The Victorians imbued a whole variety of flowers with meanings. In an age where parents kept a tight rein on their children's out-of-wedlock affections if they so much as mentioned liking each other, it is understandable that some sort of code evolved! We know that flowers mean whatever you want them to … and that most of their meaning comes from your own preferences. But today, just for fun, we're looking at the meanings of different flowers, according to Victorian thinking. We've grouped the meanings by purpose for handy reference.
General romance
- Baby's breath meant everlasting love.
- Acacia meant secret love
- Ambrosia was supposed to be a symbol of love returned.
- Jonquils meant roughly the same thing -- love returned, or the desire for love to be returned.
- Arbutis was just love … plain, pure and simple!
- Lavender symbolized devotion to your love, while lemon balm was supposed to bring love.
- Moss represented maternal love as well as charity
- Mistletoe is easy to decide -- we use it to mean the same thing today! The sender wants to be kissed :-
- Orchids represent love and beauty, and are a symbol of having many children to the Chinese
- Pansy shows a person that you are in their thoughts - with love.
- Coriander represents lust
- Maidenhair ferns represent the secret bonds of love
- Roses, of course!
Personal qualities
The following flowers are supposed to represent or imbue some sort of personal quality - good for friends and family, and also lovers.
- Bay leaf represented strength
- Angelica provided inspiration
- Bird of paradise represented magnificence - perhaps a good wedding flower!
- Buttercups are cheerful,so are crocuses
- Burnet shows a merry heart
- Magic ferns are supposed to inspire fascination and confidence, and represent shelter
- White roses represent innocence
Coded messages
Every flower has some sort of message to tell, but these are supposed to be more obvious than the others:
- Solid color carnations sent indicates agreement
- Striped carnations indicate refusal
- A withered bouquet of flowers was a rather obvious and somewhat cruel way to reject advances! You wouldn't buy your own and let them wither … the flowers would just be sent back
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