There are many ways to convey various degrees of love, understanding, congratulations, and many other emotions in just a single flower bouquet. People look for the perfect flower for their special occasion; look up the meanings of the flowers you want to use in your next floral gift bouquet, basket, or arrangement below.
The Most Popular Flowers In The World
1) Rose
Rose is the topmost beautiful flower globally because of its fragrance, variety of colors, and sizes.
One of the biggest reasons for the rose’s popularity is its association with love. Valentine’s Day is the holiday when couples give roses to each other as it is considered the symbol of love. Any time someone wants to share their feelings for someone or say “I love you,” they give them a rose.
Roses are in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Each color of rose comes with a different meaning. For example …
- White roses stand for innocence and purity.
- Pink roses indicate romance and happiness.
- Coral roses mean desire.
- Yellow roses indicate love between friends.
- Peach roses stand for modesty and appreciation.
- Lavender roses mean love at first sight.
- And finally, red roses indicate passionate love.
2) Gerbera Daisy
The gerbera daisy is a common flower, though not as well-known as the rose. Since they are native to Africa, these flowers are also known as African daisies.
The gerbera daisy is a flower that represents purity, innocence, and elegance. The bright, radiant colors of this flower are its most notable feature, which many people associate with energy and rejuvenation.
Gerbera daisies are a common flower for bouquets. They are big, bright flowers with a daisy-like multi-petaled appearance. They’re more significant than a regular daisy. The gerbera daisy is the flower to choose from if you like sunflowers’ look but need something a little smaller.
3) Tulip
The tulip is the epitome of springtime. When the weather warms, these annual flowers are among the first to flower.
Tulips are most often associated with ideal and deep love. Tulips have long been associated with feelings of love. They’re perfect for giving to someone you care for deeply, whether it’s your partner, children, parents, or siblings.
Like many flowers, different colors of tulips also often carry their own significance.
- Red tulips are most strongly associated with true love.
- Purple tulips symbolize royalty.
- Yellow tulips have evolved somewhat, from once representing hopeless love to now being a common expression for cheerful thoughts and sunshine.
- White tulips are used to claim worthiness or to send a message of forgiveness.
Tulips don’t just come in solid colors. There is another something known as a Variegated tulip. Variegated tulips, once among the most popular varieties due to their striking color patterns, represent beautiful eyes.
With all of the sentiments and meanings of tulips, it’s not surprising that their popularity continues to endure. The wide range of colors and varieties available allows them to be used for many occasions.
4) Lily
There are a massive number of lilies that grow throughout the world. The “true” lilies, the type you likely picture when hearing the name, have six long petal-like segments. Lilies grow in many colors, like white, yellow, pink, red, and orange. The lily represents femininity, love, purity, and grief.
- White lilies symbolize purity and virtue.
- Pink (stargazer) lilies symbolize prosperity and abundance.
- Red lilies symbolize passion.
- The orange lily is a symbol of confidence, pride, and wealth.
- Yellow lilies show thankfulness and a desire for enjoyment.
5) Calla Lily
We mentioned “true” lilies above. The calla lily has the word “lily” in its name, but it is not the same as the other varieties. Calla lilies are a common wedding flower choice.
The calla lily flower is the official bloom to represent a sixth wedding anniversary. Because of the flower’s uniqueness, it is often used to mark life’s rites of passage. More broadly, the calla lily meaning is purity, holiness, and faithfulness, which goes back to its religious significance.
The calla lily was named after the Greek word for beautiful — calla. It is associated with the Greek goddess Hera. According to the legend, Zeus brought Hercules, his son from another woman, to Hera, his wife, while she was asleep to drink her milk. When she woke up, she pushed him away, and drops of milk flew across the sky to create the milky way. The ones that fell on the ground grew into beautiful lilies.
When Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and desire, saw the lilies, she was jealous of their beauty. She cursed their beauty by placing a large yellow pistil in the middle of the flowers. Because of this story, some associate the calla lily with Venus and thus with lust and sexuality.
However, the most common meaning for calla lilies is purity, holiness, and faithfulness. It’s commonly depicted in images of the Virgin Mary.
Calla lilies are also symbols of rebirth and resurrection, tied to the resurrection of Jesus in part because they bloom around Easter and in part because they are shaped like trumpets which symbolize triumph.
