Flora’s ABC of Flowers
Flowers from A to Z Their Meaning
Acacia “Friendship is the best medicine.”
Adonis “Your words hurt me.”
Almond flower Symbolizes resurrection and reawakening love
Amaryllis “How proud and splendid you look!”
Anemone Its name stems from the Greek anémos, meaning “wind.” It is considered a symbol of endangered love and unfulfilled hope and a sign of departure and transience; anemones are said to have been created from the tears of Aphrodite, which fell in mourning after the death of her beloved Adonis.
Angelica “My heart has made its choice!”
Apple branch “Why don’t you return my love?”
Aspen branch “I’m frightened!”
Aspen leaf “Will you protect me from my fears?”
Aster “Are you also true to me?”
Autumn aster Give these to bid someone farewell in a most elegant way
Bellflower Express deep gratitude
Birch leaf “Don’t take your game too far!”
Boxwood “Can I take hope from your behavior?”
Broom Symbolizes modesty
Burdock Represents affection and devotion
Buttercup Give buttercups if you can recognize beauty even in old age, and if you love change
Cabbage rose Stands for opulence
Calla Symbolizes beauty and vitality
Caltha Attributed with magical powers
Camellia Symbolizes perfect proportions, beauty, and a desire for harmony
Carnation A sign of piety, pure and deep love, true heartedness, friendship, and esteem
Centaury “I cannot satisfy your desire.”
Chamomile “I wish you only the best.”
Cherry blossom Symbolizes inner beauty
Chervil Represents honesty and uprightness of character
Chestnut leaf “Gladly would I be with you.”
China pink “You are one of a kind!”
Christmas rose Symbolizes a long, fulfilled life, and protection for those in love
Chrysanthemum, red Represents being in love
Chrysanthemum, white Symbolizes truth and truthfulness
Cinnamon Rose “I owe what I am to your love.”
Cinquefoil A gift for a beloved child, as a symbol of motherly love
Clematis Symbolizes security and peace of mind
Clover flower A sign of luck in love and a promise given
Clover leaf Give to wish someone luck
Columbine “Can I put any credence in your words?”
Cornflower Symbolizes loyalty, modesty, and lifelong love
Cowslip “How dearly I wish for the key to your heart.” Also, “I’m in the mood for something new!” This early sign of spring is considered a symbol of optimism and zest for life.
Crocus Symbolizes the greatest virtue and pure love
Crown imperial Symbolizes power and sublime strength
Cuckooflower Give these to a woman blessed with a wealth of humor, joie de vivre, and fire
Cyclamen A gift for someone timid, modest, and compassionate
Cypress Symbolizes despair and mourning
Daffodil Symbolizes yearning, unrequited love, and vanity
Dahlia Represents coldness and lost feelings
Daisy Symbolizes virtuous friendship
Damask rose Its luminous beauty is short-lived, like many a flirtation
Dandelion “Your rejection cuts me to the quick!”
Dead nettle “I don’t want anything to do with you again.”
Elderberry Give these if you feel you have been misunderstood
English daisy Stands for the innocence of childhood, and is commonly used as a love oracle
English violet Symbolizes modesty
Erica “We cannot elude fate!” Or, “This separation is final!”
Fern An old-world magical plant; a gift for someone who needs luck in gambling and love
Fir branch “Don’t be so grumpy!”
Fir tree Symbolizes endurance and growth
Forget-me-not “Remember me always!” Also, “I will never forget you!”
Gentian Symbolizes unspoken love and fidelity, and a romantic nature; also stands for uprightness and honesty
Goat’s rue Stands for reason and good sense
Golden rain Considered a sign of melancholy beauty
Goosefoot “I can’t bear your courting anymore!”
Guelder rose Symbolizes old age
Hawthorn Represents hope and happiness in marriage
Heliotrope Symbolizes devotion and deep admiration
Hibiscus Symbolizes tender beauty
Honesty Represents integrity and uprightness
Hyacinth, blue Symbolic of friendship and steadfastness, loyalty, goodness, and benevolence; also a sign for the annual reawakening of nature
Hyacinth, white A gift for someone beguilingly beautiful
Hydrangea A sign of true and constant love; also given as a reminder of the days in which one first fell in love
Impatiens Represents impatience
Iris A symbol of unrequited love: “I think of you day and night!”; also symbolizes imperturbability and strength
Italian honeysuckle “The bonds of our love will grow stronger and dearer every day.”
Ivy Stands for eternal loyalty and love that blooms forever; also symbolizes immortality
Jasmine A gift for an exceptionally captivating and sensual woman
Juniper Considered a provider of comfort in times of great need
Larkspur A particularly potent symbol of eternal fidelity and constancy
Laurel Considered a symbol of eternal renown; give it if you want to swear perpetual loyalty
Lavender Symbolizes love and devotion
Lemon balm Represents cheerfulness and love in one’s heart
Lilac, purple Symbolizes budding love
Lilac, white Symbolizes praise of youth; during the period of his engagement, a groom should take white lilac to his fiancée’s house every day
Lily The flower of kings; considered the symbol of majesty and of innocence, purity, and humility
Lily of the valley Stands for recurring joy; a symbol of spring and new beginnings
Linden flower “Have you understood me now?”
