Flower meanings and symbolisation were a key element to flower choice many years ago.
Flower Type Meanings
The following is an extensive list of flower types and the meanings/ sentiment they portray. Included in the list are the meaning of Roses and more.
ACACIA - Concealed Love, Beauty in Retirement, Chaste Love
AGAPANTHIS - Secret Love
AMBROSIA - Your Love is Given Back/Returned
AMARYLLIS - Pride, Pastoral Poetry
ANEMONE - Forsaken, sincerity
ARBUTUS - Thee Only Do I Love
ASTER - Symbol of Love, Daintiness
AZALEA - Take Care of Yourself for Me, Temperance, Fragile Passion, Chinese Symbol of Womanhood
BACHELOR BUTTON - Single Blessedness
BEGONIA - Beware
BELLS OF IRELAND - Good Luck
BITTERSWEET - Truth
BLUEBELL - Humility
CACTUS - Endurance
CALADIUM - Great joy and delight
CAMELLIA - Good luck gift for a man
CAMELLIA (PINK) - Longing for you
CAMELLIA (RED) - You're a Flame in My Heart
CAMELLIA (WHITE) - You're Adorable
CARNATION (GENERAL) - Fascination, Woman Love
CARNATION (PINK) - I'll Never Forget You
CARNATION (RED) - My Heart Aches For You, Admiration
CARNATION (PURPLE) - Capriciousness, Whimsical
CARNATION (SOLID COLOR) - Yes
CARNATION (STRIPED) - No, Refusal, Sorry I Can't Be With You, Wish I Could Be With You
CARNATION (WHITE) - Sweet and Lovely, Innocence, Pure Love, Woman's Good Luck Gift
CARNATION (YELLOW) - You Have Disappointed Me, Rejection
CATTAIL - Peace, Prosperity
CHRYSANTHEMUM (GENERAL) - You're a Wonderful Friend, Cheerfulness and Rest.
CHRYSANTHEMUM (WHITE) - Truth
CHRYSANTHEMUM (YELLOW) - Slighted Love
CROCUS - Cheerfulness, gladness
CYCLAMEN - Resignation and Good-bye
DAFFODIL - Respect, Regard, Unrequited Love, You're the Only One, The Sun is Always Shining when I'm with You
DAISY - Innocence, Loyal Love, I'll Never Tell, Purity
DANDELION - Faithfulness, Happiness
FERN - Magic, Fascination, Confidence and Shelter
FIR - Time
FLAX - Domestic Symbol
FORGET-ME-NOT - True Love, Good Memories
FORSYTHIA - Anticipation
FREESIA - Trust
GARDENIA - You're Lovely, Secret Love
GERANIUM - Stupidity, Folly
GLADIOLI - Give Me a Break, I'm Really Sincere, Flower of the Gladiators
GLOXINIA - Love at First Sight
HEATHER (LAVENDER) - Admiration, Solitude
HEATHER (WHITE) - Protection, Wishes Will Come True
HOLLY - Defence, Domestic Happiness
HONEYSUCKLE - Happiness
HYACINTH (GENERAL) - Games and Sports, Rashness, Flower Dedicated to Apollo
HYACINTH (BLUE) - Constancy
HYACINTH (PURPLE) - I am Sorry, Please Forgive Me, Sorrow
HYACINTH (RED OR PINK) - Play
HYACINTH (WHITE) - Loveliness, I'll Pray for You
HYACINTH (YELLOW) - Jealousy
HYDRANGEA - Thank You for Understanding, Frigidity, Heartlessness
IRIS - Fleur-de-lis, Emblem of France, Your Friendship Means so Much to Me, Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valour, My Compliments
IVY - Wedded Love, Fidelity, Friendship, Affection
JONQUIL - Love Me, Affection Returned, Desire, Sympathy, Desire for Affection Returned
LARKSPUR (PINK) - Fickleness
LILY (WHITE) - Virginity, Purity, Majesty, It's Heavenly to be with You
LILY (YELLOW) - I'm Walking on Air, False and Gay
