The Most Popular Flowers and Their Hidden Meanings

The most popular flowers and their hidden meanings, quickly: roses mean love and passion, lilies mean purity and renewal, tulips mean perfect or deep love, sunflowers mean adoration and loyalty, and orchids mean strength and beauty. Colour adds a second layer, so a red rose says romantic love while a yellow one says friendship. This system of giving flowers meanings is called floriography, and it still shapes what people send for weddings, funerals and anniversaries.

Long before text messages, people used flowers to say thank you, I'm sorry, I love you and I'm thinking of you. At Laris Florist we design every order by hand in our studio in Oak Ridges, at the north end of Richmond Hill, and deliver across York Region and Toronto. Knowing what each flower stands for helps you pick a bouquet that says what you mean, rather than something you didn't.

What is floriography?

Floriography is the practice of sending a message through your choice of flowers, and sometimes through their colour, number or the way they're tied. It took off in the Victorian era, when etiquette made it hard to say certain things out loud. A bouquet could flirt, refuse, apologize or confess without a word being spoken. Flower dictionaries of the time didn't always agree, so even then the code was a little loose.

Nobody sends secret messages in their bouquets anymore, at least not on purpose. But the meanings have stuck around, and they're a handy way to make a gift feel chosen rather than grabbed.

Popular flowers and their meanings at a glance

Flower	Primary Meaning	Best Occasions
Rose	Love, passion, beauty	Anniversaries, weddings, romantic gestures
Lily	Purity, renewal, devotion	Sympathy, Easter, new beginnings
Tulip	Perfect or deep love	Spring celebrations, anniversaries
Sunflower	Adoration, loyalty, positivity	Birthdays, "get well soon," friendship
Orchid	Strength, beauty, luxury	Milestones, office gifts
Peony	Prosperity, good fortune, romance	Weddings, milestone celebrations
Carnation	Fascination, distinction, love	Mother's Day, graduations
Daisy	Innocence, new beginnings	New baby, fresh starts
Hydrangea	Gratitude, sincere feeling	Thank-you gifts, appreciation
Chrysanthemum	Joy, optimism (varies by culture)	Celebrations, autumn arrangements

Roses: the universal symbol of love

No flower carries more meaning than the rose. Red roses mean romantic love to almost everyone, but the colour changes the message a lot:

• Red roses: romantic love and desire
• White roses: purity, innocence and new beginnings, which is why they turn up at so many weddings
• Yellow roses: friendship, joy and warmth
• Pink roses: gratitude, admiration and gentleness
• Orange roses: enthusiasm and fascination

Because the meanings are so well known, roses are the go-to for anniversaries, Valentine's Day and the "I'm sorry" bouquet. If it's an apology, we'd lean pink rather than red. Red can read as trying a bit too hard. Our rose colour meanings guide goes deeper.

Lilies: purity, renewal and devotion

Lilies show up at both happy and sad occasions. White lilies stand for purity and have long been tied to renewal, which is why they appear at Easter as well as at funerals.

Each variety has its own shade of meaning. The stargazer lily is linked with ambition and encouragement. The calla lily, which isn't a true lily at all, stands for magnificent beauty and is used at weddings and funerals alike.

Worth knowing: true lilies are toxic to cats, and the pollen stains clothes and tablecloths. Pull the orange anthers off as the flowers open and both problems get smaller. If the recipient has pets, tell us in the order notes and we'll design around it.

Tulips: a declaration of perfect love

Tulips mean spring and renewal, but they also carry an old romantic meaning: a declaration of perfect or deep love. Roses can stand for many kinds of affection. Tulips are mostly about romance, which makes them a good alternative for an anniversary or a spring date.

Colour matters here too. Red tulips mean true love and purple tulips mean royalty and admiration. Yellow tulips once stood for hopeless love, though now most people just see them as cheerful. Tulips also keep growing after they're cut, sometimes by a few centimetres, and bend toward the window. Let them. See our tulips.

