Bouquet ingredients and their meanings

A friend of mine mentioned to me that I haven't written something light-hearted for a long time, forever talking so here I will leave a guideline on meanings for the stuff they use in a bouquet (I can't use flowers as some of these are plants and fruits! ^^) Okay, here goes....

A

• Acacia - Secret love
• Acanthus - Art
• Acorn - Nordic symbol of life and immortality
• Agrimony - Thankfulness
  
• Almond - Hope, watchfulness and promise
• Aloe - Grief
• Allspice - Compassion
• Ambrosia/Ragweed - Love returned
• Amaryllis - Pride; Timidity
• Anemone - Unfading love
• Angelica - Inspiration
• Aniseed - Restoration of youth
• Arbor vitae - Unchanging friendship
• Arbutus - Only love
• Apple - Preference
• Aster - Love; daintiness
• Azalea - Take care of yourself for me; fragile passion; Chinese symbol of womanhood

B

• Bachelor Button - Celibacy
• Baby's Breath - Everlasting Love
• Balsamine - Impatience
• Basil - Best Wishes, Love
• Bay Leaf - Strength
• Bee orchid - Industry
• Begonia - Beware
• Bells Of Ireland - Good luck
• Bird Of Paradise - Magnificence
• Bird's foot trefoil - Revenge
• Bittersweet - Truth
• Bluebell - Humility; constancy
• Borage - Courage
• Broom - Humility
• Burnet - A merry heart
• Buttercup - Cheerfulness

C

• Cactus - Endurance; warmth
• Cabbage - Profit
• Calendula - Joy
• Camellia - Admiration; perfection; good luck gift to a man
• Campanula - Gratitude
• Candytuft - indifference
• Canterbury Bells - Gratitude

Carnation - (in general) Bonds of affection; health and energy; fascination; woman love
(pink) - I'll never forget you
(purple) - Capriciousness; whimsical; changeable
(red) - My heart aches for you; admiration
(solid color) -Yes
(striped)- No; refusal; sorry I can't be with you; wish I could be with you
(white) -Sweet and lovely; innocence; pure love; woman's good luck gift
(yellow) - Rejection; disdain

• Cattail - Peace; prosperity
• Chamomile - Patience ; attracts wealth
• Cherry blossom - A good education, Feminine beauty, sexuality,
  principle and love (In China), Transience of life (In Japan)
  
• Chestnut - Do me justice
• China aster - Love of variety

Chrysanthemum (in general) - Cheerfulness; You're a wonderful friend (red) - I love (white) - Truth (yellow) -Slighted love

• Coreopsis - Always cheerful
• Coriander - Lust
• Cowslip - Pensiveness; winning grace
• Crocus - Cheerfulness; abuse not
• Cyclamen - Resignation and goodbye
• Clover - Good luck

D

• Daffodil - Respect
• Daisy - Innocence
• Dahlia - Elegance and dignity
• Dandelion - Wishes come true

E

• Elderflower - Compassion
  
• Eucalyptus - Protection

F

• Fennel - Worthy of all praise

Fern - Sincerity (Magic) - Fascination; confidence and shelter (Maidenhair) - Secret bond of love

• Forget-Me-Not - True love; memories
• Feverfew - Protection
• Fir - Time
• Flax - Domestic symbol; fate
• Forsythia - Anticipation

G

• Gardenia - You're lovely; secret love
• Garlic - Courage; strength
• Geranium (Scented) - Preference
• Gladiolus - Love at first sight
• Gorse - Love in all seasons
• Grass - Submission; utility

H

Heather (lavender) - Admiration; solitude (white) - Protection; wishes will come true

• Heliotrope - Devotion
  
• Hibiscus - Delicate beauty
• Holly - Good will, Defense;domestic Happiness; foresight
• Hollyhock - Ambition
• Honeysuckle - Generous and devoted affection
• Houseleek - Domestic economy

Hyacinth (general) - Games and sports; rashness;flower dedicated to Apollo (blue) - Constancy (purple) - I'm sorry; please forgive me; sorrow (red or pink) - Play (white) - Loveliness; I'll pray for you (yellow) - Jealousy

• Hydrangea - Thank you for understanding; frigidity; heartlessness
• Hyssop - Wards away evil spirits

I

• Iris - Faith; hope; wisdom and valor

Ivy - Fidelity and friendship (white tendrils) - Anxious to please; affection

J

• Jasmine - Amiability; attracts wealth
• Jonquil - Love me; affection returned; desire; sympathy; desire for a return of affection
• Juniper - Protection

L

• Larkspur - pink - Fickleness
• Laurestine - A token
• Lavender - Devotion

Lemon - Zest
(blossom) - Discretion

• Lemon Balm - Brings love
• Lemon verbena - Attracts opposite sex
• Lettuce - Cold-hearted
• Lichen - Solitude
• Lilac - Fastidious