LILY (CALLA) - Beauty
LILY (DAY) - Coquetry, Chinese Emblem for Mother
LILY (EUCHARIS) - Maiden Charms
LILY (TIGER) - Wealth, Pride
LILY OF THE VALLEY - Sweetness, Tears of the Virgin Mary, Return to Happiness, Humility, You've Made My Life Complete, beauty, gaiety
MAGNOLIA - Nobility
MARIGOLD - Cruelty, Grief, Jealousy
MISTLETOE - Kiss me, Affection, To Surmount Difficulties, Sacred Plant of India
MONKSHOOD - Beware, A Deadly Foe is Near
MOSS - Maternal Love, Charity
MYRTLE - Love, Hebrew Emblem of Marriage
NARCISSUS - Egotism, Formality, Stay as Sweet as You Are
NASTURTIUM - Conquest, Victory in Battle
OLEANDER - Caution
ORANGE BLOSSOM - Innocence, Eternal Love, Marriage and Fruitfulness
ORANGE MOCK - Deceit
ORCHID - Love, Beauty, Refinement, Beautiful Lady, Chinese Symbol for Many Children, Thoughtful, Maturity, Charm
ORCHID (CATTLEYA) - Mature Charm
PALM LEAVES - Victory and Success
PEONY - Shame, Happy Life, Happy Marriage
PETUNIA - Resentment, Anger, Your Presence Sooths Me
PINE - Hope, Pity
POPPY (GENERAL) - Eternal Sleep, Oblivion, Imagination
POPPY (RED) - Pleasure
POPPY (WHITE) - Consolation
POPPY (YELLOW) - Wealth, Success
PRIMROSE - I Can't Live Without You
PRIMROSE (EVENING) - Inconstancy
ROSE (BRIDAL) - Happy Love
ROSE (DARK CRIMSON) - Mourning
ROSE (HIBISCUS) - Delicate Beauty
ROSE (LEAF) - You May Hope
ROSE (PINK) - Perfect Happiness, Please Believe Me
ROSE (RED) - Love, I Love You
ROSE (TEA) - I'll Remember Always
ROSE (THORNLESS) - Love at First Sight
ROSE (WHITE) - Innocence and Purity, I am Worthy of You, You're Heavenly, Secrecy and Silence
ROSE (WHITE AND RED MIXED) - Unity, Flower Emblem of England
ROSE (WHITE-DRIED) - Death is Preferable to Loss of Virtue
ROSE (YELLOW) - Decrease of Love, Jealousy, Try to Care
ROSEBUD - Beauty and Youth, A Heart Innocent of Love
ROSEBUD (RED) - Pure and Lovely
ROSEBUD (WHITE) - Girlhood
ROSEBUD (MOSS) - Confessions of Love
ROSES (Bouquet of Mature Blooms) - Gratitude
ROSES (Single Full Bloom) - I Love You, I Still Love You
SMILAX - Loveliness
SNAPDRAGON - Deception, Gracious Lady
SPIDER FLOWER - Elope with Me
STEPHANOTIS - Happiness in Marriage, Desire to Travel
STOCK - Bonds of Affection, Promptness, You'll Always Be Beautiful to Me
SUNFLOWER - Pride, Sunshine
SWEETPEA - Good-bye, Departure, Blissful Pleasure, Thank You for a Lovely Time
TULIP (GENERAL) - Perfect Lover, Frame, Flower Emblem of Holland
TULIP (RED) - Believe Me, Declaration of Love
TULIP (VARIEGATED) - Beautiful Eyes
TULIP (YELLOW) - There's Sunshine in Your Smile
VIOLET - Modesty
VIOLET (BLUE) - Watchfulness, Faithfulness, I'll Always Be True
VIOLET (WHITE) - Let's Take a Chance
VISCARIA - Dance With Me
WISTERIA - Welcome
ZINNIA (MAGENTA) - Lasting Affection
ZINNIA (MIXED) - Thinking (or In Memory) of an Absent Friend
ZINNIA (SCARLET) - Constancy
ZINNIA (WHITE) - Goodness
ZINNIA (YELLOW) - Daily Remembrance
Roses are popular. Everyone knows that. But did you ever wonder more about the "meaning of roses?" I mean -- "what exactly am I telling someone when I send them "x" number of a certain color of roses?
