Floral Bouquets

Leaving a floral bouquet at the graveside is a beautiful way of commemorating the loss of a loved one.  This is a time-honored tradition.  Below is the significance of each color and flower, also some printables to leave with your bouquet.  There isn't a reason to make this an expensive gift.  Artificial flowers can be found at the local dollar store or discount store, then attach a ribbon and printable and leave it at the graveside.  Those who visit later will appreciate your offering and thoughts.  

Place a note explaining the why this flower was chosen and what their loved one meant to you. 

• Amaryllis—Pride, pastoral poetry
• Anemone—Forsaken
• 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
• Calla—Beauty
• Candytuft—Indifference
• Carnation—Fascination, women love
  • pink—I’ll never forget you
  • red—My heart aches for you, admiration
  • purple—Capriciousness
  • white—Sweet and lovely, innocence, pure love, woman’s good luck gift
  • solid color—Yes
  • striped—No, refusal, sorry I can’t be with you, wish I could be with you
• Cattail—Peace, prosperity
• Chrysanthemum
  • red—I love you
  • white—Truth
  • yellow—Slighted love
• Cleome—Elope with me 
• Coreopsis—Always cheerful 
• Crocus—Cheerfulness 
• Cyclamen—Resignation and good-bye
• Daffodil—Regard, unequalled love, you’re the only one, the sun is always shining when I’m with you (see also: Jonquil, Narcissus)
• Daisy—Innocence, loyal love, I’ll never tell, purity
• Dandelion—Faithfulness, happiness
• Daylily—Coquetry, Chinese emblem for mother
• Evening primrose—Inconstancy
• Fern—Magic, fascination, confidence and shelter
  • Maidenhair Fern—Secret bond of love
• Fir—Time 
• Flax—Domestic symbol
• Forget-me-not—True love, memories
• Forsythia—Anticipation
• Gardenia—You’re lovely, secret love
• Garlic—Courage, strength
• Geranium—Stupidity, folly
• Gladiolus—Give me a break, I’m really sincere, flower of the gladiators
• Gloxinia—Love at first sight
• Grass—Submission
• Heather
  • lavender—Admiration, solitude
  • white—Protection, wishes will come true
• Hellebore—Tranquilize my anxiety, anxiety
• Hibiscus—Delicate beauty 
• Holly—Defense, domestic happiness
• Hyacinth—Games and sports, rashness
  • blue—Constancy
  • purple—I am sorry, please forgive me, sorrow
  • red—Play
  • white—Loveliness, I’ll pray for you
  • yellow—Jealousy
• Hydrangea—Thank you for understanding, frigidity, heartlessness
• Iris—Your friendship means so much to me, faith, hope
• Ivy—Wedded love, fidelity, friendship, affection
• Jonquil—Love me, affection returned, desire, sympathy, desire for affection returned (see also: Daffodil, Narcissus)
• Larkspur (pink)—Fickleness
• Lilac—Old love
• Lily (see also: Tiger Lily)
  • orange—Hatred
  • white—Virginity, purity, majesty, it’s heavenly to be with you
  • yellow—I’m walking on air, false and gay
• Lily-of-the-valley—Sweetness, tears of the Virgin Mary, return to happiness, humility, you’ve made my life complete
• Magnolia—Nobility 
• Marigold—Cruelty, grief, jealousy
• Mistletoe—Kiss me, affection
• Mock orange—Deceit
• 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 (see also: Daffodil, Jonquil)
• Nasturtium—Conquest, victory in battle
• Orange blossom—Innocence, eternal love, marriage, and fruitfulness
• Orchid—Love, beauty, refinement, beautiful lady, Chinese symbol for many children
• Peony—Shame, happy life, happy marriage
• Petunia—Resentment, anger, your presence soothes me
• Pine—Hope, pity
• Poppy—Eternal sleep, oblivion, imagination
  • red—Pleasure
  • white—Consolation
  • yellow—Wealth, success
• Primrose—I can’t live without you
• Rosebud—Beauty and you, a heart innocent of love
  • red—Pure and lovely
  • white—Girlhood
  • moss—Confessions of love
• Rose
  • pink—Perfect happiness, please believe me
  • red—Love, I love you
  • dark crimson—Mourning
  • yellow—Decrease of love, jealousy, try to care
  • white—Innocence and purity, I am worthy of you, you’re heavenly, secrecy and silence
  • white and red mixed—Unity, flower emblem of England
  • white, dried—Death is preferable to loss of virtue
  • white, withered—Transient impression, fleeting beauty, you made no impression
  • tea—I’ll remember always
  • damask—Persian ambassador of love
  • thornless—Love at first sight
  • leaf—You may hope
  • bouquet of mature blooms—Gratitude
• Smilax—Loveliness 
• Snapdragon—Deception, gracious lady          
• Stephanotis—Happiness in marriage, desire to travel
• Stock—Bonds of affection, promptness, you’ll always be beautiful to me
• Sweetpea—Good-bye, departure, blissful pleasure, thank you for a lovely time 
• Tiger lily—Wealth, pride (see also: Lily)
• Tulip—Perfect lover, fame, flower emblem of Holland
  • red—Believe me, declaration of love
  • yellow—There’s sunshine in your smile
  • variegated—Beautiful eyes
• Violet—Modesty
  • blue—Watchfulness, faithfulness, I’ll always be there
• Wisteria—Will you dance with me?
• Zinnia
  • magenta—Lasting affection provider
  • mixed—Thinking (or in memory) or an absent friend
  • scarlet—Constancy
  • white—Goodness