This entry was posted on February 17, 2022 by Becca Armstrong-Benson.
Many of us send bouquets of beautiful blooms to convey our love, thanks, congratulations or condolences, but what flower do you give to someone you hate?
If this seems a strange notion, then perhaps you aren’t familiar with the Victorian language of flowers, the age-old floral dictionary that gave each species its own meaning.
In buttoned-up 19th century society, emotional expression was frowned upon, leading friends and lovers to send secret messages to one another through the medium of flowers. Red roses meant ‘be mine’, while white lilies expressed sympathy – two flower meanings that still stand today.
But while most floriography is charmingly sweet and positive, it also features flowers with negative meanings. Think betrayal, hatred, rejection, jealousy and even death!
So, if you fancy insulting someone who’s (probably) not going to pick up on the ill feeling behind your ‘kind gift’, it’s time to gen up on how to really say it with flowers.
Hint: many blooms have both positive and negative meanings, so you can send them under the guise of the former, while actually implying the latter. Passive aggressive, us?
Yellow roses
Nothing screams infidelity and a broken heart like receiving a yellow rose, the ultimate symbol of jealousy and greed in the Victorian language of flowers. Today, they have connotations of platonic love and friendship, presumably due to their uplifting colour. Send them an unlucky suitor to let them know they’re firmly in the friend zone.
Orange lilies
Here’s one of those flowers with both a good and bad meaning. The orange lily can reflect both passionate desire and hatred, quite possibly at the same time if the bad boys of Victorian literature are anything to go by (Heathcliff, we’re looking at you). If you’d rather play it safe, choose pink lilies, representing fertility and femininity, or exotic calla lilies, symbolising magnificence.
Tansies
In the Victorian language of flowers, this bitter herb with button-like yellow flowers means “I declare war on you!”, which is about as dramatic as floriography gets. Tansies may represent hostile thoughts, but their name means ‘immortality’, so you could also consider them a symbol of strength, loyalty and hope for good health.
Hydrangeas
With their showy mass of clustered petals, hydrangeas imply boastful vanity in the Victorian language of flowers. The blue variety also represents coldness and frigidity, the latter on account of the limited seeds that hydrangeas produce, despite their striking good looks. This made the hydrangea a common flower for spurned suitors to send to the disdainful object of their affections. Oh, the drama!
Black dahlias
Most dahlias stand for elegance and prosperity, but the striking black variety (really a deep burgundy) is a well-known symbol of betrayal. It’s a shame its flower meaning is so negative, because it’s stunning. If you wish to give black dahlias with positive intent, folklore dictates that if you offer your bouquet upside down, it has the opposite meaning. Follow that trick and these autumnal beauties will suddenly mean loyalty!
Sunflowers
You might be surprised to see these joyful yellow blooms in a list of flowers with negative meanings, because today, they most commonly signify positivity, good luck and loyalty. However, the Victorians sent sunflowers to proud, pompous folk who they felt had delusions of grandeur. They had come to symbolise false riches, based on Spanish explorers landing in the Americas and wrongly thinking they were made of real gold. If someone you know is getting too big for their boots, you know what to do.
Yellow hyacinths
Spring-time hyacinths are renowned for their gorgeous scent, but different colours hold different meanings in the Victorian language of flowers. Purple hyacinths say ‘I am sorry’, the white variety means you’re praying for someone, pink petals hint at playfulness and blue blooms stand for constancy. Yellow hyacinths, however, symbolise jealousy and sorrow, making them the perfect pick if you’re determined to make your hurt feelings known to a friend or lover who clearly doesn’t know your worth.
Lavender
The Victorians believed Egyptian queen Cleopatra was killed by a poisonous snake that had been lurking under a lavender bush. Hence, despite its soothing fragrance and medicinal properties, lavender signals distrust in the language of flowers. On the flipside, it also has a much happier and romantic meaning of devotion.
Yellow carnations
Their colour may chiefly be associated with sunny optimism, but in the language of flowers, yellow carnations represent disdain, disappointment and rejection. The striped variety signifies refusal. If your friend counts this frilly bloom among their favourites, and they haven’t done you ill, send them pink carnations, meaning gratitude, or white carnations, meaning sweetness.
Black roses
‘Black’ roses are actually very dark purple. Unfortunately, despite their beauty, they are associated with death and despair, hatred and revenge. If you’ve been unceremoniously dumped and fancy channelling your inner Miss Havisham (she of Dickensian jilted bride fame), send a bunch of these gothic blooms to your ex-lover. Or don’t, because that would be both creepy and pathetic. Sorry.
Rhododendrons
It might not look particularly scary, but the ravishing rhododendron had a fearsome reputation in Victorian society. It signalled dangerous temptation, due to its sweet yet poisonous nectar, and was often sent as a warning sign. Not convinced by your best friend’s new beau? Drop her a floral hint that whispers ‘Beware!’.
Supermarket flowers
Nothing suggests a lack of thoughtfulness on a special occasion quite like a sad bunch of limp, browning blooms from a supermarket. So, if flowers with negative meanings aren’t obvious enough in 2021, but you’re determined to put your mean mother-in-law in her place, head to your nearest one-stop shop.
