List of plants with symbolism

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Various folk cultures and traditions assign symbolic meanings to plants. Although these are no longer commonly understood by populations that are increasingly divorced from their rural traditions, some meanings survive. In addition, these meanings are alluded to in older pictures, songs and writings. New symbols have also arisen: one of the most known in the United Kingdom is the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance of the fallen in war.

List

Plants

Plant	Meaning	Region or culture
Asparagus foliage	Fascination	Europe
Bamboo	Longevity, strength, and grace	China
Green willow	False love	Britain
Mistletoe	Used to signify a meeting place where no violence could take place	Druids

Flowers

Flower Meaning Acacia rose or white Secret Love yellow Elegance Abatina Fickleness^[1] Acanthus Art, Immortality, Rebirth Agrimonia Thankfulness, gratitude Alcea rosea Please remember me, epiphany, remembrance, nostalgia Allium Patience, good fortune, prosperity, unity Aloe Grief Almond Promise Alyssum maritimum Immortal love Amaranth (Globe) Immortal love, unchangeable^[1] Amaranth Immortality^[2] Amaryllis Love, beauty, and determination; Amaryllis can also represent hope and achievement.^[3] Ambrosia Love is reciprocated American Cowslip You are my divinity^[1] Anemone Forsaken, sickness, anticipation, undying love, eternal peace Angrec Royalty Anthurium Hospitality, happiness, abundance Apple blossom Preference Arborvitae Everlasting friendship Arbutus You are the only one I love Arum Faith, purity Aspen Excess of sensibility, fear, lamentation Asphodel My regrets follow you to the grave Aster Symbol of love, daintiness, talisman of love, trusting Astragalus Your presence softens my pain^[1] Azalea Take care, temperance, fragile, gratitude, passion, Chinese symbols of womanhood Baby's breath Innocence, purity of heart Bachelor's button / Cornflower Happy or blessed celibacy, good luck, wealth Balm Sympathy Balsam Ardent love Balsamine Impatience Basil Success Bay wreath Glory Begonia Beware, a fanciful nature Bellflower Unwavering love Bells of Ireland Luck Bird's-foot trefoil Revenge Bird of paradise flower Liberty, magnificence, good perspective, joyfulness, faithfulness (when given by a man to a woman) Black-eyed Susan Justice Blackthorn Fate, protection, hope against adversity, good fortune Bluebell Loyalty, constancy, humility & gratitude Box Constancy Borage Courage Bouvardia Enthusiasm Brugmansia Vivacity, vibrancy, health, danger Broom Humility Bulrush Docility Bumblebee Orchid Industry Buttercup Riches Cabbage Profit Calla Lily Magnificence and beauty Camellia Unpretending excellence Campanula Gratitude Canterbury Bells Gratitude Carnation general Fascination; distinction; love red Deep romantic love, passion green Secret symbol of the followers of Oscar Wilde, love between two men white Sweet and lovely, innocence, pure love, faithfulness pink A woman's love, a mother's love, I'll never forget you yellow Rejection, disdain, disappointment purple Capriciousness, whimsical, changeable, unreliability mauve Dreams of fantasy striped Refusal solid color Yes, affirmative Celandine Joys to come Chamomile Energy in adversity Cherry blossom A good education Transience of life, Mono no aware, Wabi-sabi, gentleness, kindness (in Japan) Feminine beauty (in China) Chestnut Do me justice, Chastity China aster Love of variety, fidelity Chrysanthemum general fidelity, optimism, joy and long life red Love yellow Slighted love white Truth, loyal love Cinquefoil Beloved daughter Clovenlip Toadflax Please notice my love/feelings for you Clove Undying love Clover red Industry white I promise Coltsfoot Justice shall be done^[1] Columbine The emblem of deceived lovers, ingratitude, faithlessness Coreopsis Always cheerful, love at first sight^[1] Coriander Lust Cowslip Winning grace Creeping Willow Love forsaken Cranberry Cure for heartache^[1] Crocus Youthful joy, love, abuse not, Lupercalia Cypress Death, mourning, despair, sorrow. Daffodil Uncertainty, chivalry, respect or unrequited love, return my affection; new beginnings Dahlia Elegance and dignity Black Dahlia Betrayal and dishonesty Daisy general Innocence, loyal love, purity, faith, cheer, simplicity; or, dissembling as in Shakespeare's Hamlet red Beauty unknown to possessor orange Joy and sunshine yellow Happiness and joy blue Long-term loyalty and trust purple Thoughtfulness Dandelion Overcoming hardship Delphinium Levity, fun, generosity, ardent attachment, joy Dill Passion Diphylleia I will show my true self to you, clarity, honesty Edelweiss Devotion, courage Elderflower Compassion Fennel Strength; cuckoldry, as in Shakespeare's Hamlet,^[4] Fern Magic, enchantment, confidence, sincerity & shelter Forget-me-not True love, don't forget me Foxglove Insecurity^[5] Freesia Innocence, thoughtfulness Fungus Resilience, loneliness, solitude, disgust Gardenia Secret love, joy, sweet love, good luck Geranium Gentility, determination Gladiolus Strength of character, honor, conviction Goldenrod Encouragement Gorse Love in all seasons Hawthorn Hope, fertility Heather purple Solitude, beauty, admiration white Protection Heliotrope Devotion Hibiscus Rare and delicate beauty Himalayan blue poppy Potential, possibilities, psychic skills Hollyhock Ambition Honeysuckle Devoted affection, bonds of love Houseleek Domestic economy Hyacinth blue Constancy purple Sorrow; Please forgive me red or pink Playfulness white Loveliness yellow Jealousy Hyssop Cleanliness, sacrifice Hydrangea general In a negative sense frigidity, heartlessness pink Heartfelt emotion or gratitude purple A desire to deeply understand someone blue Frigidity and apology white Boasting, bragging, purity, grace and abundance Iris general Eloquence, good news blue Faith, hope purple Wisdom, compliments yellow Passion white Purity

