50 BEAUTIFUL FLOWER

MEANING
 Amaryllis
These assertive blo
oms look like the
y're just bursting
with excitement, wh
ich may be why they
signify pride. They
look like they just
accomplished someth
ing and can't wait
to share it.
 Anemone
These blooms take t
heir name from the
Greek word for wind
(anemos) since thei
r lives are so shor
t. In modern times,
they symbolize frag
ility. Because the
y're so short-lived
, these pretty litt
le flowers are best
appreciated in the
garden.
 Basil
This fragrant and d
elicious herb isn't
often grown to give
as a bouquet. It's
more of a pizza top
ping than a floral
centerpiece, and ma
ybe that's a good t
hing — according t
o the Victorians, i
t symbolizes "hat
e."
Black-Eyed Susan
The name of the flo
wer likely comes fr
om an Old English p
oem by John Gay abo
ut a woman by that
name. It probably c
ame over during Col
onial times, when t
he settlers sewed t
he wildflower on th
e plains where it's
now abundant today.
The flowers stand f
or justice, which i
s a sentiment we ca
n all get behind.
 Camellia
These impressive, l
ush flowers were be
loved by the Victor
ians who gave them
the meaning "my des
tiny is in your han
ds." Tailor the flo
wer's color to your
relationship: White
camellia should be
given to someone yo
u like, pink camell
ia is for someone y
ou miss, and red ca
mellia is best for
a significant other
.
 Carnation
These ruffly flower
s may be the stuff
of high school secr
et admirers, but th
ey work for a lover
on a budget. If you
pick up one of thes
e blooms, choose :
- white ("sweet and
lovely")
- pink ("I will nev
er forget you")
But stay away from
other colors. The t
wo-toned version me
ans "I cannot be wi
th you," and yellow
ones signify "disda
 Chamomile
Though a symbol of
rest and relaxation
today (think: chamo
mile tea), this flo
wer signified "ener
gy in adversity" in
the 19th century. T
hese days, maybe yo
u can combine the t
wo while enjoying y
our morning cup of
tea and getting rea
dy to face the day.
Chrysanthemum
It may be tricky to
spell, but the chry
santhemum has a sim
ple message: honest
y. They also look l
ovely as part of a
fall bouquet and be
cause they can with
stand cool temperat
ures, often appear
in autumn landscapi
ng.
 Cornflower
A cornflower (or "B
achelor's button")
carries a fond sing
le blessing with ev
ery blue bloom. Giv
e these as a good-l
uck charm, because
they're especially
linked to wealth an
d good fortune.
 Daffodil
Gift these cheery y
ellow blooms to som
eone celebrating a
new job, a new home
, or a new addition
to their family. Da
ffodils symbolize
"new beginnings,"
so they couldn't be
more perfect for an
y of these occasion
s.
 Dahlia
When you hear the n
ame, you probably t
hink of the Black D
ahlia. Well, never
fear. These ruffled
flowers stand for d
ignity and pomp, so
they would feel rig
ht at home at a mom
entous occasion lik
e a graduation or n
ew job.
 Daisy
Daisies are the fir
st level of Girl Sc
outs so it's only f
itting that they re
present innocence.
And with their chee
ry, sunny little fa
ces, the symbolism
definitely makes se
nse.
 Edelweiss
The Sound of Music
fans already know t
he song, but did yo
u know the meaning
behind it? Edelweis
s stand for courage
and devotion, proba
bly because they th
rive in harsh Alpin
e conditions.
Forget-Me-Not
Yes, it's all in th
e name! Forget-me-n
ots ask that you fo
rget-me-not. A fara
way friend would su
rely appreciate the
se delicate blossom
s.
 Goldenrod
It might not be ide
al for the allergy-
prone, but this blo
om represents "enco
uragement." Maybe e
ncourage your kids
to leave this one o
ut in the field, to
avoid getting the s
niffles.
 Heliotrope
Roses aren't the on
ly passionate flowe
r in your garden. H
eliotrope represent
s eternal love, too
. These also show u
p in perfume, thank
s to their sweet sm
ell.
