The Language of Flowers
We all enjoy the beauty of a single bloom or a large display of flowers. Their colour, scent and glory are magnificent especially when looking into each flower and seeing how delicate they seem.
Floriography or Language of Flowers has been practised by many cultures for thousands of years. In Victorian England the interest in this practice became very popular when coded messages could be sent to the recipient through a small posy.
Today, we do associate red roses with love but what about other flowers? Here are some popular flowers with their meanings and some interesting facts. We will be adding to this throughout the year.
Snowdrops – Galanthus nivalis:
New beginnings, hope, rebirth, innocence, purity and ability to overcome challenges.
In the 4th century the Greek botanist and philosopher Theophrastus wrote about them calling them ‘white violets’. They were brought over by the Romans and in 1753 a Swedish botanist declared that they were not violets but renamed them Galanthus Nivalis – ‘milk flower of the snow.’
There are over 2500 varieties and rare bulbs can cost hundreds of pounds. They are endangered and collecting them in the wild is illegal.
In the 19th century it was believed that snowdrops meant ‘impending doom’ as they were often seen growing in cemeteries. However, now they are a joy to behold as they break through the in the cold weather giving us hope of the forthcoming Spring.
Interesting facts:
- The Snowdrop is one of the January’s birth flowers
- Snowdrops contains a substance that is used to treat the symptoms of Altzheimer’s.
- Snowdrops contain ‘natural antifreeze’ so on frosty nights they do not collapse.
Daffodil – Narcissus
Rebirth, new beginnings, esteem, energy, resilience, forgiveness, unrequited love and vitality.
In 300BC the Greek botanist Theophrastus described many early known kinds of narcissus. The Romans were known to have planted daffodils in memory of comrades who had died in battle and are thought to have brought them over to Britain. They also thought the sap from daffodils had healing powers when in fact they contain crystals that can irritate the skin. The Reverend George Engleheart if often credited as the ‘Father of the Modern Daffodil” as he worked to produce new daffodil hybrids.
The name daffodil is usually applied to the large trumpet-flowered flower and there are in fact 13 different groups of narcissi: Trumpet, Large-cupped,Small-cupped, Double, Triandrus, Cyclaminaeus, Jonquilla/Apodanthus, Tazetta, Poeticus, Bulbocodium, Split-Corona/Papillon, Dwarf and Botanical.
Interesting facts:
- Named after the youth in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection hence ‘narcissism’ narcissistic’.
- The daffodil has been the symbol of Wales since the 19th century.
- They are the birth flower of March.
- Giving just one flower is meant to mean misfortune!
- Modern medicine has used extracts from the flower to treat Alzheimer’s.
Violets - Viola
Faithfulness, humility, spiritual wisdom, everlasting love.
Yellow – high worth
White – innocence and purity
Purple – truth and loyalty
Blue – faithfulness and devotion
These delicate flowers were for sale in Athens in 400BC and were cultivated by the Greeks for medicinal purposes and used them to make wine taste extra sweet. Today many of the old varieties have been lost and for a time went out of fashion. In 1916 a special train ran from Cornwall to London carrying violets to Covent Garden Market. Varieties include Wood violet, Sweet violet, and garden violet.
Interesting facts:
- Violets are one of the birth flowers for February.
- Sweet violets are edible.
- Violets are a symbol in the LGBT community.
- Love potions were made using violets because of their heart shaped petals.
Crocus – Crocus
Cheerfulness, gladness, mirthfulness, glee and youthfulness.
White – purity, innocence and truth
Purple – dignity, pride and success
Although the origin of the crocus is unknown the history of crocus cultivation dates back to the Bronze Age. Egyptians and Greeks used crocus as a colouring agent or used the dried stigmas as a spice. This is the spice Saffron which is one of the most expensive spices in the world. It was introduced to Britain by the Romans and later reintroduced to Western Europe by the Crusaders.
Interesting facts:
- In the Greek legend after his love to a shepherdess was unrequited Krocus’ died and his blood fell to the ground where crocuses grew.
- In 2019 FIFA Under-20s World Cup in Poland used the Crocus as a symbol of ‘emergence of new talent’.
- Crocus has been used medically to treat gout, rheumatoid arthritis. Crocus Sativus has shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.
- To harvest one kilogram of crocuses you would need to gather 85,000 flowers.
Tulips - Tulipa
Perfection and deep love. Rebirth and new beginnings.
Red – love
Pink – symbol of caring, attachment and good wishes
Yellow – cheerfulness and happiness
White – innocence, purity, forgiveness and respect
Tulips originated in central Asia and were found in Persia and Turkey in the 10th century. They were introduced to Europe and the Netherlands in the late 16th century by the French botanist Carolus Clusius. This was the start of the famous bulb fields in the Netherlands which produce approximately 3 billion bulbs per year. Striped tulips originated when a virus struck the bulb and have now become very popular. Special vases were developed with several necks to display individual blooms and were mostly Delft from the Netherlands or Chinese.
Interesting facts
- Tulips are the national flower of Turkey and Iran (Persia)
- In the 1600s a new hybrid tulip was created by Dutch botanists and was so rare it cost more than a house.
- The name tulip comes from the Turkish word turban.
- Tulips continue to grow even after they are cut.
- Keukenhof is one of the largest tulip gardens in the world with over 7 million blooms in April and May.
