Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (2024)

Sep 6

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Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (1)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (2)

If you received a bouquet of flowers from a colleague, friend or co-worker your first move may be to thank them and find a pretty vase to display them in. However, if you were living in the 19th century you may have just received a hidden message.

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (3)

History is riddled with stories of women in society (Click here to see the flowers of Downton Abbey)utilizing flowers to pass messages to lovers, friends and enemies. It’s been documented that harem women utilized “Floriography” in order to communicate without their guards knowledge. By 1810 French publishers began putting out flower dictionaries that detailed many different floral codes collected over the years.

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (4)

So where do these meanings come from?

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (5)

Some of the hidden meanings come directly from the root name which was sometimes based from mythology, i.e. “narcissus” would correspond to egotism. Other meanings came from the flowers directly. The colors, medical properties and even “magical” superstition surrounding these flowers helped create this hidden “language”. Below are some of the more obvious connections from the Victorian Era.

Cabbage – looks like cash, meaning wealth, profit or money
Walnuts – symbolized intellect as they look like a brain
Pennyroyal, rue and Tansy – often used in teas as abortifacients. The flowers in a bouquet often symbolized “you must leave”, disdain or “war”

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (6)

However, not all the meanings were as easy to derive. Some of the following make a less sense:

Hydrangea – heartless
Delphinium – Haughty
Azelea – Take Care of Yourself
Buttercup - Childishness
Basil – I hate you
Dill - lust
Stripped Carnation – no, refusal
Oleander – Beware
Birdsfoot Trefoil – my revenge (Thee flower to give passive aggressively)
Green Carnations - hom*osexuality

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (7)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (8)

Authors also used floral decoding in literary novels like Jane Eyre. In chapter nine, Bronte references that Jane looks at “snowdrops, crocuses, purple auriculas and gold eyed pansies”, which corresponds to her feeling “hopeful, cheerful, modest and preoccupied.

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (9)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (10)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (11)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (12)

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (13)

To learn more about Floriography and the Language ofFlowersvisit:

Atlas Obscura

All Florists

The English Group

Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era — Planterra Conservatory (2024)

FAQs

What was Floriography the secret language of flowers in the Victorian era? ›

Simply put, floriography was the use of encoded messages through the arrangement of flowers. This secret flower language allowed people to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. So if you were to receive a bouquet of yellow Acacia, that meant someone was secretly in love with you.

Was there such a thing as the language of flowers in the Victorian era? ›

In Victorian culture, flowers were the language of love. Learning the special symbolism of flowers became a popular pastime during the 1800s when each flower was assigned a particular meaning. Feelings that could not be proclaimed publicly could be expressed through flowers.

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What was the meaning and significance of flowers during the Victorian era? ›

If someone received an arrangement of lupins, hollyhocks, white heather, or ragged robin, they were being wished good luck. If someone received an arrangement of delphiniums, hydrangeas, oleander, basil, or birdsfoot, it was meant to deliver a more negative message, such as “You're heartless” or “Beware.”

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What is the meaning of Floriography of flowers? ›

Floriography roughly translates to “the language of flowers” and has been used as a means of cryptological communication by simply giving meaning to the colours and varieties of flowers, and the way flowers are arranged.