Flower-Speak: Language That Says It All

The capital city, thanks to its Southern heritage, has always been the home of the flowery phrase--the euphemism, the polite runaround, the soft answer turning away wrath, the social lie, the veiled allusion, the public pleasantry and the sugarcoated threat.

All the more reason to learn the language of the flowers, a subtle conceit that bloomed in the last century. Though most of those meanings have been lost in modern times, Henry M. Cathey, director of the National Arboretum, said that “every flower in Victorian time carried a message,” and added: “Note the many things you can express through a gift of plants.”

He warned, though, that any flower given or worn upside down “has just the opposite meaning from its natural message. Many wearers do put the flowers on correctly”--as they grow, upward--but “there are many rude signals at every gathering.”

The Washington Cathedral Herb Cottage reports that five or six copies of “Language of Flowers,” illustrated by Kate Greenaway, go out the door every day, with engrossed readers saying “Ah ha!”

So it might just be worth your time to look carefully for any hidden meanings lurking among the petals.

To your true love, send:

Sweet alyssum (worth beyond beauty), bluebell (constancy), Camellia japonica red (unpretending excellence), white camellia (perfected loveliness), Cape jasmine (I’m too happy), spring crocus (youthful gladness), daffodils (regard), daisies (innocence), dogwood (durability), hibiscus (delicate beauty), holly (foresight), white hyacinth (unobtrusive loveliness), iris (message), ivy (fidelity, marriage), lady-slipper (capricious beauty-win me and wear me), day lilies (coquetry), imperial lily (majesty), white lily (purity, sweetness), lily of the valley (return of happiness), magnolia (love of nature), orange blossoms (your purity equals your loveliness).

To your own untrue love, send the message with:

Pink larkspur (fickleness), purple larkspur (haughtiness), lavender (distrust), yellow lily (falsehood or gaiety), marigold (grief), cockscomb (foppery, affectation), garden anemone (forsaken), basil (hatred), white rosebuds (heart ignorant of love), buttercup (ingratitude, childishness), deep red carnations (alas! for my poor heart), striped carnations (refusal), marigolds (uneasiness), dark geraniums (melancholy), scarlet geraniums (comforting, stupidity), hydrangea (boaster, heartlessness), morning glory (affectation).

Send posies to politicians:

For front-runners George Bush, Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson, apple blossom (fame speaks him great and good) or perhaps the amethyst (admiration). To runner-up Albert Gore Jr., canary grass (perseverance). To Paul Simon, chamomile (energy in adversity.)

For all of the candidates to send each other: belvedere (I declare against you.)

For their supporters to send all of them, purple columbine (resolved to win) or lemon (zest), but careful not the plain columbine (folly). And all winners should have their rooms filled with nasturtium (patriotism.)

To those who have loved not wisely but too well:

Former presidential candidate Gary Hart and certain fallen angels in the ministry might be sent the Carolina rose (love is dangerous), almond flowers (indiscretion) or bachelor’s buttons (celibacy), red balsam (touch me not), sage (domestic virtue) or, if you think, Cedar of Lebanon (incorruptible).

In turn, the preachers, along with Hart, might be tempted to send their critics: the African marigold (vulgar minds) or even candytuft (indifference), yellow carnations (disdain) or the aspen tree (lamentation).

For those who forgive those who trespass against us, allspice (compassion) or flowering reed (confidence in heaven).

To the indicted ones:

Currently, there are a great many people in danger of being locked up. To them could be sent hellebore (scandal) or sweet scented tussilago (justice shall be done you). They might in turn send the burning nettle (slander) or Chinese chrysanthemum (cheerfulness in old age).

Meanwhile, to judges they should send a chestnut tree (do me justice). To which Justice, holding her scales, can ornament herself with, if she can find it, coltsfoot (justice shall be done).

International language:

Surely Ronald Reagan will bring Mikhail Gorbachev olive branches (peace). On no account should he show up with wild tansy (I declare war against you), the York and Lancaster rose (war) or the Indian cress (warlike trophy). One might ponder what was thought when the Japanese sent Washington the cherry trees (deception).

With April 15 in mind, send to the Bureau of the Budget: chicory or endive (frugality). But on no account let Internal Revenue find your house full of coriander (hidden worth) or corn (riches).