By Zara Wilkemeyer
There are times when a person is unable to say what they are thinking and many people call this “cat got your tongue.” However, there is a way to say what you want to say without having the cat get your tongue, forget what you want to say, or stumble over your words, and this way is called the language of flowers. Each flower has its own meaning and what it says to the person receiving them and the person giving them. Here are a few different types of flowers to get you thinking about how to speak when you are unable to speak.
A rose, since the time of the Greeks and Romans, has been used as a symbol for love, passion, and confidentiality. Yet, there are so many different colors within the rose family and each has its own story to tell.
Red roses are meant as a symbol for lovers and passion.
White roses mean humility and innocence.
Yellow roses, as you may have guessed, mean joy and the starting of friendship.
Pink roses show gratitude, appreciation, or even admiration for another.
Orange roses represent enthusiasm and desire.
Purple roses mixed with white lilac means love at first sight or enchantment.
The lily was thought by the Greeks to be the milk from Hera and was known as the birth flower. It also symbolizes humility, devotion, or the departure of one’s soul and that they had been judged innocent in the afterlife.
White lilies show chastity and virtue and are the symbol of the Queen of Angels, or rather the purity of Virgin Mary.
Peruvian lilies represent friendship or devotion to another.
White Stargazer lilies help one express sympathy, such as for the passing of a loved one or for one who has fallen ill.
Pink Stargazer lilies show of one’s wealth and prosperity in their life.
An orchid has a rather interesting past and meaning, for in the time of the Greeks, orchids represented verily. If a woman ate a large orchid tuber, she would birth a boy and if she ate a small orchid tuber, she would give birth to a girl. But that is not all that an orchid means, as they also show love, luxury, beauty, and strength.
Pink orchids help one express their pure affection for another with whom they have trouble expressing through words alone.
Cattleya orchids help convey that one has or portrays mature charm.
Amaryllis is a simple, yet stunning red flower. We see these beautiful flowers around the holidays and very few know the story around them. Amaryllis, a shy nymph, wanted to win the affections of Alteo, a simple shepherd that possessed the strength of Hercules and the beauty of Apollo, or so the legend goes. She planned to win his affections by granting his one wish to find a flower that was so unique that it never existed before. With the guidance of the Oracle of Delphi, Amaryllis went to Alteo’s door for 30 nights dressed in maiden’s white and pierced her heart with a gold arrow each time. When Alteo opened the door at long last, a crimson flower sprung from Amaryllis’s heart.
Red amaryllis is now the symbol of pride, determination, and radiant beauty.
White amaryllis is the sign of femininity, children, innocence, and purity. They are also used when parting with a loved one.
Pink amaryllis symbolizes love and friendship.
The tulips were originally from Persia and Turkey and brought to Europe, where they quickly gained in both price and popularity with the people, and soon caused markets to crash, creating what is called “tulip mania.” The black center of a tulip represents a lover’s heart being darkened by passion. Many speculate that tulips rival roses in many aspects, such as love and joy.
Yellow tulips help one gain cheerful thoughts within the darkest of times.
White tulips convey forgiveness when one has done something wrong and is trying to make up for it.
Purple tulips represent royalty or regal presence.
Red tulips mean perfect love or rather, true love.
The simple, yet beautiful peony is known for being a symbol for riches, honor, romance, and prosperity. They are often used in weddings as a good omen for fortune and marriage.
Red peonies symbolize love, passion, honor, and respect for another.
Pink peonies represent riches, honor, good luck, prosperity, and romance.
White peonies have a double meaning, as they can be meant for beauty and also shame or asking for forgiveness.
A carnation’s meaning has been speculated upon for more than 2,000 years. Scholars think the flower’s name could have a few different meanings, such as flower garlands or ceremonial crowns to flesh or God-made flesh. However you interpret the flower, just know it is both mystical and beautiful.
White carnations may suggest to someone pure love and good luck.
Red carnations, depending on the hue of the red, can mean admiration or deep love and affection.
Purple carnations imply a person is impulsive or unpredictable, or even mysterious.
Pink carnations are a symbol of something most everyone knows – a mother’s undying love.
Perhaps now you know how to talk flower and how to speak when the cat has your tongue. Just remember that each flower has its own meaning and that meaning can affect how your bouquets may received. A bouquet of flowers can say much more than what your mouth may say.
Zara Wilkemeyer is a student at Fillmore Central High School. She is one of eight area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 21st year.
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