Before I get to the meanings of the various colors of roses, and even the number of them that you send, let's have a brief history of the rose...
Roses are believed to be native to the western United States. Fossils of roses have been discovered in Montana but they have been recorded thoughout history all over the world.
The ancient Romans used roses in festivals. Roses petals were mixed with wine for a decandent flavour or petals were showered over guests to give them a warm welcome.
In Egypt it is belived the Cleopatra kept rose filled pillows in her boudoir and once recieved Mark Anthony in a room knee deep in rose petals. Yup. history proves that the rose has always been revered as a symbol for the celebration of love.
The rose is also the national flower of the United States and symbolizes the birth month of June. The rose is recognized around the world for its scent and beauty.
Did you know that every different colour of rose has a distinct meaning? Yup... so you'd better know what message you are sending before you send it!
Here's a breakdown of each colour and its meaning...
RED: I love you
PINK: Grace and elegance, happiness, and also an expression of admiration
YELLOW: Friendship
WHITE: Purity and innocence
ORANGE: Desire and enthusiam or secret love
LAVENDER: Enchantment or love at first sight
PEACH: Sympathy or gratitude or modesty and sincerity
BLACK: Death
CHAMPAGNE: Lasting beauty
Even the way roses are arranged can convay something to the recipient. For instance...
Two roses joined together with a ribbon represents engagement. Red and white roses arranged toghether means unity.
And guess what? Even the number of roses you give to someone also has meaning. Take a look...
1 rose: Love at first sight
2 roses: Deeply in love
3 roses: I love you
6 roses: I want to be yours
9 roses: Eternal love
10 roses: You are perfect
11 roses: You are treasured, the one I love the most
12 roses: Be my steady
13 roses: Secret admirer
15 roses: I am sorry, please forgive me
20 roses: Please belive me
21 roses: I am devoted to you
24 roses: I am always thinking of you
33 roses: I love you with great affection
36 roses: I will remember our romantic moments
40 roses: My love is genuie
50 roses: Regretless love
99 roses: I will love you for as long as I live
100 roses: Always together until we grow old
101 roses: You are my one and only love
365 roses: I think of you everyday
999 roses: Everlasting eternal love (now that can be expensive!).
I bet you never thought the colour and the number of roses you send could mean so much? Well... now you know!
Red - Love, Romance, Beauty, Passion, I love you; Desire, Courage, Respect,Job Well Done, Sincere Love,
Red (Dark or Burgundy) - Unconscious beauty
Red -Withered - I would rather die, Our love is over
Red (Single) - I Love You
Red Rosebud - Symbol of Purity and Loveliness
White - Purity, Youth, Pure Love, Virginal, Innocence and purity, I am worthy of you, You're heavenly,Silence, Secrecy, Reverence,Humility,
White (Bridal) - Happy Love
White Rosebud - Girlhood, Youth
Pink - Perfect Happiness, Appreciation, Thankfulness, Grace, Gentle Love, Please believe me,Admiration
Dark Pink - Appreciation,Gratitude, Thank You
Light Pink - Admiration,Sympathy,Gentleness,Grace,Gladness,Joy,Sweetness
Yellow - Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Platonic Love, Jealousy, Freedom,Promise of a new beginning,Welcome Back,Remember Me,I care,
Yellow with Red Tip - Falling in Love,Friendship
Orange - Fascination, Desire, Passion, Enthusiasm
Red and White - Two colors; Passionate Purity, Unity,Given together, 
Red and Yellow - Jovial and Happy Feelings
Peach - Sincerity, Gratitude, Appreciation, Modesty, Admiration, Sympathy,Closing the deal, Let's get together, Sincerity
Pale Peach - Modesty
Coral - Desire
Lavender - Love at first sight, Enchantment
Black - Death, Farewell
Blue - Impossible, Unattainable, Mystery
Thornless Rose - "Love at First Sight"
Single Rose - Simplicity,Gratitude
Two Roses - An engagement or coming marriage
Leaves - Symbol of hope
Roses-Sent every month - Beauty ever new
Beverly Fehr had people list attributes of the global concept of love. The words they used to describe love are listed below. Words at the beginning of the list are more central to the concept of love. Words later in the list are more peripheral to the concept.
