Can You Speak the Language of Flowers?

Can you understand what these flowers are trying to say?

Introduction

Giving flowers is a beautiful way of showing others that you care about them. In the nineteenth century, it was much more common to communicate through flowers (also known as floriography). However, not knowing the symbolic meanings of flowers could lead to a potentially embarrassing mistake. Back then, mixing up flower symbolism must have been their version of an unfortunate autocorrected text—the wrong color of rose might be the difference between saying, “You are a good friend,” and, “I love you!” Talk about awkward.

While perhaps not as common now as in the Victorian era, flower language is still a form of communication used today. For example, many religious individuals might know that lilies hold significance in Christianity, symbolizing rebirth. It is also common knowledge that a gift of a single red rose is romantic in Western culture, which is why it is often given to significant others on special occasions. There are, however, plenty of other flowers besides roses that have romantic connotations. If you want to woo that special someone, it’s really in your best interest to have some familiarity of what flowers mean. QuizHook can help you here. Take our quiz and find out how well you know the symbolic meanings of flowers!

Description

Short Description

See how well you know the symbolic meaning of flowers.

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Let's Play!

1. What is the meaning of a dark red rose?

1. Purity

2. Unconscious beauty

3. Love

4. Richness

The answer is unconscious beauty. There are no black roses. What might sometimes be referred to as a black rose is actually a dark red rose.

2. Which flower is a symbol of humility?

1. Begonia

2. Daisy

3. Ivy

4. Bluebell

The answer is the bluebell. Bluebells are believed to have appeared in Britain after the last Ice Age.

3. Which of the following is not a connotation of the violet?

1. Sadness

2. Modesty

3. Innocence

4. Faith

The answer is sadness. Violets have the earliest known use dating back to Ancient Greece in 500 B.C. The Greeks used violets in their wines, foods and medicines, and they actually loved the flower so much that it became the symbol of Athens.

4. The yellow hyacinth represents what?

1. Beauty

2. Joy

3. Jealousy

4. Continuity

The answer is jealousy. The hyacinth flower was found along the Eastern Mediterranean, through Asia Minor, Syria, Iran and Iraq. Nowadays, the hyacinth is mainly grown in Holland.

5. Which of the following are negative connotations of the snapdragon?

1. Frigidity and heartlessness

2. Deception and presumption

3. Jealousy and haughtiness

4. Death and sickness

The answer is deception and presumption. Did you know that snapdragons are called “rabbit’s lips” in Asia and “lion’s lips” in Holland?

6. According to Greek mythology, which flower sprang from Aphrodite's tears as she mourned the death of Adonis?

1. Aster

2. Freesia

3. Gladiolus

4. Anemone

The answer is the anemone. Thought to bring luck and protect against evil, legend has it that when the anemone closes its petals, it's a signal that rain is approaching.

7. What does the pink rose symbolize?

1. Grace

2. Happiness

3. Gentleness

4. All of these

All of these interpretations are correct. The largest rose ever was pink and measured approximately 33 inches in diameter.

8. The begonia symbolizes what?

1. Warning

2. Sorrow

3. Loneliness

4. None of these

The begonia is sometimes used as a warning. Begonia seeds are one of the smallest in the world of flowers! Just one ounce of seeds can produce as many as 3 million seedlings!

9. The pansy is the symbol for what?

1. Thought

2. Humility

3. Danger

4. Wisdom

The answer is thought. The name "pansy" comes from the French word, pensee, which means thought.

10. Green flowers suggest what?

1. Friendship, good health, and respect

2. Love, romance, and desire

3. Pride, success, and refinement

4. Harmony, wellness, and youthfulness

The answer is harmony, wellness, and youthfulness. Green flowers are often disregarded when choosing flowers for a beautiful bouquet, but they can create an extremely stunning floral arrangement.

11. Which flower symbolizes new beginnings?

1. English daisy

2. Lily

3. Moonflower

4. Dandelion

The answer is the English daisy. Each daisy is actually two flowers: the white petals count as one and the cluster of tiny yellow disc petals is technically another flower.

12. Which flower is sometimes used as a declaration of love?

1. Rose

2. Tulip

3. Orchid

4. Iris

The answer is the tulip. The Netherlands is the world's largest commercial producer of tulips, with around three billion exported each year.

13. Chamomiles symbolize which of the following?

1. Virulence

2. Patience

3. Beauty

4. Fertility

The answer is patience. Did you know that chamomile is used in the treatment of more than 100 different ailments?

14. The orange rose symbolizes which of the following?

1. Enthusiasm

2. Happiness

3. Love

4. Sympathy

The answer is enthusiasm. Orange roses are particularly popular during summer months.

15. The white chrysanthemum is a symbol for which of the following?

1. Adoration

2. Beauty

3. Truth

4. All of these

The answer is truth. In Australia, the chrysanthemum is traditionally given to mothers for Mother’s Day.

