“Giving gifts of flowers is a long-established custom that we continue enthusiastically today. We give flowers and potted plants for birthdays, at Christmas and on anniversaries of all kinds… But although we use flowers on many occasions to convey particular sentiments, the meanings we attach to specific flowers are sadly limited compared to the complex and subtle Language of Flowers available to the Victorians.”
Gill Saunders, The Country Flowers of a Victorian Lady
Flower symbolism has been a popular hobby for many centuries. In 1716 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu traveled to the Middle East along with her husband who was then the English ambassador to Turkey. Lady Montagu discovered the practice of the Turkish secret flower language and brought back her knowledge of this interesting form of communication to her English countrymen. The first European flower dictionary to be published was written in France in 1818 by Madame Charlotte de la Tour and was titled “Le Language des Fleurs.”
Floriography otherwise known as the language of flowers reached its height of popularity during the Victorian Era of the 1900s. The Victorian Era occurred during the rule of Queen Victoria of England from 1837 to 1901 and many dictionaries on the symbolism and meanings of flowers were published during this time.
NOTE: This post on the language of flowers is a wonderful companion piece to another blog I wrote on the doctrine of signatures. Also, a shorter version of this post was originally published to Yahoo Voices in 2007. As I can no longer find that article published online, I decided to rewrite the original post. I’ve edited the old content and added over 500 words of extra content to create a new language of flowers article for The Creative Cottage blog.
Flower Symbolism
The following two poems come from Collier’s Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, compiled by Nugent Robinson. P. F. Collier, 1882.
ALMOND-HOPE
Nugent Robinson
The hope, in dreams of a happier hour
That alights upon misery’s brow
Springs out of the silvery almond flower
That blooms on a leafless bough.
DAFFODIL-REGARD
Fair daffodils we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attained his noon;
Stay, stay,
Until the hastening day has run
But to the even song,
And having prayed together,
We will go with you along.We have short time to stay as ye
Nugent Robinson
We have as fleet a spring,
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you or anything;
We die as your hours do,
And dry away like to the summer’s rain
Or as the pearls of morning’s dew
Ne’er to be found again.
Tussie Mussie
A tussie mussie, which means sweet posey, was a small bundle or bouquet of flowers that was used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance throughout Europe. Tussie mussies were originally made of a variety of herbs chosen for their supposed medicinal virtues. These small herb bouquets were carried around by individuals and were thought to help prevent diseases such as the plague from spreading to the individual carrying the herbs. In addition, the tussie mussies would help to cover up unpleasant odors due to unhygienic living conditions prevalent during this time period.
Pocket Full of Posies
Ring-a-ring o’ roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!We all fall down.
Old English Nursery Rhyme
In previous eras, social etiquette did not allow for the public expression of love and affection so a language of love using flowers, plants and herbs developed. A variety of small bouquets, nosegays and tussie-mussies were given to loved ones and potential suitors to convey a variety of secret messages. During the Victorian Era, tussie mussies were used to convey secret messages to loved ones and were often enclosed within a lace doily and tied together with a satin ribbon. If there were any inverted flowers present in the bouquet that particular flower would be interpreted as having the opposite of the usual meaning.
Interesting note, if you are thinking about creating a DIY floral bouquet for your wedding, you can find decorative tussie mussie bouquet holders online.
Creating Flower Messages
A variety of instructions for making tussie-mussies can be found in various publications such as Maggie Oster’s book Gifts and Crafts from the Garden. One of my favorite herb books Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs even contains a section on how to make different craft items from herbs including how to make a tussie-mussie along with a table of the language of herbs and flowers.