On the flipside, if you’re keen to impress a loved one who deserves a treat, buy a bountiful bouquet from a trusted online florist like Appleyard. Our extensive range features luxury flowers, plants and hampers that even the most discerning recipient would be overjoyed to receive. To really spoil them, browse our Couture Collection today.
Yellow Carnations can both be used to express disappointment and/or rejection. If you are being courted by a hopeless romantic nothing will give them a better reason to write a tear-jerking ballad than a bouquet of these puffy yellow flowers.
Buttercups. You have probably never seen buttercups in any flower bouquet which makes sense because they symbolize ingratitude, childish behavior, and unfaithfulness. ...
Mysterious and striking, the most common symbolism tied to black roses is that of death, mourning or tragedy. Whether they are stand-alone black rose bouquets or mixed white and black blossoms, both are moving displays for funerals or memorial services to express grieving or a final farewell to a loved one.
In the language of flowers, a bleeding heart symbolizes passionate love and romance. The pink and white blossoms may also signify unrequited love or a broken heart.
Burgundy (black) dahlia's are flowers that have the most negative meaning out of all the colours, as they are said to symbolise betrayal – Or they're just the perfect choice for a goth friend.
In the floral language of late 19th-century England, bird's-foot trefoil symbolized revenge—the "revenge" in this case presumably being the recipient's need to go out and buy a suitable vase.
Narcissus. The flower Narcissus tells a story of selfishness and conceit. Narcissus was an attractive young man who was sought after by many, but rejected all advances.
Chrysanthemum. In the United States, this gorgeous flower has many meanings, but it is often used as an expression of support and encouragement to "get well soon." In many European countries, chrysanthemums are placed in tombs and are considered a symbol of death.
But orange lilies symbolize hatred and disdain. Thus giving them to a loved one is a big no. Maybe, if you have an archenemy or a relative you absolutely despise, this flower might just make them happy, all at the same time giving you the satisfaction of laughing behind their back.
Gray is a cool, neutral, and balanced color that's associated with formality and sophistication. Give someone gray roses when you want to send a statement that's timeless and practical, communicating strength and mystery.
Purple roses: An enchanting purple rose is also known as the "mystical rose." This rose gives off special meanings like royalty and majesty. A deep purple rose is perfect when you want to show someone you look up to them, or value their opinions.
The Juliet Rose is not only considered to be one of the rarest flowers in the world, but it's also the rarest rose in the world because it took 15 years for rose breeder David Austin to cultivate the flower in England. Additionally, it cost him a whopping $4.3 million to do so.
A single red rose means Love at first sight. 2 red roses flower symbolize reciprocated love, mutual love. 3 red roses mean I love you. 4 red roses meaning is we are meant to be together for life.
Pink roses are a way of showing appreciation, of saying “Thank you”. They are associated with grace, perfection, happiness, admiration, and gentleness.
With the addition of pink at the tips of your white roses these signify perfection and happiness. Send these on a festive occasion or to thank someone for something extraordinary they've done.
Lily of the valley is the best apology flower if you don't know how to apologize to someone you hurt. This delicate white flower represents rebirth, which can be the result of a broken relationship if your apology is received well.
Grandmothers and grandfathers with a green thumb might remember it: the Scabiosa. A special flower, which until recently, had been forgotten. The Scabiosa, also known as 'pincushion flower', was grown from seed, had medium size flowers with a delicate stem and grew mostly in blue tones.
Anemone (/əˈnɛməniː/) is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.
Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus, and jonquil are used to describe all or some members of the genus.
Some believe that the way daffodils bend their necks towards the ground symbolises Narcissus bending over to admire his image in the water, and this is why daffodils are sometimes said to represent vanity and unrequited love.
Purple flowers are commonly said to symbolize success and even royalty, though feelings of admiration and tradition may also come through in purple flowers. A few of our favorite purple flower types include clematis, iris, allium and bellflower.
The Flower Demon (Hana Oni?) was a demon in Kimetsu No Yaiba: A New Full Moon. She was also one of the 4 servants of the new Lowermoon 2, Haruyo. The Flower Demon's job was to gather information in the Northwest Village as Haruyo had said there was a Hashira roaming around looking for demons.
White peonies are not only a symbol of beauty but they can also be interpreted to mean bashfulness, shame and regret, making them a go-to for expressing remorse and making amends.
For many years, the yellow rose was considered a symbol of infidelity and cheating. The legend obviously has many variations, but its meaning remains the same: yellow roses are a sign of betrayal and separation.
Hyacinth: The purple hyacinth is a popular symbol of sorrow and regret. For a funeral setting, this expression is certainly appropriate. Sometimes, a simple acknowledgement of the family's grief is enough.
Poppy. Cheerful poppies have a dark side: they're symbols of sleep and oblivion, and the Chinese flower calendar even calls the poppy a harbinger of evil, signifying the inability to control one's worst urges.
Lily of the valley is the best apology flower if you don't know how to apologize to someone you hurt. This delicate white flower represents rebirth, which can be the result of a broken relationship if your apology is received well.
Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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