Do Different Flowers Mean Different Things As Gifts? 

Updated on December 16, 2022 by

Woman With Flowers Bouquet

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Woman Holding Flowers

Flowers are the most effective tools to express emotions, such as love, regret, gratitude, and reverence. Aside from that, most people give flowers to their loved ones to make them feel special and cared for.

While most people usually view flowers as a symbol of love and affection, these wonderful succulents may also be given on different occasions, for varied purposes, and may carry varying meanings. For instance, some flowers may be used as a peace offering, as a tool for courtship, and as a symbol of new beginnings. Apart from that, there are also flowers that mean thank you, sorry, and good luck.

When giving flowers to your loved ones, know that your message may depend on the type of flower that you’re going to give. In this article, you’ll learn the different meanings behind various flowers, especially those that are given as gifts.

 

Chrysanthemums For Friendship

 

Commonly referred to as mum, chrysanthemums are hardy, colorful flowers that are easy to care for and ideal for many occasions. These flowers are great representations of friendships, love, and joy.

Chrisanthemum Flowers

One of the most interesting facts about mums is that they’re used by ancient Victorians to represent love for a friend. Additionally, these flowers are known to be classified into three categories: early, intermediate, and late bloomers. Early bloomers often begin in late July, which makes them ideal for World Friendship Day.

 

Hydrangeas For Reconciliation

 

The relatively large and beautiful blooms of hydrangeas are used to symbolize beauty, grace, and gratitude. Additionally, they’re also used to convey messages of apology and deep regret. Also, during the Victorian era, hydrangeas have been widely known as a representation of someone’s frigidity as many young women in that time who grew these flowers failed to marry.

Blue Hydrangeas

However, that notion changed after being presented in the Japanese culture in a different light. Particularly, Japanese legends portray these flowers as the best representation of regret as Japanese emperors used them during their time whenever they’re apologizing to their loved ones.

Subsequently, these flowers have been widely used to express regret and repentance. Aside from that, they’re also best used as a peace offering and a symbol of truce and reconciliation. Lastly, hydrangeas are also popular in bridal bouquets.

 

Orchids For New Beginnings

 

Are you looking for a unique type of flower that best represents your wish to have fresh beginnings with other people? Perhaps orchids are what you’re looking for.

Orchid Flowers

With an exotic appearance, these flowers represent rare and delicate beauty. Apart from that meaning, orchids are also known to best symbolize love because they grow easily and bloom under most conditions.

As both potted plants and cut flower arrangements, these magnificent succulents stand for fertility and rebirth. Since they blossom even under unfavorable situations, these flowers are used to celebrate someone’s chance to have a fresh start in life after being on a rocky road. Yellow orchids, in particular, symbolize the start of new relationships and friendships.

 

Gladiolus For Strength

 

Known for having tall and sturdy stems, these remarkable flowers embody firmness and stability. Gladiolus has been mostly associated with tenacity and courage as ancient gladiators wore them around their necks in times of battle. These flowers also served as protection from death and as motivation to help gladiators win their fights. Due to being connected with those mighty warriors, gladiolus has been used to represent courage and strength.

Gladiolus Flowers

Aside from that, these flowers also symbolize purity and fertility, especially white gladiolus. On the other hand, pink gladiolus signifies motherly love, compassion, and femininity.

 

Roses For Love

 

Used to represent love in all its forms, roses have been a source of inspiration for people throughout history and have a definitive symbol for love and appreciation. While many people think of these flowers as the best succulents to speak for any language of love and affection, their meanings also differ according to their color.

Yellow Roses

For instance, yellow roses stand for friendship and delight, pink ones express sweetness and admiration, while white roses symbolize innocence, purity, and secrecy. Apart from those romantic feelings, roses can also represent anger, grief, and loss.

 

Key Takeaway

 

For every flower lies thousands of meanings and unspoken words that the mouth can’t say aloud. While many people give flowers to their loved ones mainly to express their love for them, several flowers could also mean convey negative feelings of a person. Thus, before you give flowers to a person, you must know that your message may depend on the type of flowers you’re going to give. Particularly, there are specific flowers that stand for friendship, express regret, atonement, celebrate new beginnings, embody strength, as well as love and affection.

No matter how many flowers you give or the number of bouquets you spend on, the thing that matters most is the thought behind your actions and to whom they’re for.

Editor-in-chief and co-authors at ShineSheets.com

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