The Meaning of Flower Colors

Published on March 24, 2025

When I was a child it was engrained in me that giving flowers to people made them happy.

It had the power to brighten their mood, could change their energy or outlook, and most importantly, made them feel seen. As an adult, I’ve learned it truly does all of that.

Kids can pick daisies in their yard, anyone can draw a picture of a flower and give it to someone they love, and of course now that we’re adults with conscious minds and free will, we can send flowers any time with the click of a button.

In middle school, I have fond memories of our school setting up a flower exchange every Valentine's Day and it’s something that’s been engrained in me ever since. This was also the first time I had ever heard that different color flowers mean different things. We were able to bring in a dollar and send a rose to whoever we wanted to in the school with the colors meaning different things:

Red meant you loved someone! (the absolute scandal this caused in prepubescence)

Pink meant you had a crush on someone (The 90’s-00’s version of the prom-posal perhaps?)

Yellow meant you were true friends (girlfriends unite!)

Colors, of course, can mean so many different things, especially culturally. Here in the United States, we may see white as a sign of happy new beginnings, and alternatively some Asian cultures see white as a sign of death and should be avoided at weddings and baby showers, at all costs. I think ultimately, there’s no hard and fast rule to adhere to when choosing flowers to give to someone. If they like purple- send ‘em purple! I’ve just always found it fascinating, revealing, and helpful when ordering a flower delivery, and I hope you do too!

So without further ado, here’s what I've learned over the years as far as the color wheel of living floral means.

Red - Love and Passion

*Roses, tulips, anemone, mums, amaryllis, lilies