Multiple Flowers with Multiple Meanings
by Sandra Merville Hart
Floral bouquets are heartwarming gifts, as welcome today as in previous eras. Yet deeper thought was put into both the color and flower choices in the nineteenth century because both held meaning.
Even different shades of the same flower varied in meaning. Both the giver and receiver understood these nuances in bygone centuries.
Various shades of carnations, chrysanthemums, hyacinths, jasmine, lilies, and roses altered the hidden message of the bouquet.
Carnation, light red—Admiration
Carnation, pink—I’ll never forget you, a mother’s undying love, beauty, pride
Carnation, purple—Capriciousness
Carnation, red—Deep love
Carnation, striped—Refusal of love
Carnation, yellow—Rejection, Disdain, Disappointment
Carnation, white—Symbol of democracy, pure love, good luck, innocence, sweet love
Chrysanthemum, red—Love
Chrysanthemum, yellow—Slighted love
Chrysanthemum, white—Truthfulness
Hyacinth, blue—Constancy
Hyacinth, purple—Sorrow
Hyacinth, yellow—Jealousy
Hyacinth, white—Loveliness, prayers for someone
Jasmine, yellow—Grace, elegance
Jasmine, white—Sweet love, amiability
Lily, orange—Hatred
Lily, tiger—Wealth, pride
Lily, yellow—Happy
Lily, white—Purity, virginity
Rose, amethyst—I will love you forever
Rose, blue—Mystery, uniqueness
Rose, coral—Admiration, desire, longevity
Rose, cream—Perfection
Rose, golden—Jealousy
Rose, green—Growth, abundance
Rose, ivory—Grace, charm
Rose, lavender—Love at first sight, rarity, wonder, enchantment
Rose, orange—Energy, desire, enthusiasm, fascination
Rose, peach—Sincerity, modesty, gratitude
Rose, pink—Grace, beauty, youth, innocent love, elegance, sweetness
Rose, red—Love, passion
Rose, rose—Pride, shyness
Rose, white—Innocence, young love, birth, beauty and respect, silence, keep my secret
Rose, yellow—Joy, friendship, I love another, jealousy
Rose, white/pink—Unity, commitment
It’s fun to learn the hidden meaning of flowers. These are fun facts that I, as an author of inspirational historical romances, love to incorporate into my novels!
Sources:
Boeckmann, Catherine. “What Does Each Flower Symbolize?” Almanac, 2025/04/21 https://www.almanac.com/flower-meanings-language-flowers.
“Rose Color Meanings,” Fifty Colors, 2025/04/22 https://fiftyflowers.com/blogs/flowers/rose-color-meanings.
Hawkins, Linda J. The Unspoken Language of Fans & Flowers, Heart to Heart Publishing, 2007.