Sunflowers: adoration and loyalty

Sunflowers get their meaning from the way young plants follow the sun across the sky, which is where adoration and loyalty come from. Once the flower head opens fully, it stops moving and usually settles facing east. Their size and colour made them a symbol of positivity too.

They work for birthdays, "thinking of you" gifts and anyone who needs a lift. One sunflower can anchor a whole bouquet. They're heavy and thirsty, so give them a solid vase and plenty of water. Our sunflowers are here.

Orchids: strength, beauty and refinement

Orchids are linked with luxury and rare beauty, mostly because they look so unlike anything else. They also stand for strength, since many orchids grow in tough spots, clinging to tree bark in the wild.

That polished look makes them a common choice for office gifts, housewarmings and milestones. A potted orchid can keep its flowers for weeks, which helps.

Peonies: prosperity and romance

Peonies stand for prosperity, good fortune and romance. In China the peony has been called the king of flowers and is a symbol of honour and wealth. They're one of the most asked-for wedding flowers because of those big, ruffled heads and their soft scent.

The catch is the season. Locally grown peonies are around for only a few weeks in late spring and early summer, and imported ones cost more the rest of the year. Tight buds that feel like marshmallows when you squeeze them will open; hard ones sometimes don't. See our peonies.

Carnations: distinction and layered meaning

Carnations are underrated, and their meanings are more specific than most. Pink carnations stand for a mother's love, which is part of why they're a Mother's Day staple. Red carnations mean deep love and admiration. White carnations mean pure love and good luck and often turn up in graduation bouquets. They also last a long time in a vase, often two weeks or more.

Daisies: innocence and fresh starts

Daisies stand for innocence, purity and new beginnings. They're simple and friendly, which makes them good for a new baby, a fresh start, or a "thinking of you" bouquet that shouldn't feel romantic. See new baby flowers.

Hydrangeas: gratitude and sincere feeling

Hydrangeas, with their full, rounded clusters, stand for gratitude and sincere feeling. They suit a thank-you that should feel warm rather than formal, and they're a wedding favourite because one head covers so much space. If a hydrangea droops, submerge the head in cool water for half an hour; it usually perks right back up. Our hydrangeas are here.

How to choose the right flowers for your occasion

Think about the flower and its colour together, since the two shape the message between them:

• For romantic occasions: red roses, tulips or peonies
• For sympathy and remembrance: white lilies, chrysanthemums or white carnations
• For celebrations: sunflowers, daisies or bright tulips
• For gratitude: hydrangeas or pink carnations
• For office gifts: orchids or white roses

Culture matters as well. In much of Europe and East Asia, white chrysanthemums are a funeral flower, so they're a poor choice for a birthday there, even though they're a cheerful autumn flower in North America. If you're not sure how a flower will be read, ask someone who knows the family, or call us at (437) 291-5605.

Frequently asked questions

What flower symbolizes love the most? The red rose is the best-known symbol of romantic love, though tulips and peonies carry strong romantic meanings too.

What flowers are best for sympathy arrangements? White lilies, chrysanthemums and white carnations are traditional for sympathy and remembrance because they stand for purity, peace and renewal. See our sympathy flowers.

Do flower colours change the meaning of a flower? Yes. Roses and tulips in particular change meaning with colour: red usually means passion, yellow means friendship and white means purity.

What flower represents new beginnings? Daisies and white lilies are both linked with new beginnings and fresh starts, which is why they're popular for new babies and big life changes.

Getting help choosing flowers with the right meaning

An anniversary, a new baby, a friend who's having a hard time: picking flowers with the right meaning makes the gift feel personal. We design every order by hand from that day's flowers and deliver across York Region and Toronto, seven days a week. Order by 1 pm for same-day delivery to most postal codes.

Browse our flower shop and arrangements, or contact us if you'd like help choosing flowers that say the right thing.

Sources: Royal Horticultural Society: The Language of Flowers, The Old Farmer's Almanac: Flower Meanings and Symbolism