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Symbolic Flowers For Your Romance Or Your Bromance 

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Katherine Baligian Student Contributor, Michigan State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Floriography: The secret code of the Victorian era. Sending someone a single flower could communicate a wide array of messages to its recipient, and it wasn’t limited to romantic gestures. 

Today, Valentine’s Day often forgets what a gift friendship can be. I know this may sound incredibly corny, but friends bring a lot of color to a world that can sometimes seem black and white. Therefore, I’ve made a list of flowers with secret meanings meant for your romantic relationships and your platonic relationships as well.

Flower for Your Bromance 

Bells of Ireland: The Bells of Ireland are naturally green flowers, which is something that isn’t seen very often. They’re as green as a four leaf clover, and just like a clover, they bring the luck of the Irish. These flowers are a great way of wishing a friend good luck on a job interview, exam, game, performance, or anything else that’s important to them. It’s a way of being there for them through the whole process, even if you can’t be there in person.

Flower for Your Romance 

Bluebells: Bluebells are perennials that return every year in the spring, thus leading these flowers to symbolize a love that stays by your side through thick and thin. Additionally, bluebells are also thought to be the homes of fairies. The magical aspect of these blooms can tell your partner how enchanting you find them. 

Flower for Your Bromance 

Hollyhock: Hollyhocks often symbolize ambition, specifically women’s ambitions. In other words, sending these to your friend who just accomplished something big is essentially saying, “Of course a knockout like you would go and knock ’em dead.” You can also send hollyhocks to tell a friend that you see their hard work, perseverance, and grit.

Flower for Your Romance 

Kennedia: Although kennedias are gorgeous to look at, their symbolism values inner beauty. Their common meaning in floriography is “you have a beautiful mind.” Nothing is more of a green flag than someone who values what your personality has to offer rather than just your appearance.

Flower for Your Bromance 

Yellow rose: While red roses are a timeless symbol of romantic affection, each rose color has its own unique message. Yellow roses convey friendship and cheerfulness. They’re a way to say, “I’m so happy to be your friend.”

Flower for Your Romance 

Yellow rose with red ends: Look, I know I just said that a yellow rose symbolizes platonic relationships, but yellow roses with red on the ends of their petals complicate the meaning. They symbolize “friendship that evolves into romance.” This is basically the friends-to-lovers archetype if it were a flower.

I hope these flowers can bring a little fun and mystery into your romantic or platonic relationships.

Katherine Baligian is a first year student at MSU. She is a a journalism major with a concentration in Environmental, science, and health reporting with a minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In the future she aspires to work for a newspaper on an environmental or scientific beat.

Originally from Livonia, Michigan, she joined Her Campus because of her passion for writing and because magazines are very entertaining for her. To her writing is an art form that uses words as a paintbrush which creates vivid a picture that the reader can visualize. She tries to insert that sense of creativity into the articles that she writes.

Katherine loves the outdoors and nature. Whether it’s birdwatching, fishing, stargazing or simply going for a walk, outside activities are a therapeutic outlet that she adores. She also enjoys acting, recreational soccer, and sitting down with a good book on a rainy day.