Flower Guides
What Flowers Mean: A Guide to Flower Meanings
8 October 2026
Flower meanings (sometimes called "the language of flowers") come from centuries of tradition, and while nobody expects you to know them all, a few common ones are genuinely useful when choosing a bouquet with a message in mind.
Common flowers and what they symbolise
- ✿Red roses — romantic love and passion
- ✿Pink roses — admiration, gratitude, and gentler affection
- ✿White roses — purity, new beginnings, and remembrance
- ✿Lilies — sympathy and remembrance (white), but also renewal and devotion in other colours
- ✿Tulips — perfect or declared love, and in general, a cheerful sign of spring
- ✿Sunflowers — loyalty, adoration, and warmth
- ✿Peonies — romance, prosperity, and good fortune
- ✿Chrysanthemums — in the UK, often associated with sympathy; in other cultures, celebration and joy
Colour changes the message as much as the flower
The same flower can mean quite different things depending on its colour — red carries passion and romance, yellow often signals friendship or joy, white suggests purity or remembrance, and purple is associated with admiration or enchantment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do flower meanings actually matter when buying a bouquet?
Not strictly — most people choose flowers based on colour and style rather than symbolism. But if you want a bouquet with real meaning behind it (an anniversary, an apology, a congratulations), it's a nice detail to get right.
What flower symbolises friendship rather than romance?
Yellow flowers in general — particularly yellow roses and sunflowers — are traditionally associated with friendship and warmth rather than romantic love.