Lily (general) - Keeps unwanted visitors away (calia) - Beauty (day) - Coquetry (eucharis) - Maiden charms (orange) - Hatred (tiger) - Wealth; pride (white) - Virginity; purity; majesty; it's heavenly to be with you (yellow) - I'm walking on air; false and gay

• Lily of the valley - sweetness; return to happiness; humility
• Lime Blossom - Conjugal love
• Lobelia - Malevolence
• Love lies bleeding - Hopelessness

M

• Magnolia - Sweetness; beauty; love of nature
• Marigold - Comforts the heart
• Marjoram (sweet) - Joy and happiness
• Mayflower - Welcome
• Mignonette - Worth
• Mint - Protection from illness; warmth of feeling
• Mistletoe - Kiss me; affection; to surmount difficulties; sacred plant of India
• Monkshood - Beware, a deadly foe is near; chivalry
• Moss - Maternal love; charity
• Mock Orange - Deceit
• Mullein - Good-nature
• Myrtle - Love; Hebrew emblem of marriage

N

• Narcissus - Egotism; formality; stay as sweet as you are
• Nasturtium - Conquest; victory in battle; maternal love; charity; patriotism

O

• Oats - Music
• Oak - leaf Strength
• Oleander - Caution; beware
• Olive - Peace

Orange - Generosity (Blossom) - Brings wisdom Orchid - Love; beauty; refinement; beautiful lady; Chinese symbol for many children (cattleya) - Mature charm

• Oxeye daisy - Patience

P

• Palm leaves - Victory and success
• Pansy - Thoughts; love
• Peach - Longevity
• Pear blossom - Lasting friendship
• Peony - Aphrodisiac
• Petunia - Resentment; anger; your presence soothes me
• Pine - Hope; pity
• Prickly Pear - Satire

Poppy (general) - Eternal sleep ; oblivion; imagination (red) -Pleasure; consolation (white) - Consolation; sleep (yellow) - Wealth; success

Primrose - I can't live without you; early youth (evening) - Inconstancy

R

Rose (general)(Red) - Love ; I love you
(white) - Eternal Love ; innocence; heavenly; secrecy and silence
(pink) - Perfect happiness; please believe me
(Yellow) - Friendship ; jealousy; try to care
(Black) -Death
(red and white) - Together; unity
(thornless) - Love at first sight
(single, full bloom) - I love you; I still love you
(tea) - I'll always remember
(cabbage) - Ambassador of love
(Christmas) - Tranquilize my anxiety; anxiety
(damask) - Brilliant complexion
(dark crimson) - Mourning
(hibiscus) - Delicate beauty
(bud) - Beauty and youth ; a heart innocent of love
(red) - Pure and lovely
(white) - Girlhood
(moss) - Confessions of love
(Bouquet of full bloom) - Gratitude
(Garland or crown of) - Beware of virtue; reward of merit; crown ; symbol of superior merit (musk cluster) - Charming (leaf) - You may hope

• Rosemary - Remembrance
• Rue - Regret

S

• Sage - Wisdom, life
• Salvia -(blue) I think of you
• Sensitive Plant - Sensitivity
• Smilax - Loveliness
• Snapdragon - Deception; gracious lady; presumption
• Snowdrop - Consolation or hope
• Spiderflower - Elope with me
• Stephanotis - Happiness in marriage; desire to travel
• Stock - Lasting beauty
• Star of Bethlehem - Reconciliation
• Straw - United
• Strawberry - Perfect goodness
• Sunflower - Loyalty; wishes
• Sweetbrier - Simplicity
• Sweetpea - Goodbye; departure; blissful pleasure; Thank you for a lovely time

T

• Thorn-apple - Disguise

Tulip(general) - Fame,charity; perfect lover (red) - Believe me; declaration of love (variegated) - Beautiful eyes (yellow) - Hopeless love

• Tulip-tree - Fame
• Thyme - Strength and courage; ensures restful sleep

V

Violet - Modesty; calms tempers; induces sleep
(blue) - Watchfulness; faithfulness; I'll always be true (white) - Let's take a chance on happiness

• Viscaria - Will you dance with me?

W

• Woodruff - sweet humility
• Witch-hazel - A spell

Y

• Yarrow - Health,healing

Z

Zinnia - Thoughts of friends
(magenta) - Lasting affection (mixed) - Thinking of an absent friend (scarlet) - Constancy (white) - Goodness (yellow) - Daily remembrance

This is meant as a guide for you people to buy the correct plants for your loved ones. So, be careful of what you buy because you will not know if the person knows the meaning and might land you into trouble. Oh ya!!! Never ever present a bouquet of withered flowers for your girlfriend because it means rejected love and you might get into trouble! So, let's avoid withered flowers, shall we?? Hahah...