Love is:
1. caring
2. happiness
3. want to be with the person
4. friendship
5. free to talk about anything
6. warm feelings
7. accept the person the way they are
8. trust
9. commitment
10. sharing
11. think about the person all the time
12. sacrifice
13. understanding
14. honesty
15. respect
16. contentment
17. euphoria
18. put the other first
19. sexual passion
20. supportive
21. attachment
22. closeness
23. empathy
24. concern for the person's well being
25. heart rate increases
26. helping
27. feel good about self
28. forgiveness
29. have a lot in common
30. miss the person when we're apart
31. feel relaxed with the person
32. giving
33. liking
34. security
35. unconditional
36. interest in the person
37. intimacy
38. laughing
39. loyalty
40. physical attraction
41. uncertainty
42. affection
43. butterflies in stomach
44. compassion
45. dependency
46. do things for the person
47. excitement
48. kind
49. the person is important
50. positive outlook
51. responsibility
52. see only the person's good qualities
53. touching
54. devotion
55. energy
56. gazing at the other
57. mutual
58. need each other
59. openness
60. patience
61. protective
62. scary
63. sexual appeal
64. wonderful feelings
65. admiration
66. comfort
67. want the best for the person
68. long-lasting
Love is an emotion that nearly everyone has experienced at some time in their life. One would think that with such a familiar concept, researchers would agree on what constitutes love and how to measure it. That has not been the case. Most research on love is based on a priori theoretical conceptualizations. It's quite possible that if a researcher starts out by defining love and then develops a measure to quantify that conceptualization, the results would tend to reflect this process.
Some theories of Love
Attachment styles - We develop styles of love that are based on expectancies developed from childhood experiences with caregivers: Secure; Anxious/ambivalent; and Avoidant (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Hazan & Shaver, 1987; Shaver, Hazan and Bradshaw,1988).
Attachment Styles
Bowlby (1969) believed that infants should have an innate tendency to form attachments to their caregiver because physical proxemity to a caregiver increases the infant's chances for survival. Bowlby also proposed that infants and children build mental models of themselves and of their relationships with significant people in their lives and that these mental models are based on their interactions with their caregiver(s) over time. Does the mother pay attention to infant's signals about what it needs and act accordingly? or does she fail to behave in ways that show the infant that she cares about it's needs? When an individual is confident that the attachment figure will be available when needed, that individual will experience less fear than the individual who feels that the caregiver won't be available when needed. According to Bowlby, beliefs about the availability of the caregiver develop during infancy, childhood and adolescence and persist relatively unchanged throughout life. Bowlby also believes that expectations about accessibility and responsiveness of the caregiver are acceptably accurate representations of the individual's experiences.
If the caregiver is close enough physically, attentive, and responsive the infant feels secure, is self confident and feels loved. However if the caregiver is not close enough physically, not attentive, and/or not responsive the infant may
1. feel fear and anxiety and may emit attachment seeking behaviors such as looking for or at the caregiver, and atempting to reestablish contact; or
2. feel defensive and avoid the attachment figure.
This translates into three attachment styles:
* Secure - Feels that the partner is responsive and accessible.
* Anxious/Ambivalent - not sure whether the partner will be responsive and accessible. Results in anxiety about whether the partner will be there for them and intense reactions to separation.
* Avoidant - The person has learned that people tend to reject and rebuff them, so they become defensive and avoidant.
Hazan and Shaver used the following forced choice options to classify people into the three attachment style categories:
* Secure I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I don't often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting too close to me.
* Avoidant I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close, and often love partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.
* Anxious/Ambivalent I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn't really love me or won't want to stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away.
Love Acts Behaviors are classified in terms of the functions they serve in facilitating reproduction. Four love tasks: 1) to attract a mate; 2) to retain the mate; 3) to reproduce; and 4) parental investment. (Buss, 1988; Swenson, 1972).
