The Language and Meanings of Flowers

Flowers are one of the most meaningful gifts a person can give or receive. Even our earliest ancestors appear to have been touched by the awesome beauty of flowers, picking them for use as personal decorations and as offerings to loved ones, even including them in the graves of their dearly departed. Over time, the act of giving flowers developed into its own unique language, with every flower assigned its own special meaning. Although this trend probably originated in Turkey, the English and American Victorians were particularly fond of using flower language as a means of communicating feelings of love, grief, admiration, spite, welcome, and regret. Entire conversations could be conducted by exchanging bouquets, which were often used as a form of secret intrigue among lovers. Probably one of the first and most famous English books on the subject, The Language of Flowers was published in 1884 and illustrated by the great Kate Greenaway. Although the popularity of this practice has wanned in recent decades, the refined art of flower giving remains a beautiful way to express the contents of our hearts without saying a word.

Here at Dot Flowers, we've compiled one of the longest list of flower meanings online to help you in choosing a bouquet. Whether you're looking for flowers for a friend or romantic flowers, we think you'll find what you're looking for here. You can choose to view our extensive list of flower meanings all at once or by sections of the alphabet:

• All Flower Meanings
• Flowers A - C
• Flowers D - F
• Flowers G - I
• Flowers J - L
• Flowers M - O
• Flowers P - R
• Flowers S - U
• Flowers V - Z

If you're interested in learning more about flowers in general, check out our Flower Article Archives for more information on beautiful blooms, sumptuous succulents, and perfect perennials . . .