 Hibiscus
Not only does hibis
cus taste delicious
in teas and dessert
s, it also symboliz
es delicate beauty.
They're also common
ly found in Hawaiia
n hula symbology, s
ince they're the st
ate's official flow
er.
 Hollyhock
Don't let its delic
ate appearance fool
you — this flower
means ambition, per
haps because the fl
owers bloom on tall
stalks stretching t
oward the sky. Perh
aps we should renam
e it the Lean In fl
ower?
 Honeysuckle
These sweetly-scent
ed flowers are anot
her sign of devotio
n, representing str
ong bonds of love.
And with their into
xicating scent, swe
et center, and lust
y tendrils, we can
definitely see wher
e the name comes fr
om.
 Hyssop
This blue-purple bl
oom represents clea
nliness and sacrifi
ce. Anyone who stru
ggles to declutter
knows that these tw
o concepts are comp
letely intertwined.
Besides, don't they
look just like a fe
ather duster?
 Iris
These regal blooms
have long stood for
royalty, but also f
or wisdom and respe
ct. And their opule
nt-looking blooms s
ure suggest the sam
e. That means it's
definitely a compli
ment if you receive
a bouquet of irises
.
 Lavender
From their wonderfu
l scent to their be
autiful purple hue,
a bouquet of lavend
er is a message of
devotion. It also h
as calming aromathe
rapy properties, so
a bouquet of lavend
er may make an exce
llent gift for a st
udent or anyone in
your life who needs
some relaxation.
 Lemon Balm
Perhaps because it
can be a "balm" for
your feelings, lemo
n balm is a symbol
of sympathy. It als
o makes a delicious
, soothing tea and
repels pests like m
osquitos.
 Lilac
The meaning of thes
e gorgeous flowers
varies depending on
the hue. Purple lil
acs represent the f
irst emotions of lo
ve while magenta li
lacs symbolize love
and passion, perfec
t for a more seriou
s lover.
 Lily-of-the-Valley
These pretty little
bell-shaped flowers
carry a message tha
t's just as innocen
t as they look. The
y stand for purity,
happiness, luck, an
d humility. Though
they smell deliciou
s, don't be fooled:
These flowers are
n't edible.
 Magnolia
These stunning bloo
ms often festoon th
e trees as spring a
rrives, getting eve
ryone who sees them
excited for the sea
son to come. That's
why it's only logic
al that they signif
y a love of nature.
Morning Glory
These early risers
greet the day with
beauty, and they'll
take over your yard
entirely if you are
n't careful. The cl
ingers also represe
nt affection. One l
ook at their smilin
g faces and it's no
t hard to see why.
 Myrtle
If you need the per
fect bloom to add t
o a wedding bouquet
, look no further t
han myrtle. It stan
ds for good luck an
d love in a marriag
e, so there's no be
tter flower to carr
y down the aisle.
 Nasturtium
These unusual flowe
rs carry a patrioti
c meaning, proving
that pride can come
in many shapes and
colors. It can also
represent conquest,
perhaps because of
its assertive celeb
ratory color and le
aves that look like
shields.
 Pansy
Derived from the Fr
ench word "pansée,"
this bloom means th
oughtfulness and re
membrance. That may
be why you often se
e them planted at f
uneral plots. The
y're also hardy lit
tle plants, so they
work well for those
of us who have, um,
less-than-green thu
mbs.
 Peony
Oddly enough, these
sweet, many-petaled
blooms represented
"anger" to Victori
ans. Today, however
, peonies are linke
d to romance, marri
age, and even bashf
ulness.
Purple Crocus
They're the first s
igns of spring, so
it makes sense that
crocuses symbolize
youthful happiness.
It's also the way w
e feel when we see
them start peeking
through the snow at
the first bit of wa
rmth.
Purple Hyacinth
The purple version
of this bloom means
"please forgive m
e," which originate
s from the myth of
Apollo and Hyacinth
us (the former acci
dentally killed the
latter). The perfec
t "I'm sorry" flowe
r, don't ya think?
