Ever struggled to pick blooms for different occasions and wondered what they meant? Check out our comprehensive list of Flower Meanings!
What do flowers symbolize? Which ones stand for hope, healing, loss, good luck, happiness, and love? Discover the secret language of blooms with our list of Flower Meanings before you pick them out for your next bouquet.
Check out the best good luck plants here
Flower Meanings
1. Lotus
Botanical Name: Nelumbo nucifera
The sacred Lotus, Indian Lotus, or Lotus, stands as a symbol of purity. This sacred flower gives hope and strength to people struggling with their daily lives.
2. Iris
Botanical Name: Iris
With beautiful flowers, it has got its name from the Greek word for a rainbow. It stands for hope, faith, courage, wisdom, and admiration.
Also, the purple iris conveys compliments and wisdom, while its bouquet symbolizes faith and hope.
3. Daisy
Botanical Name: Bellis perennis
Pretty Daisies are a terrific choice for cut flower arrangements because their blooms can last for over a week. Daisies stand for innocence and purity.
The flower also represents spirituality and is a perfect gift for newborns or new parents.
4. Peony 
Botanical Name: Paeonia
Peony symbolizes wealth, and for a very long time – only the emperors from China had access to Peonies. In Japan, they stand for honor, good fortune, prosperity, good luck, love, and bravery.
5. Poppy
Botanical Name: Papaver
Poppy has always stood as a symbol of peace, sleep, and death. The symbolism of sleep is derived from the fact that opium is extracted from Poppies and used as a sedative. The common blood-red color of the red poppies symbolizes death.
In Roman and Greek myths, poppies were presented as offerings to the dead ones.
6. Carnation
Botanical Name: Dianthus caryophyllus
These pure beauties translate to ‘flower of love or ‘flower of the Gods’ that symbolize distinction, fascination, and love.
Traditionally, they are given to mothers on Mother’s Day as they stand for affection and gratitude.
7. Magnolia
Botanical Name: Magnolia grandiflora
Sweet Magnolias symbolize nobility and dignity. In ancient China, the Magnolia was believed to be the perfect representation of feminine beauty and gentleness.
In South America, white Magnolia is mostly seen in bridal bouquets, as they are believed to reflect the bride’s purity and nobility.
8. Aster
Botanical Name: Aster
Aster is a daisy-like perennial flowering plant with starry-shaped flowers in shades of blue, pink, purple, lilac, mauve, and white. This flower derives its name from the Greek word for ‘Star’ symbolizing love, faith, wisdom, and color.
9. Marigold
Botanical Name: Tagetes
‘Herb of the Sun’ or Marigold stands for passion, creativity, and bravery and is often associated with the legendary courageous lion. The bright, yellow, and gold colors also represent good fortune, just like a pot of gold.
10. Hibiscus
Botanical Name: Hibiscus
Whenever a hibiscus flower is gifted to someone, it shows that they are admired deeply or wish for success. In China, hibiscus stands for personal glory and the beauty of fame.
In Victorian times, hibiscus as a gift meant that the giver acknowledged the delicate beauty of the receiver. In North America, hibiscus means a perfect woman or wife.
11. Gladiolus
Botanical Name: Gladiolus
The strikingly beautiful flower represents strength and integrity because of its association with a gladiator. It also stands for remembrance.
When someone gifts a gladiolus to someone, the giver means to say, ‘You pierce my heart with Love’ to the receiver because of the flower’s pointy shape.
12. Forget-Me-Not
Botanical Name: Myosotis
Forget-Me-Not stands for remembrance, as the name suggests, and it is meant as a gift for not just the ones we love but those we have lost, too.
It can also represent luck and protection and as a protection for humans against evil spirits and witches.
13. Dahlia
Botanical Name: Dahlia
This summer-blooming, vivid flower stands for elegance, change, creativity, dignity, and inner strength.
Though Dahlia stands for positivity, Red Dahlia stands for dishonesty, instability, and betrayal.
14. Lavender
Botanical Name: Lavandula
These fragrant flowers symbolize silence, grace, purity, devotion, serenity, and calmness. The purple color also symbolizes royalty and represents elegance, luxury, and refinement.
15. Jasmine
Botanical Name: Jasminum
Jasmine represents different meanings in different cultures, but mostly, it stands for love, sensuality, or beauty. The pure white blooms also mean purity, and the size of the flowers that bloom at night represents modesty.
16. Gardenia
Botanical Name: Gardenia jasminoides
Also known as Cape jasmine, it represents trust, renewal, and clarity. The flower could also send messages of intuition, dreams, protection, and self-reflection.
In parts of Asia, this flower stands for clarity and peace. It is also a popular choice for wedding bouquets and decor.
17. Pansy
Botanical Name: Viola tricolor var. hortensis
Pansy is often used as a gift to represent freethought as it derives the meaning from its name, which means ‘thought.’ It is also gifted as a get-well-soon flower to convey the message of sympathy, consideration, and compassion.