Flower Meaning Ivy Dependence, endurance, faithfulness Jasmine Unconditional and eternal love, monetary wealth. (in the Philippines and Hinduism) Jonquil Return my affection Kerria 棣棠 Dì táng (China) Royalty, Nobility of heart^[6] Larkspur Levity, lightness; fickleness, haughtiness Laurel Ambition, success, renown Laurestine A token Lamprocapnos Rejected love, passionate love, unconditional love, compassion Lavender Happiness, love, devotion, peace, distrust Lemon blossom Discretion Lilac purple First love white Youthful innocence, humility Lily general Affection for loved ones white Purity pink Love, femininity and admiration scarlet Lofty aspirations orange Desire, passion; hatred Lily of the valley Sweetness, humility, returning happiness, Trust Lime blossom Fornication Lobelia Malevolence Lotus Purity, chastity and eloquence; rebirth Love lies bleeding Hopelessness Magnolia Perseverance; Love of nature Mallow Consumed by love Marigold Pain and grief Mayflower Welcome Meadowsweet Beauty, happiness, peace, protection Mignonette Worth Mint Suspicion Moonflower Dreaming of love Morning glory Love in vain; affection Mulberry I will not survive you^[1] Mullein Good-nature Myrtle Good luck and love in marriage Narcissus Unrequited love, selfishness Nasturtium Patriotism, conquest Nemophila you are my one and only, innocence, happiness Nettle (stinging) Life and death, protection^[7] as in Shakespeare's Hamlet Nightshade Silence, falsehood^[1] Oak leaf Strength Oats Music Olive Peace Orange blossom Good fortune, good luck in marriage Orchid general Refined beauty white egret orchid My thoughts will follow you into your dreams red Fire, romance, desire, and passion orange Pride, enthusiasm, and boldness yellow New beginnings, friendship, and joy green Love, charm, beauty, fertility, refinement, and thoughtfulness blue Rarity, uniqueness, beauty, and spirituality purple Respect, royalty and admiration pink Grace, gentleness, innocence, happiness, playfulness, and fertility white Purity, faith, humility, safety, elegance, innocence, and beauty Ox-eye daisy Patience Pansy Thoughtfulness, remembrance, you occupy my thoughts^[1] Peach blossom Long-life, generosity, bridal hope, charm Pear blossom Lasting friendship^[1] Peony Shame, bashfulness, anger Prosperity, honor (in China) Masculinity, bravery (in Japan) Peruvian Lily Wealth, fortune, prosperity, friendship Phlox Harmony Pitch pine blossom Philosophy Plum blossom Beauty and longevity Plumeria Perfection, springtime, new beginnings Primrose Eternal love Protea Courage, transformation, daring, resourcefulness, diversity Poppy general Eternal sleep, oblivion, imagination red Pleasure, sacrifice, remembrance white Consolation, dreams, modern, peace yellow Wealth, success Queen Anne's Lace Haven, sanctuary; complexity, delicateness Queen of the Night Enjoy small moments because they do not last Rainflower I love you back, I must atone for my sins, I will never forget you Rhododendron beauty, energy Rose red True love blue Mystery, attaining the impossible, love at first sight bud Beauty, purity, love, youth white Silence or innocence, wistfulness, virtue, purity, secrecy, reverence and humility dried white rose Sorrow black Death, hatred, despair, sorrow, mystery, danger, obsession yellow Friendship, apology, intense emotion, undying love; extreme betrayal, a broken heart, infidelity, jealousy pink Grace dark pink Gratitude light pink Desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy burgundy Unconscious beauty coral or orange Desire, passion lavender or violet Love at first sight red and white together United red and yellow together Joy, happiness and excitement thornless Love at first sight Rosemary Remembrance Rue Regret, sorrow, repentance Sage Health, wisdom, respect Scabius Unfortunate attachment, I have lost all^[1] Sensitive plant Sensitivity, modesty Shamrock Good luck Snapdragon Graciousness, strength; deception Snowdrop Consolation or hope Speedwell Travel, kindness, loyalty, protection Spider lily red Death and the cycle of rebirth, Flower of Death white Positive nature, new beginnings, good health and rebirth yellow Happiness, light, wisdom, gratitude, strength, everlasting friendship pink Feminine love, beauty and passion Spindle tree Your image is engraved on my heart^[1] Star of Bethlehem Atonement, reconciliation Straw United Statice Remembrance, sympathy, success Sticky Catchfly Invitation to dance Stock Lasting beauty, a happy life, bonds of affection Sunflower Pure and lofty thoughts, adoration, longevity, loyalty Sweetbrier Simplicity, a wound to heal Sweetpea Gratitude, tenderness, farewell Tansy I declare war on you Thistle Nobility, endurance, warning^[8] Thorn-apple Disguise Thyme Courage, thriftiness Tulip-tree Fame Tulip red Undying love, Passion, Perfect love pink Caring, Good wishes, Friendship, Joyful Occasions, Confidence purple Nobility/Royalty, Rebirth, Spring white Forgiveness, Remembrance, Worthiness, Sincerity yellow Cheerful thoughts, Sunshine, Hope, Desperate love blue Respect, Tranquility, Trust orange Understanding, Appreciation, Truest love black Power, Strength, Supreme elegance variegated Beautiful eyes Valerian Readiness Vervain Pray for me, protection against evil Violet blue Faithfulness purple Daydreaming, love between two women, lesbian love white Modesty Winged seeds (any kind) Messengers Winterberry Protection, luck Wisteria Welcoming Witch-hazel A magic spell Wheat Wealth and prosperity Wolfsbane Misanthropy Wormwood Absence, bitter sorrow Yarrow Healing, inspiration Ylang-Ylang Never-ending love Zinnia Thinking of you; remembering absent friends, sentimentality