Love-in-a-mist “I do not want to suffer your courtship.”
Magnolia Represents pure, feminine beauty
Mallow Give these to someone you regard as kindness personified
Marigold Symbolizes jealousy
Marsh marigold “Please don’t spurn my love.”
Mexican aster Symbolizes tender yearning
Milkwort “I have to forget you, though it breaks my heart in two.”
Morning glory Give as a sign of affection
Mugwort Represents satisfaction, calm, and reflection
Mullein “For me, you are the most precious in the world.”
Myrtle Represents innocence, but is also a gift for a virgin who will soon wear the bridal wreath
Oak leaf Symbolizes eternity, because an oak tree will outlive thirty generations
Oleander Give as a warning
Olive branch Considered the most beautiful symbol of peace
Orchid Considered the loveliest of all flowers
Pansy “I think about you all the time.” Or, “Your body is beautiful, but your heart is not.”
Peach blossom A promise of sensual eroticism
Peony The rose without thorns stands for a happy marriage; it is also said to drive out melancholy and restore good cheer
Peppermint Stands for hospitality, but also passionate love and curative power
Pomegranate Symbolizes sensual love and passion
Poppy A dangerous flower with two sides: a symbol of sensuality and superficial love. Also, “No minute with you is forgotten.” Considered a magical plant, uniting both healing and ruin in its blossoms.
Pot marigold Symbolizes immortali
ty—blooms all summer long
Quaking grass Symbolizes the transience of life
Quince blossom Symbolizes happiness, delight, and fertility
Robinia “I will love you beyond the grave!”
Rose The classic symbol of love, admiration, reverence, and pure beauty
Rosebuds, red Give to your first love
Rosebuds, white Give to someone chaste and pure
Rose hip “I don’t understand you anymore.”
Rosemary Symbolizes eternal fidelity and fellowship
Rowan branch Expresses courage and aid in difficult times
Sage A symbol of high regard
Snapdragon Symbolizes sweet revenge
Snowdrop Symbolizes consolation and hope, and love and innocence
Spearmint “Without you, my life has no meaning.”
Stinging nettle “Watch out! Don’t let your high spirits get you stung!”
St.-John’s-wort Considered a love oracle; it is also said that the red color obtained from the buds is the spilled blood of Christ
Stock Stands for eternal grace
Strawberry flower “You are still too immature for me!”
Sunflower A symbol of summer; also an expression of strength and boundless love
Sweetvetch Give to a country beauty
Thistle Symbolizes inner strength, but also inflexibility, hard-heartedness, and mocked love
Touch-me-not (mimosa) Symbolizes femininity, sensitivity, and untouchability
Tulip Symbolizes renown, wealth, and the transience of earthly things
Tulip, bright red Represents the all-consuming fire of love
Verbena Considered to ward off the devil; give to someone in need of protection
Vetch Symbolizes affection and love
Violet Symbolic of a secret love, but also of youthful innocence
Wallflower Give when you want to express true, unwavering love, or hope in difficult times
Wax flower Give to a woman with a soft heart
White clover Symbolizes ease and freedom from care
Wolfsbane “You are the embodiment of charm.”
Woodruff Considered to have magical properties; a reminder of the merry sides of life
Yarrow A magical plant and an oracle; do not give yarrow to someone thoughtlessly
Zinnia Give these to a happy woman with a zest for life
Acknowledgments
My gratitude goes to all who helped me bring this book into existence. Special thanks are owed to one wonderful Baden-Baden woman who was enormously generous with her extensive knowledge.
About the Author
Photo © Privat
Petra Durst-Benning is one of Germany’s most successful and prominent authors. For more than twenty years, her books have invited readers along on adventures with courageous female characters, through rich and engaging detail. Petra has written more than a dozen historical novels, many of which have gone on to be bestsellers and be adapted for television. She’s enjoyed immense international success and has developed a loyal following of fans. She lives with her husband in Stuttgart, Germany.
About the Translator
Photo © Dagmar Jordan
Australian-born and widely traveled, Edwin Miles has been working as a translator for fifteen years.
From the town of Perth in Western Australia, Edwin completed an MFA in fiction writing at the University of Oregon in 1995. While there, he spent a year working as a fiction editor on the literary magazine Northwest Review. In 1996, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award for young writers for a collection of short stories.
After many years living and working in Australia, Japan, and the United States, he currently resides in his “second home” in Cologne, Germany, with his wife, Dagmar, and two very clever children.
The Flower Shop (The Seed Traders' Saga Book 2) Page 36