 Red Poppy
You probably alread
y know this one bec
ause of Veterans Da
y: The red poppy re
presents "remembran
ce." That's why peo
ple wear poppies pi
nned to their lapel
s on that day.
 Red Roses
This probably comes
as news to exactly
no one, but red ros
es are some of the
most romantic flowe
rs out there. These
are the perfect blo
om for Valentine's
Day, representing l
ove and desire.
 Red Tulips
Red roses aren't th
e only flower with
a romantic meaning,
so you don't have t
o totally splurge t
o show your dedicat
ion. Red tulips are
also considered a d
eclaration of love,
and they're especia
lly gorgeous in the
spring.
 Rhododendron
The Victorians labe
led this flower "be
ware," — which is
actually appropriat
e, since they're qu
ite poisonous. If y
ou don't plan to ea
t them, they make a
beautiful addition
to your landscaping
.
 Rosemary
Rosemary signifies
remembrance, perhap
s because it's said
to enhance memory.
Folk medicine says
to wear a sprig of
rosemary in your ha
ir to help your rec
all, or brew some r
osemary tea to do t
he same. We'll drin
k to that!
 Tansy
These yellow puffba
lls look friendly,
but they carry a si
nister message: "I
declare war on yo
u." If you're not r
eady to rumble, lea
ve tansy out of you
r bouquet!
 Salvia
Depending on its co
lor, salvia can hav
e several different
meanings. Blue salv
ia (like this one)
means "thinking of
you," but in red, i
t means "forever mi
ne." So if you're a
dding salvia to a s
weetheart's bouquet
, watch your colors
!
 Snapdragons
Maybe it comes as n
o surprise, given t
he name, but the sy
mbolism behind snap
dragons isn't exact
ly friendly. They s
tand for deception,
so you may not want
to give these to yo
ur main squeeze for
Valentine's Day.
 Sunflower
Legend has it that
when Spanish explor
ers reached the Ame
ricas, they thought
sunflowers were mad
e of real gold. Can
you blame them? Of
course, they were w
rong. That's where
the sunflower got i
ts symbolism of "fa
lse riches."
 Sweetpea
Delicate, intricate
, and a little sens
ual, sweetpeas repr
esent pleasure. The
y've also been used
as a thank-you flow
er, or as a way to
bid someone goodbye
after a pleasant vi
sit.
 Valerian
Though some of us k
now this herb for i
ts calming properti
es, this bloom has
a more active meani
ng: readiness. If y
ou've got valerian
in your wildflower
bouquet, you're pre
pared for anything.
 Violet
Loyalty, devotion,
faithfulness. Wha
t's not to love abo
ut the lovely littl
e violet? Those are
sentiments just abo
ut everyone can app
reciate.
 White Clover
Before you get out
the RoundUp, take a
second to look at t
he flowers sproutin
g from your clover.
They frequently pop
up in the yard, rem
inding you that oth
ers are always thin
king of you.
White Jasmine
There's a reason th
is fragrant flower
often shows up in p
erfume. Its scent i
s as intoxicating a
s its message: swee
t love.
 Yarrow
Another quirky bloo
m with a traditiona
l message that migh
t surprise you: Yar
row symbolizes love
. While the weedy l
ook of this one mig
ht not look perfect
ly suited for a for
mal bouquet, rememb
er the symbol next
time your kid picks
you some wildflower
s.
 Zinnia
While they are one
of the bolder bloom
s in a garden, thes
e flowers are actua
lly sentimental. In
fact, they serve as
a reminder to never
forget absent frien
ds. Send them to so
meone you love who
lives far away, for
a nice thinking-of-
you gift.
Due to their promin
ent place in religi
ous ceremonies thro
ughout history, the
se petite purple fl
owers mean "pray fo
r me." They can als
o represent protect
ion against evil, w
hich may be why the
y showed up in thos
e ceremonies in the
first place.