Love Styles Primary love styles: Eros - Love at first sight, based on physical attributes and is mostly physical arousal; Storge - loving affection that develops over time, is primarily affection and commitment; Ludos - a rover and collector of loves, very pluralistic. Secondary love styles: Mania - intense preoccupation with the loved one, intensly jealous and possessive, in need of constant reassurance of partner's love. Projects desired qualities on partner. Pragma - looking for a compatible partner; Agape - Selfless, caring without self interest. Lee, 1977; Hendrick & Hendrick, 1986;
Three dimensional view The experience of love is a function of levels of intimacy, commitment and passion (Sternberg, 1988). In the Table below, for each type of love, a plus sign indicates the presense of each dimension of love, and a minus sign indicates that the dimension is not present. Descriptions of what these combinations of the various love dimensions should tend to be like can be found here. 
Emotional Intimacy
The emotional intimacy dimension of love is best characterized by feeling love for someone rather than being "in love" with them. The emotional intimacy dimension focuses on liking, friendship, trust and feelings of emotional closeness that result from being able to share one's innermost thoughts and feelings with a partner. Intimacy is achieved through a process by which one comes to know one's partner through increasing levels of self disclosure of one's thoughts and feelings. During the early stages of a relationship when the participants are still getting to know one another, strong passionate emotions may result from increasingly intimate levels of disclosure. Later, after the partners have gotten to know each other well, feelings of closeness, friendship, warmth, and caring will tend to predominate. For emotional intimacy to flourish, both partners must be understanding, open, supportive, and must feel like they can talk about anything without fear of being rejected. As intimacy progresses, the partners will find that they share some degree of overlap in their values and beliefs about life; however, there will be differences in opinion to some degree as well. For intimacy to develop to its fullest, it is essential that both partners be able to forgive and to show compassion and kindness toward each other, especially when they disagree or make mistakes. Mutual respect and trust are essential to this process.
Commitment
The commitment dimension of love is often viewed as the decision to stay with one's partner for life. Commitments may range from simple verbal agreements (agreements not to become emotionally and/or sexually involved with other people) to publically formalized legal contracts (marriage). However, commitment is more than simply agreeing to stay with your partner through bad times. Commitment means being devoted to doing things to nurture the relationship and protect it from harm and to fix it if damaged. Both partners care about each other's needs and must be willing to put each other's needs first--including being willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the relationship. The partners should be willing to depend on each other and feel secure that each will be loyal to each other and to the relationship.
Passion
The passionate dimension of love can best be characterized by feelings of being in love . The passion dimension focuses on those intense feelings of arousal that arise from physical attraction and sexual attraction. Passion may also arise from increasing levels of self disclosure as intimacy develops in a relationship. Passion is that intense euphoric "high" that you may experience when you are in love--you feel euphoric--on top of the world--your heart races, and you get butterflies in your stomach. You yearn to to be physically close to and to join with the person--You often can't stop thinking about the person. At first, passion is often based on the more external qualities of how the person looks and acts, rather than on whether they share one's values, beliefs, interests or attitudes. Depending on the level of intimacy and commitment, the passionate aspect of love may include anxiety and uncertainty because one might not be sure that the feelings are mutual. Idealization of the person (seeing only their good qualities and projecting on them the qualities that you want them to possess) is also quite common when the passionate aspects of love are intense. Passion is typically most intense at the beginning of romantic relationships when you don't know much about the person and continues to be at high levels as self disclosure increases. Over time, as the relationship progresses (as you get to know your partner better and the physical arousal aspects habituate), the experience of passion diminishes.
Passionate and companionate love Passionate love is an intense state of longing for union with another. It has three components: 1) cognitive - intrusive preoccupation with the person, idealization of that person, and desire to know the person; 2) Emotional - Attraction/Sexual attraction, positive and negative feelings, longing for reciprocity, desire for union, physiological arousal; and 3) Behavioral - Actions to determine the other's feelings, studying the person, service to the person, maintaining physical closeness. Companionate love is the affection that we feel for those with whom our lives are deeply intertwined. (Hatfield; Berscheid and Walster, 1974).
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