flower

To flower is defined as to come into your own and develop well or, in the case of a plant, to produce a bloom.

Flower is defined as the part of a plant that is often brightly colored and provides the pollen that is moved from plant to plant for pollination.

Facts About Flowers

• Rose blooms are edible.
• There are over 250,000 species of flowering plants known on the Earth today.
• Saffron, the expensive yellow-tinted spice considered a delicacy by fine chefs, is derived from a type of crocus flower.
• Flowers work on time schedules depending on when they open and close, and when the insects that pollinate them tend to fly.
• Lilies are one of the oldest plant types known in the world, and have appeared in art for many centuries.

Symbolism of Flower Types

• Acacia: platonic love, chaste love, hidden love
• Absinthe-Woodworm: separation, a tormented love
• Agapanthis: immortality
• Alstroemeria: fortune, prosperity, wealth, devotion
• Amaryllis: pride, pastoral poetry, drama
• Apple blossom: concord, better things to come, temptation
• Aster: unpredictability, love, content, dainty
• Baby's breath: a pure heart, festive, happy
• Bamboo: strength, loyalty
• Begonia: deep thoughts
• Bell of Ireland: good luck
• Bluebell: delicate, humility, constancy
• Cactus-Saguaro Blossom: bravery, endurance
• Caladium leaves: delight, great joy
• Camellia: good luck for a man, excellence, gracious
• Carnation: a woman's love, pure love, fascination
• Columbine: foolish, folly
• Crocus: cheerful, foresight, happy
• Cyclamen: resignation, farewell
• Daffodil: unrequited love, chivalry
• Dahlia: good taste, pomp
• Daisy: love that is loyal, purity, innocence, keeping a secret
• Delphinium: courage, bold, presumption
• Fern: fascination, magic, shelter, confident, sincerity
• Fir: time, evaluation
• Flax: symbol of domesticity
• Forget me not: remembering forever, faithful, true love, good memories
• Frangipani: protection, shelter
• Freesia: spirited, trust
• Gardenia: joy, a secret love
• Geranium: folly, stupid, comfort
• Gloxinia: love at first sight
• Heather: solitude, admiration
• Holly: happiness in domestic situations, foresight, defense, strength
• Honeysuckle: sweetness, happy
• Hyacinth: sports, games, rashness
• Hydrangea: understanding, vanity, heartlessness, coldness
• Iris: affection, warmth, faith, wisdom, inspiration
• Jasmine: elegance, cheery, grace, amiable, friendly
• Jonquil: desire
• Larkspur: open heart, fickle, infidelity, beautiful spirit
• Lily-Calla: majestic, regal, royal
• Lily-Day: the Chinese emblem for Mother
• Lily-Eucharist: maiden charms
• Lily of the Valley: tears of the Virgin Mary, humble, beauty, sweetness, returning to happiness
• Lily-White: virginity, purity, majesty
• Lotus: mystery, truth
• Magnolia: splendid beauty, dignity, nobility
• Maidenhair: discretion
• Marigold: grief, jealousy, cruelty
• Marjoram: consolation, comfort
• Mimosa: sensitivity
• Mistletoe: affection, love, kiss me, sacred plant in India
• Moss: the love of a mother, charity
• Myrtle: Hebrew emblem of marriage, joy, love
• Narcissus: self, formality, egotistic
• Oleander: grace, beauty
• Palm Leaves: success, triumph, victory
• Peony: happy marriage, happy life, healing
• Petunia: anger, resentful
• Pine: pity, hope
• Primrose: young love, not being able to live without someone
• Rose-Leaf: hope
• Pink Rose: perfect happiness
• Red Rose: love
• Tea Rose: always remembering
• Thornless Rose: love at first sight
• White Rose: purity, innocence
• Yellow Rose: jealousy
• Rosebud: youth, beauty, innocent love
• Spider: elopement
• Stephanotis: happy marriage, good luck, wanting to travel
• Stock: affection, promptness
• Sunflower: sunshine, pride, devotion
• Tulip: symbolizes the perfect lover
• Violet: modest, faithful
• Wisteria: steadfast, youth, poetry
• Zinnia: remembrance

Symbolism of Flower Colors

• Red rose - love, beauty, perfection

• Pink rose - admiration, grace, elegance, joyfulness
• Yellow rose - warm feelings, happiness, friendship
• White rose - purity, innocence, new beginnings, remembrance
• Orange rose - desire, enthusiasm, passion, excitement
• Lavender rose - enchantment, love at first sight

Flowers other than roses also have symbolic meanings:

• Red flowers - energy, desire, strength, beauty, courage, and love
• Pink flowers - happiness, grace, youth, joy, and innocence
• Purple flowers - royalty, ceremony, dignity, success, pride, and admiration
• Yellow flowers - joy, lightheartedness, friendship, new beginning, and happiness
• Blue flowers - peace, serenity, openness, and can calm worries and anxiety
• White flowers - innocence, humility, reverence, simple beauty, modesty, and elegance
• Orange flowers - enthusiasm, energy, warmth, confidence, satisfaction, and a passion for life
• Green flowers - health, youth, good fortune, resilience, optimism, and renewal
• Lavender flowers - grace, refinement, feminine beauty, and elegance

Scientific Names for Flowers

Group A (Common name: Scientific name)

• Knotweed: Polygonum spp.

