Most of us have one flower we love more than the rest. Maybe it grew in your grandmother's garden. Maybe it sat on the table at your wedding. Maybe it simply makes you smile at the market.
Flowers have carried meanings for centuries. Think of this as a gentle, playful way to explore what draws you to a bloom, with no science involved. Here is what some favorites have traditionally stood for, and what loving them might say about you.
Roses: The Romantic
The rose is the classic flower of love. In the Victorian language of flowers, a red rose meant deep love, and a pink rose meant grace and gratitude. White roses stood for purity and new beginnings. Yellow roses once meant jealousy in some old flower dictionaries. Today most people give them for friendship and joy.
If the rose is your favorite, you may be someone who believes in big feelings and shows them openly. You probably remember birthdays and anniversaries, and you like to make people feel special.
Sunflowers: The Warm Heart
Young sunflowers turn to follow the sun across the sky. Many people see loyalty and optimism in that. Victorian flower dictionaries linked the sunflower to adoration, though a few also listed pride.
Sunflower lovers often bring light into a room. You may be the friend who checks in, cheers people on and finds the bright side on a gray day.
Peonies: The Gentle Romantic
Peonies are soft, full and a little shy. In the Victorian language of flowers they stood for bashfulness. In China, the peony has long been called the king of flowers and stands for honor, wealth and a happy marriage. That is one reason peonies are so loved at weddings.
If you love peonies, you may enjoy beauty in its fullest form. You take your time, you notice small details, and you give your heart carefully.
Lilies: The Graceful One
Lilies have traditionally stood for purity, renewal and devotion. In Christian art, the white Madonna lily is linked with the Virgin Mary. Many people bring lilies at Easter as a sign of new life.
Lily lovers often have a calm, elegant way about them. You may be the steady one in your family. One kind reminder: lilies are dangerous to cats. Even a little pollen or a sip of vase water can cause serious harm, so keep them out of homes with cats.
Daisies: The Free Spirit
The daisy has long stood for innocence, cheer and loyal love. Children still pull its petals one by one to ask, he loves me, he loves me not. Daisies grow in fields, along roadsides and in the cracks of old paths.
If daisies are your flower, you may love simple pleasures. A picnic, a walk, a laugh with an old friend. You feel at home almost anywhere.
Lotus: The Quiet Strength
The lotus grows from mud at the bottom of a pond and opens clean and bright above the water. In Buddhism it stands for purity and awakening. In Vietnam, where it is often called the national flower, the lotus is a symbol of rising above hardship with grace. Its image appears in temples, poems and family homes.
Lotus lovers tend to have deep roots and a patient heart. You may have been through hard seasons and come out softer, wiser and kinder. If your heart belongs to a warmer bloom, our guide to October's marigold and cosmos tells their stories too.
Your favorite flower can be the start of something personal. Try the Bouquet Builder to mix it with a few others and see what your bouquet says as a whole.