropriate Occasions:
Gladiolus is an excellent flower to express admiration—romantic or otherwise.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The gladiolus is an August birthday flower and the 40th wedding anniversary flower.
Hyacinth
Genus: Hyacinthus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: Purple, blue, white
About This Flower:
The beautiful hyacinth blooms in the late winter and spring. The bulbs are highly poisonous to pets, so if you have a dog who likes to dig, you may not want to plant this in your garden!
Symbolism:
Hyacinth symbolizes young love. In 19th-century France, the flower communicated a kind of desperate, all-consuming love; the English connotation was more flirtatious and playful.
The hyacinth gets its name from a Greek myth. Hyacinth was the young lover of Apollo, but Zephyr also admired Hyacinth. In his jealousy, he caused Apollo’s discus to strike Hyacinth, killing him. Grief-stricken, Apollo transformed Hyacinth’s spilled blood into the hyacinth flower. As such, the hyacinth was dedicated to Apollo.
In Victorian parlance, the different hyacinth colors had different connotations. Blue signified constancy, purple asked for forgiveness, and white symbolized beauty.
Appropriate Occasions:
As a symbol of young love, hyacinths are particularly well-suited for a romantic spring bouquet or spring wedding.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Hydrangea
Genus: Hydrangea
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$
Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall
Colors: Blue, purple, pink, green, white
About This Flower:
Hydrangeas have a long blooming season, beginning in early spring and stretching out to late autumn. They bloom on shrubs or climbing vines. Interestingly, the color of hydrangea blooms is based on soil pH. If you wish to give someone hydrangea flowers, you can get them in a cut bouquet or give hydrangea as a houseplant.
Note that this plant is poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
To the Victorians, the profusely blooming hydrangea signified boastfulness, because its magnificent blooms don’t lead to fruit. Today, the hydrangea has a somewhat contradictory meaning. Some hold that it symbolizes emotional coldness, while others purport that it signifies gratitude. But the ambiguity (and general lack of romantic symbolism) hasn’t stopped the hydrangea from being included in many weddings!
Appropriate Occasions:
In general, most people who receive flowers associate them with positive meanings. So you can safely gift hydrangea as a thank-you flower without worrying that you’ll be giving an insult!
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
Hydrangea is the fourth wedding anniversary flower.
Iris
Genus: Iris
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round; spring peak
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The vibrant, multicolored iris is very popular in both gardens and bouquets. Depending on the specific species, garden irises bloom from the spring to the late fall. Some varieties bloom multiple times in a season. With its many varieties and long blooming season, the iris is readily available and affordable as a bouquet flower. Like several other flowers flagged in this list, the iris is poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
This flower is named after the Greek messenger goddess, whose emblem was the rainbow. Because of its association with this goddess, the iris flower symbolizes a message, particularly one of hope or of mourning. It’s also associated with eloquence, faith, courage, and wisdom. In medieval iconography, the iris was associated with the Annunciation. (The iris represented the message from the angel Gabriel that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus). A stylized version of the iris became the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of French royalty.
Appropriate Occasions:
The iris is a good choice to someone who has just completed an important speaking engagement. You can also send the iris as a message of courage in difficult times. Furthermore, with its message of hope and faith, the iris is a common funeral and mourning flower.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The iris is the birth flower of February and the 25th wedding anniversary flower.
Flower Meanings L-Q
Flowers L-Q covered in the following section!
Lilac
Genus: Syringa
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer
Colors: Purple, Pink, Blue, White, Yellow
About This Flower:
Blooming at the end of spring and early summer, the lilac shrub is a prized for its fragrant, delicate flowers. People once believed its strong smell could ward off the Black Death! While lilacs are not very common bouquet flowers, perhaps due to their short season, they are found in many cutting gardens. (A cutting garden is a household garden that is maintained for the purpose of being able to cut home-grown bouquets.)
Symbolism:
To the Victorians, this flower represented the first emotions of love. This symbolism still holds today, as the lilac represents the early blush of love and the beginning of summer. Some say that the lilac also represents the bittersweet sadness of new lovers when they are forced to part for even a moment.
Appropriate Occasions:
If you are lucky enough to have access to lilacs for cutting, a bouquet of fresh-cut lilac is a stunning gift for a new paramour—or anyone else who loves the sweet and soothing smell of lilac.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The lilac is the eighth wedding anniversary flower.