Sample floral bouquet message
- Iris = I send a message
- Hyacinthe = Your loveliness charms me
- Cornflower = Be gentle with me
- Red Carnation = My heart aches for you
You may want to investigate the meanings of the flowers and herbs growing in your own garden if you are interested in creating your own flower messages. Tussie-mussies and small bouquets can be made from either fresh or dried floral material. The fresh material is more aromatic but you may like to use dried flowers for a longer-lasting effect. You can sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto the dried flowers if desired. A variety of silk and satin ribbons and paper doilies can be found at craft and hobby stores. You could even use silk flowers to create a floral greeting that will last indefinitely.
The Flowers
The following list of flower symbolism was taken from the 1879 book Flower Lore; The Teachings of Flowers Historical, Legendary, Poetical and Symbolical by Miss Carruthers of Inverness, Scotland.
- Aloe – superstition
- Anemone – brevity, expectation
- Camellia – excellence, loveliness
- Carnation – admiration
- Clover – fertility
- Crocus – youthful gladness
- Daffodil – regard
- Daisy – innocence
- Dandelion – oracle
- Fennel – strength, worthiness
- Fern – fascination
- Forget-me-not – forget-me-not
- Grass – usefulness
- Heather – solitude
- Holly – good wishes
- Iris – hope
- Ivy – fidelity
- Lavender – distrust
- Lily of the valley – the return of happiness
- Marigold – cares, sorrow
- Mistletoe – surmounting difficulties
- Myrtle – love
- Narcissus – egotism, selfishness
- Olive – peace, security
- Pansy – thought
- Parsley – feasting, death
- Poppy – consolation, sleep
- Rose – beauty, love
- Rosemary – remembrance
- Sage – domestic virtues
- Sunflower – pride, riches
- Sweet pea – departure
- Tulip – ardent love
- Violet – steadfastness
- Zinnia – thoughts of absent friends
Many other references to the meanings of flowers could be found in writings from the Victorian Era. The following section contains some additional flower symbolism for you to pursue including:
- Apple – preference
- Begonia – dark thoughts
- Bellflower – gratitude
- Bluebell – constancy
- Campanula – gratitude
- Harebell – submission to grief
- Hawthorn – hope
- Heliotrope – devotion
- Honeysuckle – bonds of love
- Nasturtium – patriotism
- Periwinkle – early friendship
- Primrose – early youth
- Quince – temptation
- Red rose – love
- Snowdrops – consolation, hope
- Star of Bethlehem – purity
- White rose – purity, spiritual love
- Yew – sadness, sorrow
Language of Flowers Literary References
Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Brook
“The sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.”
A variety of authors such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Blake, John Keats, William Wordsworth, Robert Herrick and William Shakespeare among others included many references to flower symbolism in their various writings.
Who can forget the famous lines uttered by Juliet in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And in the play Hamlet, Ophelia mentions: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and there is pansies, that’s for thought.”
Additional flower symbolism can be found in Shakespeare’s writings such as his plays Cymbeline, A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale and his poem Venus and Adonis.
Sending Floral Messages
Today the language of flowers is alive and well. Giving bouquets of flowers on major holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries is a common method of expressing affection to your loved ones. If you don’t have a garden of your own, florist shops and nursery centers can supply you with a variety of flowers to make into your own unique flower messages to share with your friends and families.
One problem with the Language of Flowers was you could consult three different books to look up the meaning of a particular flower and end up with three different meanings. So use whichever interpretation you prefer when putting together a bouquet or flower arrangement for a friend or loved one. The recipient may just see a pretty vase of flowers, but only you will know the secret message you are sending.
The next time you send a gift of flowers for Mother’s Day, someone’s Birthday, or Anniversary celebration, think about the message you are trying to convey and choose your flowers accordingly. If you are interested in learning more about the Language of Flowers, here are a few books to research.
Language of Flowers Resources
- Clark, William George (ed.). The Unabridged William Shakespeare. Philadelphia, PA: Courage Books, 1989.
- Lehner, Ernst and Johanna. Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants, and Trees.
- Robinson, Fanny. The Country Flowers of a Victorian Lady. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999.
Let’s Keep in Touch
Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net and I just might feature your story in a future blog post.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
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