See also

• Language of flowers – cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers
• Hanakotoba, also known as 花言葉 – Japanese form of the language of flowers
• Floral emblem – flowers that represent specific geographic areas
• Plants in culture – uses of plants by humansPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

References

1. "The Language of Flowers: An Alphabet of Floral Emblems (1857)".
2. "The Rose And The Amaranth". Mythfolklore.net. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
3. P., Rebekah (17 April 2020). "Amaryllis Flower Meaning and Symbolism". Florgeous. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
4. Thomas, Vivian and Fair lots, Nicki, Shakespeare's Plants and Gardens: A Dictionary (Arden Shakespeare Dictionaries), Bloomsbury Academic (London) 2014, p. 85
5. "Foxglove Symbolism and the Meaning of Foxgloves in the Language of Flowers". Livingartsoriginals.com. 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
6. https://inf.news/en/culture/f67525981e0834707ddfaf75cb5e5d6e.html Retrieved at 9.35 on Thursday 13/1/22.
7. Candace Hunter (2010-06-20). "Nettle Myth, Folklore, History, and Magic". Thepracticalherbalist.com. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
8. "The Scottish Thistle - Why It's The Perfect National Flower". Scottish-at-heart.com. 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2018-04-22.

• The Fortunate Fortune Flower Plant: A Comprehensive Guide

• Symbols Dictionary: Flowers and Plants
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