Lily
Genus: Lilium
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
Few flowers are more popular or have more cultural significance than the lily. The lilium genus has incredible variation in color and notably sizable blooms. But the lily is extremely poisonous to cats and can be deadly!
Symbolism:
The lily has been a sacred flower since ancient times. Hence, lily flower meaning is a dense topic. In the ancient near east it was associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility. In Greece the lily was a symbol of Hera; in Rome, a symbol of Venus. In Semitic legend, the lily sprang from the tears of Eve when she was cast out of the Garden of Eden.
As Christianity overtook older traditions, the lily came to be associated with the Virgin Mary. This held particularly true of the white lily, also called the Madonna lily. The white lily has also come to symbolize Easter and the resurrection of Christ within the Christian tradition.
In the Victorian era, it was the highest flattery to compare a woman to the Virgin Mary. As such, comparing a woman to a lily, Mary’s emblem, was to pay her high honor indeed. The white lily symbolized purity, chastity, innocence, and modesty.
While the connotations of purity still persist somewhat, lilies have also come to signify perfection, majesty, and excellence.
Appropriate Occasions:
It is a high compliment to gift someone lilies; many consider lilies to be an incredibly romantic flower. Lilies are frequently used in weddings.
However, because of its connection with the resurrection of Christ, the lily is also often used in funerals and sent in sympathy bouquets in Western countries.
Overall, lilies are a versatile flower; when sending flowers is appropriate, it’s hard to go wrong with a lily bouquet.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The lily is the birth flower for May and the 30th wedding anniversary flower. The calla lily (not a true lily, though many think it is) is the sixth wedding anniversary flower.
Lily of the Valley
Species: Convallaria majalis
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round, spring peak
Colors: White
About This Flower:
The perennial lily of the valley is the true lily’s humbler wildflower cousin. It blooms in late spring, and smells sweet but is highly poisonous—so don’t eat it! It’s not a true lily, the lily of the valley is still poisonous to pets. It’s not a particularly common cutting flower in your average bouquet.
Symbolism:
This flower is the emblem of the Norse goddess of the dawn, Ostara. In Christian lore, the lily of the valley sprang from the tears of Mary as she wept at the cross. This flower is also a symbol of May Day in France.
The lily of the valley represents purity, sweetness, and a renewal of happiness.
Appropriate Occasions:
Lily of the valley is a popular choice for bridal bouquets and decorations for spring weddings. Furthermore, it’s a good choice to celebrate a birth, a baptism, or any other joyful event or rite of passage.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The lily of the valley the second wedding anniversary flower.
Marigold
Genus: Calendula
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Year-round, summer and fall peak
Colors: Yellow, orange
About This Flower:
Brightly colored marigolds bloom all summer, lasting until the ground frosts over. The marigold is poisonous to cats.
Symbolism:
While they may look cheerful, marigolds actually represent grief and sadness in the language of flowers.
Appropriate Occasions:
Marigold is best suited to funeral and condolence bouquets. You can temper the message of sadness with other blooms, perhaps baby’s breath (everlasting love) or or rosemary (remembrance).
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The warm-toned marigold is one of the October birthday flowers.
Narcissus
Genus: Narcissus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: White, white and yellow, yellow, orange, and pink
About This Flower:
Narcissus flowers bloom early, in late winter and early spring. The most famous variety of the narcissus genus is the cheerful daffodil, but the flower also comes in other colors.
Symbolism:
Narcissus actually has a fairly negative connotation in the language of flowers. They symbolize narcissism and egotism. Greek legend holds that the narcissus flower was created when a young man named Narcissus was so besotted with the sight of his own reflection in a pond that knelt down there for days until he eventually turned into the beautiful flower that bears his name.
An exception to this negative connotation is the cherry yellow daffodil, which is a type of narcissus with its own positive meaning.
Appropriate Occasions:
It’s true that most people don't associate a bouquet of flowers with an insult, no matter how subtle. Narcissus flowers really aren’t the best choice for a symbolic, meaningful bouquet, unless you’re sending daffodils or a December birthday bouquet.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
Narcissus is a December birthday flower.