The particular shades of purple stand for memories, yellow for loving thoughts, and white also souvenirs.
18. Rhododendron
Botanical Name: Rhododendron
Rhododendron stands for gentleness and love, making it a perfect gift to a loved one and suitable for almost every occasion. It also represents everlasting beauty and taking care of oneself derived from the plant’s long life.
19. Dogwood
Botanical Name: Cornus
These ornamental spring flowers are mostly meant to symbolize rebirth. Dogwood flowers are also associated with the ability to withstand various challenges in life and durability.
20. Snowdrop
Botanical Name: Galanthus
This white flower has many symbols and meanings connected to it. They could mean purity, sympathy, and innocence. While the white shade stands for purity and innocence, it also symbolizes hope because it is the first flower to bloom at the beginning of spring.
21. Columbine
Botanical Name: Aquilegia
These bell-shaped flowers have had deeper religious and cultural meaning for centuries and hold a special place in Christianity as they symbolize seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Columbines have often represented piety, reverence, and intellect and could also stand for fear of any wrongdoings in the eyes of God.
22. Sunflower
Botanical Name: Helianthus
Sunflowers stand for loyalty, longevity, and adoration. Also, because of their close connection with the sun and the bright yellow shade, they are also popular for being the flower of happiness, perfect for lightening up anybody or any place.
23. Zinnia
Botanical Name: Zinnia
These flowers symbolize affection and are often given to friends who have been missing from your lives. Also, they could be a going-away gift as these flowers convey the message of goodbye to someone special.
24. Freesia
Botanical Name: Freesia
These flowers represent friendship, trust, innocence, and thoughtfulness. They are a popular choice of gift for family, friends, and relatives in many cultures.
In Victorian floral language, these flowers symbolize ultimate trust.
25. Passion Flower 
Botanical Name: Passiflora
As the name suggests, these blossoms are often associated with the events that followed in the last hours of the life of Christ – the Passion of Christ.
In fact, the five petal-like sepals stand for the ten apostles who continued to remain faithful to Christ throughout the Passion. Also, the circle of hair-like rays just above the petals is believed to be a crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of his crucifixion.
26. Dandelion
Botanical Name: Taraxacum
A symbol of the sun, Dandelion leaves are mostly used to treat several sicknesses and pains. It also stands for emotional healing with the heat and power of the sun.
Since it can almost withstand living conditions, the Dandelion symbolizes overcoming every struggle by standing tall, strong, and proud.
27. Rose
Botanical Name: Rosa
The common symbolism of red roses is true love, blue roses are a mystery, black roses stand for death, yellow roses are for friendship, and white roses are for purity or innocence.
28. Chrysanthemum
Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum represents love, longevity, happiness, and joy. The flower stands for bliss, friendship, and well-being. Usually, this flower is associated with the arrival of autumn since it is one of the most popular flowers for fall.
The flower is often associated with death in most European cultures as it is usually used as a decoration item for graves.
29. Lilac
Botanical Name: Syringa
Lilac symbolizes youthful innocence and confidence. White-colored Lilac stands for humility and innocence, field Lilacs represent a charity, and purple ones are for love.
30. Begonia
Botanical Name: Begonia
There are over 2,000 kinds of Begonias, and you can find one that suits the person you love the most. The beguiling Begonia represents deep thoughts, and it is thought of as a beautiful flower like a beautiful woman.
31. Hyacinth
Botanical Name: Hyacinthus
Hyacinth is called Nature’s Perfume, and this stunning, fragrant spring bloom can be found in many colors. They stood for constancy and sincerity and played a part in Kate Middleton’s wedding bouquet.
32. Buttercup
Botanical Name: Ranunculus
The wildflower in golden-yellow looks pretty and resembles cheerfulness and youthfulness. It is ubiquitous in England during spring and has been chosen for many classic paintings.
Whenever a child holds the flower under the chin, it reflects yellow. The flower is famous for its beauty and charm.
33. Calla Lily
Botanical Name: Zantedeschia aethiopica
You can discover the history behind this attractive flower – Calla Lily. The elegant flowers share a rich and long history that embraces different meanings. While it represents fertility and life, it can also stand for death.
34. Orchid
Botanical Name: Orchidaceae
Add orchids in floral arrangements and bouquets to gift to some dear ones. The flower represents refinement, beauty, charm, love, fertility, and thoughtfulness. This species is a perfect flower that can be used to celebrate all life’s big, precious moments.
35. Bluestar
Botanical Name: Amsonia
Bluestar stands for determination, endurance, and strength. You can add this striking flower to any bouquet or arrangement to show a loved one you know and admire their strength.
36. Blazing Star
Botanical Name: Liatris
Botanical Name: Hyacinthoides non-scripta