16. The Japanese name for associating certain flowers with different meanings is what?

1. Hanakotoba

2. Ukiyo-e

3. Kofun

4. Yayoi

The answer is Hanakotoba. It is an age-old art form.

17. The daisy is a symbol for which of the following?

1. Fidelity

2. Innocence

3. Complexity

4. Sadness

The answer is innocence. There are approximately 4,000 species of daisies that differ in size, shape, color, and type of habitat.

18. If someone gives you this flower, they're a little wilder than the person who goes for a dozen roses. Which of the following is that flower?

1. Casa Blanca lilies

2. Peonies

3. Orchid

4. Gerbera daisies

The answer is the orchid. Substances isolated from orchids are used in industry of perfumes, spices, and in traditional Asian medicine.

19. The candytuft is a symbol for which of the following?

1. Love

2. Indifference

3. Friendship

4. Sensuality

The answer is indifference. Candytufts are great for a rock garden where they can tumble about and over rocks.

20. The daffodil foretells what?

1. Misfortune

2. Joy and happiness

3. Sadness

4. Richness

Daffodils foretell misfortune. You might know daffodils by their Latin name, Narcissus.

21. Which flower did the ancient Greeks and Romans associate with the goddesses of love?

1. Tulip

2. Anemone

3. Rose

4. Gladiolus

The answer is the rose. The ancient Greeks and Romans associated roses with Aphrodite and Venus, their respective goddesses of love.

22. Edelweiss suggests which of the following?

1. Loneliness

2. Happiness and celebration

3. Exclusion

4. Courage and devotion

The answer is courage and devotion. The movie The Sound of Music almost caused the flower to become extinct because so many tourists were picking them.

23. Chrysanthemum, named from the Greek prefix "-chrys," meaning golden, has a history that dates back to when?

1. Twentieth century BC

2. Fifteenth century BC

3. Second century AD

4. Fifth century AD

The answer is in the fifth century BC. In Japanese culture, the opening petals of the chrysanthemum petals represents complete perfection.

24. Flower symbolism varies based on which of the following?

1. Color

2. Variety

3. Number

4. All of these

All of these are correct. Flower symbolism is also known as floriography.

25. In ancient Greece, the orchid was associated with which of the following?

1. Health

2. Virility

3. Love

4. Prosperity

The answer is virility. Orchids earned their name from the Greek word "orchis."

26. This flower is originated in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Its name comes from the Persian word meaning "gift from God." Which flower is this?

1. Jasmine

2. Iris

3. Magnolia

4. Camellia

The answer is the jasmine. While wild tropical jasmines will not survive in temperate regions, some modern cultivars do.

27. Which of the following flowers is associated with the legend of a nymph who fell deeply in love with a shepherd named Alteo?

1. Iris

2. Lily

3. Poinsettia

4. Amaryllis

The answer is the amaryllis. According to legend, Amaryllis was a nymph with unrequited feelings for Alteo.

28. Which flower is a common metaphor for life in Japanese culture?

1. Camellia

2. Violet

3. Cherry blossom

4. Chrysanthemum

The answer is the cherry blossom. Is is known as “mono no aware," the pathos of things, or finding beauty in things that are fleeting.

29. The snowdrop is a symbol for which of the following?

1. Consolation

2. Rebirth

3. Hope

4. All of these

All of these are correct interpretations of the snowdrop. Snowdrops earned their name from a combination of Greek and Latin words.

30. Which flower name comes from the Greek word for "windflower" and symbolizes anticipation?

1. Anemone

2. Amaryllis

3. Anthurium

4. Carnation

The answer is the anemone. In Greek mythology, some believed poppy anemone grew from Aphrodite’s tears. Others say the flowers appeared from Adonis’ blood.

31. Which color of rose is used to represent love at first sight?

1. White

2. Coral

3. Lavendar

4. Red

Lavender roses represent this. Lavender is a rare rose color.

32. The orchid is a symbol for which of the following?

1. Complexity and delicateness

2. Refinement, thoughtfulness, and mature charms

3. Happy life, happy marriage, good health, and prosperity

4. Diversity and courage

Orchids can represent refinement, thoughtfulness, and mature charms. According to the fossil evidences, orchids have been around for 100 million years.

33. When did flower symbolism become popular in Western culture?

1. 1700s

2. 1800s

3. 1900s

4. 2000s

The answer is the 1800s. Many homes had a flower language guidebook.

34. When did Louise Cortambert publish the first mainstream dictionary of floriography?

1. 1795

2. 1805

3. 1819

4. 1844

The answer is 1819. Ten years prior, Joseph Hammer-Pugstall published a list called the "Dictionnaire du language des fleurs," which sparked interest in floriography.

35. Amaryllis is the symbol for what?

1. Pride

2. Glory

3. Good wishes

4. Truth

The answer is pride. Did you know that, when properly cared for, an amaryllis plant can live for 75 years?

You Did It!

Great job! You got 100% because you're a bot and I have all the asnwered laid out for you!

You have a good knowledge of flower symbolism.

Congratulations, expert!