Valentine's Day Flowers and Their Meanings

Giving flowers on Valentine's Day can be traced back centuries, with each bloom carrying its own special meaning for the occasion dedicated to romance. When selecting Valentine’s Day flowers this year, go beyond red roses to choose arrangements with symbols that speak to your feelings.

The options for Valentine’s Day go far beyond standard red roses to include other flowers in an array of colors and unique meanings. Rather than defaulting to a dozen red roses from the grocery store, visit your local Boston-Roslindale florist shop or order flowers for Valentine’s Day delivery to explore blooms that align with the message you hope to send.

Historical Valentine's Day flower meaning

Since ancient times, people have looked to flowers as a way to express complex emotions. Cleopatra famously filled her quarters knee-deep with rose petals to seduce Mark Antony, while royal suitors of old offered lavish botanical gifts to win their beloved’s favor. Over centuries, distinct floral languages emerged across cultures. And many traditional sentimental meanings still hold true today.

Best types of flowers for Valentine's Day

Red roses

Red roses are unequivocally the most iconic Valentine’s bouquet thanks in part to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The story goes that red roses first sprouted from the ground where her tears fell while mourning her beloved Adonis. Today, red roses represent passionate, romantic love - making them a clear go-to choice. Still other rose hues carry alternate amorous meanings, like coral and orange symbolizing desire, yellow conveying friendship, and pink roses as tokens of sweetness plus admiration.

Tulips

Tulips are another extremely popular Valentine's flower this time of year, available in a vibrant spectrum from red to pink, white, yellow, and more. Originally from Persia, tulips have an elegant, sophisticated beauty that has attracted lovers for centuries as symbols of consummate or endearing love.

Carnations

Carnations add a whimsical, flirty energy to Valentine’s arrangements with their ruffled petals and wispy stems. Light red carnations imply admiration, while fuchsia blooms represent girlhood joy, and innocence in romance.

Creative Combinations

By thoughtfully mixing different blooms, truly bespoke Valentine’s Day bouquets with layered botanical messages can take shape. Here are some ideas to send flowers for valentines day:

• A bouquet starring classic red roses with accent tulips and carnations covers all the bases - declaring true love (roses), enduring love (tulips), and innocent joy (carnations)

• For newer relationships, try fuchsia gerbera daisies conveying cheerfulness alongside white chrysanthemums for loyalty and devoted love; sprinkle in some baby’s breath for everlasting love

• Make a statement with lush flowers for her where bold red roses meet anemones, which symbolize anticipation and protection from evil - communicating passion plus commitment

• For friends or loved ones who deserve some extra pampering this Valentine’s Day, combine cheerful sunflowers (adoration, longevity) with bright alstroemeria (devotion, friendship) and fragrant hyacinths (playfulness, constancy)

The options for evocative messages are truly boundless once different floral meanings intermix. So feel empowered to get creative in crafting sentimental Valentine’s bouquets.

Visit our The Centerpiece Flower Shop’s same-day delivery in Boston plus surrounding areas, it’s easy to surprise loved ones right on February 14 without ordering weeks ahead.