20 Flower Meanings and myths

By Reneeb

Ingredients

• Amaryllis - pride
• Named after the Greek word for "dazzling," the amaryllis boasts a tall, strong stalk topped with a gorgeous blossom, thus signifying a sense of pride and splendour.
• Bird-of-Paradise - the start of something strange and new
• to to as the "crane lily" because of its resemblance to Japanese paper cranes, the bird-of-paradise's exotic, tropical blossom lends itself to a feeling of the exciting and unusual.
• Buttercup - childishness
• Despite its use in the Middle Ages as a remedy for madness, buttercups have since adopted a sweeter significance as a symbol of playful naïvete.
• Chrysanthemum - hope
• The chrysanthemum blooms in late fall, so it's associated with a sense of light in dark times. Red blossoms mean "I love," white signifies truth and yellow has traditionally symbolized hurt.
• Crocus - gladness
• to St. Valentine's flower because it blooms in early spring, the crocus's scent is also said to be a stimulant.
• Daffodil - chivalry
• to early bloomer, the daffodil's roots can be traced to the Old English word "affodyle," which means early arrival.
• Dahlia - instability of beauty
• to but difficult to sustain, the dahlia's persnickety nature makes it the ideal symbol for beauty's fickleness.
• Daisy - innocence, indecision
• Simple and pretty, the daisy was traditionally worn in a wreath by a young woman who might be undecided about her feelings for a suitor.
• Forget-Me-Not - remembrance
• Hollyhock - fertility
• to hollyhock plant grows quickly and becomes quite large with an abundance of seeds, and has therefore come to symbolize fertility.

Preparation

Step 1

Lilac - sadness of love, farewell
According to folklore, the purple lilac was turned white when one was left atop the grave of a young woman who committed suicide because she mistakenly believed she'd been abandoned by her lover.

Lily - innocence
Often associated with female deities like the Virgin Mary and Juno, the goddess of nature, the lily signifies innocence and majesty.

Pansy - secret thoughts of lovers
Named for the French word "pensée," meaning "thought," the pansy was once believed to hold telepathic properties, allowing an individual to hear the thoughts of a lover by listening to a cut blossom.



Peony - keeping a secret
The peony's tightly held petals and deep roots make it a clever symbol for the power of a promise.

Poppy - dreams
In Greek mythology, Morpheus -- the god of dreams -- is said to have laid garlands of poppies on the heads of sleeping mortals. Red poppies would bring dreams of passion, while white poppies meant dreams of a deeper nature.

Rose (red) - love
The significance of red roses and love dates back to Greek mythology, when the goddess Aphrodite pricked herself on the thorns of a rose en route to her lover, Adonis, and bled upon the petals... forever turning them red.

Rose (yellow) - jealousy, or familiar love
In Victorian times, yellow roses held a more negative meaning, but its modern interpretation is that of a simpler love.

Sunflower - power, warmth, nourishment
The tall and strong sunflower signifies the same things as the celestial body for which it's named.

Tulip - declaration of love
Native to Persia despite being associated with Holland, the tulip means love, but the colour determines the nature of that love. Red declares love, but yellow represents hopeless adoration.