• Lady's mantle: Alchemilla mollis
• Lamb's-ears: Stachys byzantina
• Larkspur: Delphinium spp.
• Lavender: Lavandula angustifolis
• Lenten rose: Helleborus orientalis
• Leopard plant: Ligularia tussilaginea
• Leopard's bane: Doronicum spp.
• Ligularia: Ligularia stenocephala
• Peruvian lily: Alstroemeria hybrids
• Loosestrife: Lysimachia clethroides
• Purple loosestrife:, Lythrum salicaria
• Lungwort: Pulmonaria saccharata
• Southern lupine: Thermopsis caroliniana
• Maltese cross: Lychnis chalcedonica
• Marsh marigold: Caltha palustris
• Meadow rue: Thalictrum aquilegifolium
• Meadowsweet: Filipendula palmata
• Mealy-cup sage: Salvia farinacea
• Monkshood: Aconitum spp.
• Obedient plant: Physostegia virginiana
• African Marigold/American Marigold: Tagetes erecta
• Annual China Pink/Sweet William: Dianthus chinensis / Dianthus barbatus
• Milkweed: Asclepias curassavica
• Black-Eyed Susan: Rudbeckia hirta
• African-lily: Agapanthus cultivars
• Hardy ageratum: Eupatorium coelestinum
• Alkanet: Anchusa azurea
• Japanese anemone: Anemone x hybrida
• Artemisia: Artemisia absinthium
• Aster: Aster spp.
• Stokes' aster: Stokesia laevis
• Astilbe: Astilbe x arendsii
• Avens: Geum spp.
• Baby's breath: Gypsophila paniculata
• Balloon flower: Platycodon grandiflorus
• Basket-of-gold: Aurinia saxatilis
• Bear's breeches: Acanthus spinosus
• Bearded tongue: Penstemon spp.
• Bee-balm: Monarda didyma
• Hardy begonia: Begonia grandis
• Bellflower: Campanula spp.
• Bergenia: Bergenia cordifolia
• Black-eyed Susan: Rudbeckia fulgida
• Blackberry lily: Belamcanda chinensis
• Blanket flower: Gaillardia x grandiflora
• Bleeding heart: Dicentra spectabilis
• Fringed bleeding heart: Dicentra eximia
• Blue poppy: Meconopsis betonicifolia
• Blue star flower: Amsonia tabernaemontana
• Blue wild indigo: Baptisia australis
• Bluebeard: Caryopteris spp.
• Butterfly weed: Asclepias tuberosa
• Calla lily: Zantedeschia spp.
• Candytuft: Iberis sempervirens
• Canna lily: Canna x generalis
• Cardinal flower: Lobelia cardinalis
• Catmint: Nepeta spp.
• Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum morifolium
• Cinquefoil: Potentilla x hybrida
• Columbine: Aquilegia canadensis
• Purple coneflower: Echinacea purpurea
• Coral bells: Heuchera sanguinea
• Lanceleaf coreopsis: Coreopsis lanceolata
• Threadleaf coreopsis: Coreopsis verticillata
• Cranesbill geranium: Geranium sanguineum
• Crocosmia: Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora
• Daisy fleabane: Erigeron spp.
• Shasta daisy: Chrysanthemum x superbum
• Daylily: Hemerocallis spp., H. hybrids
• Spotted dead nettle: Lamium maculatum
• Delphinium: Delphinium cultivars
• English daisy: Bellis perennis
• Everlasting pea: Lathrus latifolius
• Geranium: Pelargonium x hortorum

Group B (Scientific name: Common name)

• Pelargonium peltatum: Ivy geranium
• Pennisetum setaceum: Crimson fountain grass/Annual fountain grass
• Pentas lanceolata, Pentas: Star cluster
• Petunia x hybrida: Petunia
• Plectranthus fosteri 'Marginatus': Spur flower
• Plectranthus argentatus: Silver plectranthus
• Portulaca grandiflora, Portulaca: Moss rose
• Ricinus communis: Castor bean
• Rudbeckia hirta: Gloriosa daisy
• Ruellia elegans: Red ruellia
• Russelia equisentiformis: Coral plant, Fountain plant
• Salpiglossis sinuata: Painted tongue
• Salvia coccinea: Texas sage, Bloody sage
• Salvia farinacea: Mealy-cup sage
• Salvia splendens, Salvia: Scarlet sage
• Salvia argentea: Silver sage
• Scabiosa atropurpurea, Scabiosa: Pincushion flower
• Scaevola aemula: Fan flower
• Schizanthus pinnatus: Butterfly flower
• Senecio cineraria: Dusty miller
• Solenostemon pumilus, Coleus pumilus: Trailing coleus
• Strobilanthes dyerianus: Persian shield
• Sutera corda: Bacopa
• Tagetes erecta, T. patula: Marigold
• Tagetes temurfolia: Signet marigold
• Tagetes erecta: American marigold; African marigold; Aztec marigold
• Tagetes patula: French marigold
• Tithonia rotundifolia: Mexican sunflower
• Torenia fournieri: Wishbone flower
• Tropaeolum majus: Nasturtium
• Verbena x hybrida: Verbena
• Viola cornuta, V. tricolor: Viola; Johnny-jump-up
• Viola x wittrockiana: Pansy
• Zea mays var. japonica: Ornamental corn
• Zinna angustifolia: Creeping zinnia