Orange Blossom
Species: Citrus Sinensis
Cost Range (Per Stem): Not a typical bouquet flower; discuss with a florist
Seasonal Availability: Spring
Colors: White
About This Flower:
When the orange tree blooms—usually in April—it bears beautiful, fragrant white flowers. Orange blossom fragrance is a key element of many perfumes, and orange blossom water is an element in French and Middle Eastern cooking. Orange blossom honey has a citrus flavor and is one of the best-loved honey varieties.
Symbolism:
The orange blossom is closely associated with weddings in many cultures. The flowers are often used in bridal headpieces and bouquets. It’s said that the crusaders brought the practice back to Europe from the Middle East, where the Saracen brides wore the blossoms as a symbol of fecundity. In Victorian England they came to signify a bride’s purity. In Japan, orange blossoms symbolize chastity and eternal love.
The blossoms have remained symbolic of a fruitful marriage, loveliness, and innocence.
Appropriate Occasions:
For wedding flowers that are steeped in tradition, orange blossoms are a lovely option.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Orchid
Family: Orchidaceae
Cost Range (Per Stem): $$-$$$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The tropical orchid family is among the most prized and exquisite of flowers. There are over 28,000 orchid species, displaying an astonishing variety of color, shape, size, and scent. Vanilla comes from the vanilla orchid. Many orchid varieties are used to scent perfume. The cultivation and collection of orchids in greenhouses became such a popular pastime in Victorian-era England that the term “orchidelirium” was termed for the frenzy. Orchid are expensive and delicate flower.
Symbolism:
The orchid symbolizes the exotic, the ecstatic, and the luxurious. Its flower meaning also relates to mature elegance, beauty, and refinement.
Appropriate Occasions:
If money’s no object, orchids can be a beautiful wedding flower. For gifts, it is more common to give an orchid as a potted houseplant than as part of a bouquet. It’s a very romantic flower that sends the message that the receiver is highly prized. However, only give a potted plant as a gift if you know the recipient will actually enjoy taking care of the orchid!
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The fourteenth wedding anniversary is typically associated with the orchid.
Pansy
Species: Viola Tricolor
Cost Range (Per Stem): Typically a garden flower; discuss with florist
Seasonal Availability: Spring, fall
Colors: Various color combinations
About This Flower:
The spring-blooming pansy is a type of multicolored violet, created by hybridizing several subspecies. Pansies are popular garden flowers but less common in arranged bouquets.
Symbolism:
It’s said that the pansy is named for the French word for thought (“pensée”). The flower was thought to have telepathic magic such that if you picked one, you could hear your lover’s thoughts at that moment. To the Victorians, who loved the pansy, the flower symbolized a “woman’s heart” and its supposedly inherent qualities of sweetness and compassion. It was a popular gift between lovers and friends alike.
Now, the pansy symbolizes thoughtful remembrance and asks the recipient to think of the giver.
Appropriate Occasions:
Though they aren’t common bouquet flowers, a potted pansy may be an appropriate gift for a friend or loved one—particularly before parting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Poppy
Subfamily: Papaveroideae
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer
About This Flower:
The brightly colored poppy blooms in the late spring. The sap of the plant has a sedative effect and is used to make morphine, codeine, and opium. It can sedate pets. The poppy is not a typical bouquet flower and as such you may not have an easy time finding it at the florist. However, it is grown in cutting gardens and may be available from specialty or wholesale florists on request.
Symbolism:
Because of its sedative properties, the poppy has signified rest, sleep, dreams, and death since the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. The poem “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae about WWI, also popularized the poppy as a symbol to honor the wartime fallen. In Britain, poppies are worn on Remembrance Day, when veterans are honored.
By contrast, in Chinese and Japanese traditions, the poppy means love, beauty, and success.
Appropriate Occasions:
Due to its association with death and rest, the poppy is an appropriate funeral flower. Because of its connection to imagination and dreams, it would also be an appropriate floral gift for someone engaged in creative endeavors.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Flower Meanings R-Z
Flowers and meanings from R to the end of the alphabet follow.
Rosemary
Species: Rosmarinus officinalis
Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold for bouquets; consult with a florist.
