Common Flower Names & Their Origins
Flowers are a universal language, with cultures worldwide attributing special meanings to the way they're gifted, arranged and even displayed in your home. Floriography, the art of using bouquets and blooms to express your feelings, adds another layer of confusion to the wonder of florals but perhaps the most common misunderstanding comes from every day versus scientific naming of our favourite blossoms.
Interestingly, the botanical name is usually made of two words. The first is the genus and indicates the group the plant belongs to while the second describes a feature of the flower. Put them together and ta-da, you’ve got a unique name.
Flowers with names generally have more than one we use to refer to them by, but florists and fans alike often use their common monikers - after all, how many times have you been the recipient of a lovely bunch of dianthus? You might be surprised: that's the scientific name of the carnation, one of the nation's favourite flowering plants.
We've explored your most popular picks for bouquets to discover the differences between the scientific and common names for these famous flowers - you might be surprised to discover the origins of your must-have blooms