6) Orchid
For several species, no flower beats the orchid. Orchids may seem like very exotic flowers. Orchid is the highly coveted ornamental plants, the delicate and graceful orchid flowers represent love, luxury, beauty, and strength.
The orchid is a versatile flower in terms of sense and arrangement, ranging from fertility and affection to friendship, leisure, good fortune, and more.
These amazing tiny flowers make wonderful birthday flower gifts or gifts for every other occasion.
7) Iris
The iris is another flower with a unique appearance. These flowers are most popular in France for being used as the fleur-de-lis symbol. The Greeks gave the iris its name. In Greek mythology, the goddess Iris was the messenger of love to the gods. Irises are also aligned with the rainbow, which makes sense considering the arching petals of the flower.
Iris symbolism is dependent on the flower color:
- Purple irises symbolize royalty and wisdom.
- Yellow irises symbolize passion.
- Blue irises are the most traditional. and symbolize faith and hope.
- White irises symbolize purity.
8) Carnation
Carnations are similar in size to most roses. The delicate appearance of carnations makes them famous. They’re also the most famous Mother’s Day flower and a June birth flower. The carnation symbolizes fascination, distinction, and love. According to a Christian legend, carnations grew from the Virgin Mary’s tears as she watched Jesus carry the cross. This is how they became associated with motherly love.
- Light red carnations symbolize admiration.
- Dark red carnations symbolize love and affection.
- Pink carnations symbolize gratitude.
- Yellow carnations symbolize disappointment or rejection.
- White carnations represent pure love and good luck.
- Striped (variegated) carnations symbolize a regret that love cannot be shared.
- Purple carnations indicate capriciousness.
9) Sunflower
The list of the most popular flowers in the world wouldn’t be completed without the sunflower. Sunflowers stand incredibly tall and are known for their yellow and black coloring. They are named after the sun for a reason.
Sunflowers symbolize unwavering faith and unconditional love. It’s perfect for sending to your loved one if you want to express exactly how much you adore him or her. Sunflowers, especially those grown in farms, are often photographed stretching their tall stalks and vibrant petals towards the sun.
The symbolic sunflower’s meaning deals with beauty, delight, hope, and joy. There are a lot of reasons for this. In myth, culture, and history, we see countless references to the sunflower being a symbol of hope, happiness, and renewal.
The sunflower moves in the most direct position in front of the sun so it can get the maximum sun rays. This is symbolic of spiritual faith and worship because we follow our belief system as the sunflower moves to face the sun’s life-giving rays.
10) Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are known for their large balls made up of tiny flowers. Hydrangeas used to only grow in blue or white. The different colors hydrangea blossoms display are directly related to the soil’s acidity levels.
Airbrushed hydrangeas are also available in a variety of color variations. The hydrangea is a flower that symbolizes appreciation, grace, and elegance. Its colors stand for love, goodwill, and harmony.
- Blue Hydrangea means apology, gratitude, and understanding.
- White Hydrangea means vanity, boasting, purity, and grace.
- PinkHydrangea means romance, true feelings, and sincere emotions.
- Purple Hydrangea means pride, royalty, and understanding.
Blue Hydrangea
As you already know, the Japanese tradition behind the blue hydrangea derives from the legendary apology of the emperor to his girlfriend. Whether you are in Japan or elsewhere in the world, the blue hydrangea symbolizes your gratitude and understanding for someone else and is always a thoughtful way of admitting that you’re sorry.
White Hydrangea
The white hydrangea symbolizes arrogance, vanity, or boasting. This meaning probably stems from Victorian times, when men gifted the flowers to prospects they desired. White, however, also symbolizes purity and grace which makes white hydrangeas a beautiful and fitting addition to Easter bouquets!
Pink Hydrangea
Pink hydrangeas symbolize true feelings and are a great fit for spring and summer wedding bouquets or table arrangements. Some say pink hydrangeas carry sincere emotions and the meaning of love. Take a closer look at the individual blossoms and you’ll find they resemble a heart!
Purple Hydrangea
Last but certainly not least, the purple hydrangea represents the desire for deep understanding and is often chosen for gifts around the fourth wedding anniversary. The color purple is associated with pride, royalty, and gratefulness across many cultures and certainly a beautiful way of showing appreciation for your partner after four years of marriage.
Now that you know what the most popular flowers in the world are, you tell me … what’s your favorite?