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer
Colors: Blue, purple, white, pink
About This Flower:
Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary isn’t just a delicious evergreen herb. It also has delicate flowers that emerge in spring and summer in temperate climates. Rosemary is a popular element in many soaps and perfumed products.
Symbolism:
Rosemary’s primary symbolic association is with remembrance. Rosemary is thought to be a natural remedy against memory loss and forgetfulness. In Hamlet Ophelia says, “there’s rosemary, for remembrance.” Rosemary symbolizes faithful love and devotion. In the medieval era it was associated with weddings and both the bride and groom often incorporated rosemary into their wedding ensembles. In the Victorian Era, it was common for mourners to toss rosemary into the grave to signify their enduring memory of the deceased.
Appropriate Occasions:
Rosemary is a thoughtful element to include in funeral flowers or a condolence bouquet. Additionally, rosemary serves as a symbol of devotion and fidelity in wedding bouquets—perhaps a sprig in the groom’s boutonniere as well.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Roses
Genus: Rosa
Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$$
Seasonal Availability: Year-round
Colors: Almost all except blue
About This Flower:
Roses are one of the most popular—if not the most popular—flowers for garden cultivation and professional floristry. With its lush spray of petals, sweet scent, and sharp thorns, the rose has inspired more myth, legend, poetry, and art than perhaps any other flower. There are species native to Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. They come in a rainbow of colors. There are climbing roses and shrub roses of all shapes and sizes. With so much variety betweens species, the blooming season can span from spring through fall.
Roses are also used for perfumes and in teas and potpourris. Rose water is even sometimes deployed in cooking and baking.
Symbolism:
Roses are associated with love and romance in general and Valentine’s day in particular. In ancient Greece, the rose (especially the red rose) was associated with Aphrodite, goddess of love. In Rome it was associated with her counterpart, Venus. In the Christian era the rose came to be associated with the Virgin Mary—the white rose in particular.
The rose has also been associated with secrecy and silence. In both the Roman and medieval eras, roses were sometimes rendered or literally hung from ceilings in council chambers and rooms where private proceedings took place. The phrase “sub rosa”—Latin for “under the rose”—signaled that what was discussed under the rose should remain secret. Roses were sometimes depicted on church confessionals to similarly signal that all would remain confidential.
Roses have been used for crests, emblems, and decoration for millennia. Notable examples include the white rose of York, the red rose of Lancaster, and the red-and-white Tudor Rose.
To the Victorians, the rose signified love, and the deeper the love, the deeper the color. White roses, then, would be appropriate for a very young woman. Red roses meant passionate love.
Today, the rose is still primarily associated with love and beauty. Red roses in particular carry the signal of passion, desire, and romantic love.
Appropriate Occasions:
Roses are frequently deployed as wedding flowers, on prom corsages and boutonnieres, and generally for almost any occasion where flowers are appropriate.
If you wish to send a truly unmistakable message of romantic love, red roses are an excellent choice. Red roses are also sometimes given to congratulate for a major accomplishment, particularly an artistic performance.
Other rose colors carry their own meanings. White roses connote purity and are often used for funerals and weddings. Yellow roses send a message of platonic friendship—so don’t send those as a romantic gift! Pink roses signal affection and gratitude—the perfect thank-you. For more on rose color meanings, see our complete article.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The rose is one of the birth flowers for June, and the fifteenth wedding anniversary flower.
Snapdragon
Genus: Antirrhinum
Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The snapdragon is so named because the blooms are fancifully said to resemble a snapping dragon when the bloom is squeezed. These annual plants thrive in cooler temperatures and typically bloom in spring. Snapdragons are a common element in bouquets and are easily found even in the floral departments of supermarkets.
Symbolism:
In the Victorian era, these flowers were an invitation to impetuousness. Now, they carry a dual meaning. On one hand, they signify graciousness and strength because they thrive in rocky areas. On the other, they may also present the receiver with an accusation of deception.
Appropriate Occasions:
Most people take a floral gift as a compliment, so for the purposes of assembling a bouquet, you can focus on the positive message. With its message of graciousness and strength, the snapdragon is a versatile flower symbol. It’s appropriate to express admiration or gratitude. It would be a good choice to someone who is recovering from a long illness or other difficulty.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Sunflower
Genus: Helianthus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Summer, fall
Colors: Warm colors (yellows, reds, oranges) and sometimes white
About This Flower:
Most species of the summer-blooming sunflower are native to North America. As they are fairly hardy, sunflowers are a well-liked garden flower. They are readily available from commercial florists. Sunflowers are also cultivated commercially for their seeds and oil.
