Many flowers also have important medicinal qualities known since ancient or medieval times. But it is the folklore surrounding some of our most common flowers that provides a fascinating insight into our language and traditions. Below is a selection of flowers and the meanings often associated with them.
Anemone
Deriving from the Greek word for wind, anemos, the anemone is sometimes known as the 'windflower', symbolising the fleeting nature of life. According to Greek myth, the anemone came from Adonis' blood and can represent death, although in Christianity it is believed to be the blood of saints. In Scotland and Denmark, the anemone is thought to be the bed of the fairy that is protected by its petals.
Cowslip
There is a legend that St Peter dropped the keys to Heaven when he discovered that a duplicate set had been made. It was on the spot where the fallen keys landed that there grew up the first cowslips. In parts of England their cluster of yellow flowers are known as ‘bunch of keys’.
Field Poppy
This is sometimes called the corn rose as Ceres, goddess of corn, wore a wreath of field poppies. The poppy petal was once used as a test of faithfulness. The petal is put in the palm of the hand and struck with the fist; if it makes a snapping sound the loved one is faithful. It is more often associated with Remembrance Day, commemorating the fallen of WWI.
Forget-me-not
A European legend tells of a German knight who walked along a river bank with his lady. When the knight bent down to pick some pretty blue flowers, his heavy armour made him fall into the river. As he was drowning, he threw the bunch of flowers onto the bank and shouted "forget-me-not". Thereafter, the plant became associated with true love and was sometimes worn in the Middle Ages as a sign of faithfulness.
Honeysuckle
According to an old superstition, if honeysuckle is taken into a house then a wedding will follow. If a girl places this fragrant flower in her bedroom, she will dream of love, and in France it was given to a loved one to symbolise their union.
Lady's Mantle
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the dew from this plant was collected at dawn in medieval times and used in alchemists' experiments to make gold from metal. The plant was sometimes used to cure women's problems, such as restoring a sagging bosom to its former size!
Lily of the Valley
Cultivated for over 500 years, lily of the valley is known as the flower of Ostara, Norse goddess of springtime and it often symbolises new life. The white flowers were meant to represent purity, yet some people believe it is unlucky and that anyone planting it will die within a year.
Pansy
The pansy is mostly associated with love, being sacred to St Valentine, and is sometimes known as 'heartsease' or 'love-in-idleness'. If used to cover the eyes of someone while asleep, the dreamer may fall in love with the first person they see. In Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon, king of the fairies, squeezed 'heartsease' into Titania's eyes so that she fell in love with Bottom who was dressed as an ass.
Snowdrop
Sometimes known as the 'snow-piercer' or 'the fair maid of February', bunches of snowdrops used to be worn by village maidens as a symbol of purity. Some say they should never be brought into the house of a sick person as they could prove fatal. Yet others say that a bunch of snowdrops on a kitchen windowsill will purify the house.
There are many more legends associated with wild flowers and plants. Many common herbs also have hidden meanings.
