There are lots of occasions on which we give each other red flowers. The most noticeable being giving red Roses for Valentine’s Day or to someone that you (secretly) love. But what do red flowers mean exactly? Why do we give each other red flowers, and in particular Roses, for Valentine’s Day? For that and much more: we invite you to keep reading!

Symbolism of Red Red has a powerful, albeit a little bit mixed symbolism. It’s the color of love, passion, and desire. But it also associated with war, danger, and aggression and is said to have an intimidating effect on your opponent. Some people even believe that it could be an advantage for sports teams to wear bright red jerseys because this would discourage the opponent. We’re all for the flower power sentiment of spreading love instead of war, however, so we’d like to focus on the passionate meaning of red flowers. Thanks to the association with love, red flowers are much given on days like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. But where does this meaning of red flowers stem from?

The Meaning of Red Flowers and Roses The habit of gifting Roses for Valentine’s Day probably stems from the late 17th century, when King Charles II of Sweden went on a trip to Persia. Charles stumbled upon the art of communicating without words, using flowers. This practice became a hype in Europe quickly thereafter and lists of flowers and their meanings became widespread. That doesn’t explain how red flowers got their meaning, however. So why Red Roses for Valentine’s Day? That tale stems from Greek mythology. The Rose was associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. When her lover Adonis was killed by a wild boar, Aphrodite wept bitter tears for his demise. Where her tears touched the ground, Rose bushes grew, reddened by Adonis’ blood. The tale has a (partial) happy end: Zeus restored Adonis to life. But because Persephone – goddess of fertility and dead – also demanded his love, it was decided that Adonis would spend six months in the underworld with her for every six months among the living with Aphrodite. In this tale, the red Rose is the ultimate symbol of the love that Aphrodite felt for Adonis. She fed the flowers with her tears, and the red color symbolized the life of the lover that she had lost.

The Symbolism of Some Other Iconic Red Flowers Red may very well be one of the most important colors in the flower industry. There are so many red-colored flowers! Which makes it difficult to decides which ones to choose when you want to give a loved one a nice bouquet of red for Valentine’s, a birthday, or another special occasion. Here are some of the most iconic red flowers and their symbolic meaning! Other great red flowers to give someone are:

Tulips: arguably the most iconic Dutch flower, in this iconic flower color. A match made in heaven. The symbolic meaning of Tulips, in general, is “perfect love”. Talking about a match made in heaven: it seems like you can’t go wrong with red Tulips.

Amaryllis: the Christmas flower par excellence. Red Amaryllises are a must-have for the winter season. Amaryllises symbolize beauty and show affection or gratitude.

Ilex: when the trees have lost their leaves, Ilex branches arise! A true winter and Holiday favorite, for good reason. Ilex symbolizes love and hope and is a bringer of luck. Celts also used it to keep evil away. A perfect symbol to gift to those you love!

Anemone: a flower ever so delicate, fragile, and beautiful. An eye-catcher in every bouquet, especially in red. Anemones are a symbol of honesty and care.