Symbolism:
Unsurprisingly, the sunflower is a symbol of the sun and its attributes: heat, power, and sustenance. To the Incans, the sunflower was a sacred symbol of their sun god. In China, the sunflower connotes longevity.
Appropriate Occasions:
Sunflowers are a good choice for any time you want to communicate warmth and cheer. They are particularly appropriate to mark a happy occasion!
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The sunflower is also the third wedding anniversary flower.
Sweet Pea
Species: Lathyrus odoratus
Cost Range (Per Stem): $
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The sweet pea is native to the Mediterranean, although it is now grown in many places. This climbing flower emits a sweet honeyed scent when it blooms. The natural blooming time is early spring, but could be almost any season depending on your climate. With its profusion of blooms, it’s a well-loved choice for cutting gardens, although it’s somewhat harder to find at the florists’. The sweet pea is mildly poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
The sweet pea was a hugely popular flower during the Victorian era, when it symbolized lasting pleasure and easy luxury. It still symbolizes pleasure and bliss.
Appropriate Occasions:
The sweet pea makes a beautiful choice for a wedding bouquet or any romantic occasion.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The sweet pea is an April birth flower.
Tulip
Genus: Tulipa
Cost Range (Per Stem): $-$$
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
Originally native to the mountains and steppes of central Asia, the perennial tulip has become one of the most popular flowers worldwide for both gardens and commercial bouquets. They’ve become an almost universal symbol of spring. They come in nearly every color of the rainbow except true blue—including in a purple so dark it’s nearly black! Tulip bulbs are poisonous to pets.
Symbolism:
The tulip is a romantic flower, whose strongest symbolic associations are with love and creativity. Tulip flower meaning is also strongly influenced by flower color.
In Persia, a red tulip in particular is a love declaration. The red of the petals represents the suitor on fire with love, and the black center is the suitor’s heart burned to coal by the strength and heat of their love.
Other tulip colors have other connotations. Yellow tulips send a message of cheerfulness and joy. White tulips communicate either an apology or forgiveness. Pink tulips signal good wishes and affection—a less overtly romantic message than the red tulip. Purple tulips signify royalty.
Appropriate Occasions:
Different colors of tulip are appropriate for different occasions. Red tulips are ideal for a romantic springtime bouquet. Pink tulips make excellent bridesmaid bouquets or a congratulations gifts. Yellow tulips send a “congratulations” or “get well soon” message, while white tulips ask for or grant forgiveness. Purple tulips are for a truly unique and special person.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The tulip is the 11th wedding anniversary flower.
Violet
Genus: Viola
Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold as cut flowers; consult with florist.
Seasonal Availability: Winter, spring
Colors: Various
About This Flower:
The violet flowers in late winter and early spring. In spite of the name, not all violets are purple. There are also yellow, blue, white, and ivory varieties—some even multicolored! While they are not common in commercial bouquets, they are very popular garden flowers.
The violet has long been valued for its edible and medicinal properties. The blooms and greens are edible. The Greeks and Romans brewed violet wine. Chefs sometimes us syrup made from violet blossoms to flavor desserts. Violet blossoms, often in tea form, are a natural laxative remedy. The flower is also used to scent some perfumes.
Symbolism:
The violet has symbolic significance as well. Per the Greeks, Persephone may have been picking violets when she was abducted by Hades and taken into the underworld. The violets became a symbol of Bonapartists in post-Napoleonic France.
The violet flower meaning also relates to modesty and faithfulness. With its heart-shaped flowers, it's unsurprising that the violet also communicates a message of returned love.
Appropriate Occasions:
If you have some in your cutting garden, violets can make a beautiful gift to a loved one to communicate your love and fidelity. You could also try your hand at using violets in your cooking!
Birthdays and Anniversaries: N/A
Water Lily
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Cost Range (Per Stem): Not typically sold as cut flowers; consult with florist
Seasonal Availability: Spring, summer, fall
About This Flower:
The aquatic water lily can flower from May to September, covering ponds and pools for the whole summer. They improve water quality. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t last very long out of the water—perhaps 12 hours.
