Most of know that red roses are for passionate love and white roses are for purity, but did you know that a thornless rose means love at first sight and a white rose bud symbolizes girlhood? Or that a withered red rose symbolizes the end of a relationship?

A four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, and a five-leaf clover is a symbol of bad luck.

A blue rose means mystery. Traditionally blue roses are white roses dyed blue. There are no naturally blue roses, because roses can’t produce a chemical called delphinidin, which what makes some flowers blue.

Not all of the language of flowers expresses unspoken niceties. An orange lily meant hatred. Bindweed meant busybody. Buttercups symbolized childishness. Purple carnations meant antipathy and yellow carnations meant disdain or rejection.

The language of flowers is called floriography. The first flower dictionary was published in 1819 by Mme. Charlotte de la Tour, titled Language des Fleurs.

Victorian guides on floral meaning were often contradictory and if a couple wasn’t using the same reference the wrong meaning could be assigned to a message.

The use of flowers to convey messages is an ancient practice. Flower and plant symbology fill both Greek and Roman mythology.

Chloris is the Greek Goddess of Flowers. She was married to Zephyrus, God of the West Wind.

Flora was the Roman Goddess of Springtime and Flowers; she was one of many Roman fertility goddesses. Her festival called the Floralia, was held in late April or early May, which was marked by dancing, drinking and of course flowers.

Egyptian inscriptions mention flower messages, and pictures depict garlands, collars and hair ornaments made of flowers. King Tutankhamun’s coffin was draped with carefully arranged flower garlands and bouquets. The ancient Egyptian perfumers imported flowers from as far away as India and trade secrets were well guarded.

By Joanne Rawson