We've probably all heard the basics about what different colored flowers signify; red is for passion and love, white is for purity, pink is for sweet youthful admiration and yellow for friendship. I found some postings on florigraphy that include the crueler side of flower-gifting symbolism, that I found excitingly devious, so let me share.
Florigraphy comes from the Victorian era, and was a flower-gifting tradition that evolved for the need of communicating messages that could not be spoken directly. We mostly hear of the messages of love sent from a suitor to his object of affection, however, the more interesting part is what flowers can say that might not be so flattering.
I am not totally confident of the accuracy of this darker side of florigraphy, but I found similar info in multiple sources, so here's a glimpse. Yellow roses are rumored by some to mean that the sender actually loves someone else. What a surprise, beautiful flowers delivered to a young mistress' door, only for her to discover that the gift actually means something heartbreaking, assuming the young lady admired the sender.
In this case, the sender in question found the most passive agressive means to say "I don't love you" - wouldn't you much rather hear it from the person privately rather than have it announced at your door, while the neighbors saw the dreaded yellow bouquet coming down the street headed for some unlucky lass. What does a young lady do with this bouquet? Does the family offer to put the flowers in a vase on the table, after watching her eyes fill with tears at the unfortunate message, because it is beautiful and expensive after all?
I suppose this guy thought it was a gentle way to send the message - "well, I don't love ya but here's something nice to look at while you get over it." Idiot.
Instead of playful childhood happiness, pink roses are rumored on the flip side to symbolize doubt. For example, I'm sending you pink flowers because "I don't get you. Why are you acting this way?" or "I'm not sure this is working, but I'm not ready to send the yellow flowers yet".
My two favorite colors of roses are yellow and white. Yellow roses are described above, and I am amused to know that white roses are rumored to symbolize rejection by a sender - "I just don't love ya baby" or "Frankly, I just don't give a damn." Regardless, I stick to my flower color preferences. The whole flower gifting thing is a little overdone in my opinion; I tend to feel bittersweet about receiving a gift of cut stems that will wilt and die, much preferring a potted plant.
If we've taken any cynical notes on the destruction due to jealousy, especially from Wuthering Heights or Shakespeare's plays, perhaps this dark side of florigraphy is all just a mindgame made up by lonely and jealous Victorian gals who never received any flowers and wanted to make other girls second guess the true meaning of their bountiful floral gifts.
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