Symbolism:
Also known as the lotus, the water lily had sacred significance in ancient Egypt, where it symbolized death and rebirth. In Buddhist tradition the lotus is a symbol of enlightenment and spiritual transcendence. In Hinduism, the lotus is a very significant symbol with many meanings. It signifies the heart, beauty, fertility, spiritual purity and growth, and prosperity. It’s also associated with many divinities. The god Brahma emerged from a lotus. The goddess Lakshmi is often depicted seated on a lotus.
The water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh and also of Sri Lanka.
Appropriate Occasions:
Some brides do use water lilies in their bridal bouquets, though this is not particularly common. Overall it’s unlikely that you’ll be giving anyone water lilies in a bouquet. But if you’re landscaping your yard and you want to bring a symbol of beauty, rebirth, and spiritual peace to your pond, consider introducing water lilies.
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
The water lily is a birth flower for July.
Flower Meanings Index
Below find several charts with handy reference information to help you find the right flower quickly. We have charts for birth month flowers, anniversary flowers, flower seasonality, and flower cost.
Birth Month Flowers
| Month | Flower |
| January | Carnation |
| February | Iris |
| March | Daffodil |
| April | Daisy, Gerbera Daisy, Sweet Pea |
| May | Lily |
| June | Roses |
| July | Water Lily |
| August | Gladiolus |
| September | Aster |
| October | Marigold |
| November | Chrysanthemum |
| December | Narcissus |
Anniversary Flowers
| Anniversary | Flower |
| 1st | Carnation |
| 2nd | Lily of the valley |
| 3rd | Sunflower |
| 4th | Hydrangea |
| 5th | Daisy |
| 6th | Calla Lily |
| 7th | Freesia |
| 8th | Lilac |
| 9th | Bird of Paradise |
| 10th | Daffodil |
| 11th | Tulip |
| 12th | Peony |
| 13th | Chrysanthemum |
| 14th | Orchid |
| 15th | Roses |
| 20th | Aster |
| 25th | Iris |
| 30th | Lily |
| 40th | Gladiolus |
| 50th | Yellow Roses & Violets |
Flowers By Season
Flowers will be listed by those that are available all year, and then by season.
Available Year-Round
- Alstroemeria
- Aster (fall peak)
- Carnations (late summer/fall peak)
- Chrysanthemum
- Freesia
- Gardenia
- Gerbera daisy
- Gladiolus (summer peak)
- Iris (spring peak)
- Lily
- Lily of the Valley (spring peak)
- Marigold (summer/fall peak)
- Orchid
- Roses
Winter
- Bird of Paradise (tropical climates)
- Daffodil
- Hyacinth
- Narcissus
- Sweet pea
- Tulip
- Violet
Spring
- Bird of Paradise (tropical climates)
- Cherry Blossoms
- Daffodil
- Daisy
- Forget-me-not
- Hyacinth
- Lilac
- Narcissus
- Orange Blossoms
- Pansy
- Poppy
- Rosemary
- Snapdragon
- Sweet Pea
- Tulip
- Violet
- Water lily
Summer
- Baby's breath
- Dahlia
- Daisy
- Forget-me-not
- Hydrangea
- Lilac
- Poppy
- Rosemary
- Snapdragon
- Sunflower
- Water lily
Fall
- Baby's breath
- Dahlia
- Daisy
- Hydrangea
- Pansy
- Snapdragon
- Sunflower
- Water lily
Flowers By Cost
Remember, $ means < 3 dollars per stem, $$ means < 8 dollars per stem, and $$$ means 8+ dollars per stem!
Lowest Cost: $
- Alstromeria
- Aster
- Baby's breath
- Carnations
- Chrysanthemum
- Daffodil
- Daisy
- Freesia
- Gerbera daisy
- Gladiolus
- Hyacinth
- Iris
- Lilac
- Marigold
- Narcissus
- Poppy
- Sunflower
- Sweet pea
Low Cost: $-$$
- Dahlia
- Roses
- Snapdragon
- Tulip
Medium Cost: $$
- Bird of Paradise
- Lily of the Valley
High Cost: $$-$$$
- Gardenia
- Hydrangea
- Lily
- Orchid
- Roses
