h2>Dating : What Flowers Symbolize
A primer on the meaning of roses, carnations, and more
Illustrations by Desneige Hallbert
Roses
A red rose symbolizes love. An orange rose means, “Hubba, hubba.” A yellow rose that’s wearing a turtleneck, tapered khakis, and a backpack wants you to know this isn’t a date.
Tulips
Pink tulips mean, “Congratulations on your new job!” White tulips mean, “I’m sorry for singing so loudly in the museum.” Did you receive a bouquet of black tulips from someone? I’m sorry, but generally those mean, “Uh oh.”
Buttercups
If you hold a buttercup under your chin and it casts a yellow glow, then you like butter! If you hold one under your chin and you see a tiny spray bottle, you prefer I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.
Carnations
White carnations mean you just graduated. Pink carnations mean you’re about to dance the night away in the gym! What about a carnation that’s equal parts yellow, red, tan, and dark brown? These are hamburger colors. This carnation doesn’t occur in nature, so the person who sent this to you is a hard-working scientist.
Gardenias
These blossoms signify purity and refined beauty. If you receive a bouquet of gardenias, that means the sender thinks you are gorgeous. If you receive one gardenia wrapped in cellophane with some baby’s breath, that means the sender didn’t realize that flowers are actually kind of expensive.
Orchids
Orchids represent strength and virility. So if you give an orchid to a man, that’s basically like saying, “Bow chicka wow wow! You’re one heck of a guy, and I’d like to buy you a milkshake.”
Daisies
Daisies mean springtime, friendship, and happiness. When a person puts a daisy in her hair, she’s probably wearing plaid because that also was popular in the ’90s. If your daisy has all its petals plucked off, someone was trying to figure out if they were loved, but doing it in a silly, trivial, meaningless way.
Gladioli
According to the ancient Romans, “gladioli” is the plural form of “gladiolus,” and you know what? I’m not going to argue with them. These flowers are a sign of honor, faithfulness, and integrity. Also known as “sword lilies,” gladioli leaves are shaped like swords. If you wielded them in a flower battle, you would probably win.
Fried zucchini blossoms
Stuffed with ricotta cheese, these flowers mean, “Wow! Yum!”
