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What Types of Flowers are Appropriate for Different Occasions

Sending or presenting flowers will never go out of style, and there will always be a suitable type of flower for every occasion. Holidays, birthdays and special events all have their own kinds of appropriate arrangements. Sending specific bouquets for a particular moment can make the receiver feel happy, comforted or loved, among other emotions.

Yellow roses and carnations signify friendship.Yellow roses and carnations signify friendship.

Be Mindful of Color

One of the most noticeable aspects of any flower is its appearance. Color is one of the most important elements people should be aware of when sending flowers. Every hue has its own meaning or denotes a particular emotion.

Red
There's a reason why people buy red roses on Valentine's Day. This color signifies love, passion and energy for the person receiving the arrangement.

Orange
Similar to red, orange flowers invoke loving admiration, but instead of passion the hue encapsulates warmth, according to Flower Shopping. Flowers with this bold color demonstrate happiness, joy and a sense of adventure.

Pink
Associated with femininity, pink flowers indicate a deeper kind of love, one flushed with innocence and gentility. A graceful color, arrangements of this hue are both playful and sensitive.

Yellow
Yellow flowers signify friendship, optimism, trust and compassion. As such, this color arrangement is usually used when sending flowers out of sympathy.

Green
Arrangements featuring the color green are representative of a strong relationship with nature. These flowers and plants have a calming and harmonious essence, offering balance, good health and resilience.

Blue
The various shades of blue invoke calm in receivers. Whether it's a deep hue or a lighter color, blue flowers can settle anxiety, promote openness and demonstrate long-term love.

Purple
Since violet signified royalty in the past, purple arrangements indicate grace and refinement. Purple is a mysterious color that also symbolizes admiration, dignity and charm.

White
White is a stark color representing innocence, honesty and simple beauty. White arrangements convey a clean sense of elegance, while also communicating pure love and fidelity.

Determine the Occasion

Once senders understand the types of flower colors and their meanings, they can better determine what kind of arrangement will be best for their needs.There are a multitude of reasons to send or gift flowers to someone. Each type of event comes with an appropriate kind of flower arrangement.

Birthdays

Birthdays are a perfect occasion for giving people flowers. Presenting an arrangement will demonstrate the sender's attention to detail and admiration for the receiver. Similar to a birthstone, each month has its own specific flower:

January: Carnation
Carnations come in several different colors, allowing people to send unique versions of the flower. Each shade has its own meaning.

February: Violet
The violet invokes loyalty and faithfulness. It's the perfect flower for both friends and significant others, as it signifies long-lasting support.

People should consider birth month flowers when sending arrangements for birthdays.

March: Daffodil
The daffodil represents the sun, meaning love and light that is both never-ending and unequaled, according to The Farmer's Almanac.

April: Daisy
Daisies represent loyal love between friends and couples.

May: Lily
Lilies illustrate humility, contentment and happiness. Arrangements featuring lilies demonstrate sensitivity and sweetness.

June: Rose
Like carnations, roses grow in a variety of hues, giving them different meaning. Senders should understand the emotions each color invokes prior to sending or gifting arrangements of roses.

July: Larkspur
Larkspurs aren't one of the most common flowers available, but they signify strong love and come in many shades.

August: Gladiolus
The name "gladiolus" is derived from the Latin word for "sword," and these flowers represent strength and moral integrity, according to Teleflora. Gladioli also signify infatuation.

September: Aster
Asters symbolize elegance and powerful love. Aster arrangements resemble wildflowers, but have rich colors and texture.

October: Marigold
Marigolds demonstrate fierce love and contentment with one's partner, as well as grace and affection.

November: Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums resemble the sun and as such represent happiness and joy.

December: Poinsettia
The large red blooms of the poinsettia signify merriment, cheer and overall joy, very applicable to the month's many holidays.

Holidays

The year is rife with special occasions when people can send floral arrangements. From Valentine's Day and Mother's Day to Christmas, there are specific flowers for each event.

Roses aren't the only flowers people can send on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day
Of course, the most common Valentine's Day arrangement features roses, usually in red or pink hues. Since the flower and the colors both signify love, roses have become the most popular flower for this holiday.

Buyers looking to change up their selection, however, have many other popular options. Reader's Digest suggests tulips, orchids or lilies as a replacement for roses. These flowers all come in many colors, but people should choose colors that represent love and passion to make the best impression.

Mother's Day
Mother's Day is an opportunity for people to show how much they appreciate their mother's love throughout their lifetime. There are a couple different routes buyers can take for this holiday.

First, they can base their selection on their mother's favorite flower and color if they know it. Otherwise, pink and red carnations represent gratitude and admiration, respectively, while Gerbera daisies demonstrate cheer, ProFlowers says. Other options include tulips, sunflowers and irises, all beautiful flowers that are sure to be appreciated.

Christmas
The poinsettia is the flower for December, so it's obviously one of the best options when people buy arrangements during the holiday season. Amaryllis also makes a good choice, as its petals form into small trumpets. Amaryllis and paperwhites both symbolize good cheer with a new year on the horizon.

Anniversaries

One of the most popular times to send flowers is in celebration of a wedding anniversary. Whether it's been 10 years or 25, it's common for people to show their love with flowers. Although roses are always appropriate for these occasions, each five-year milestone has its own specific flower.

5 years: Daisy
Daisies will help couples demonstrate the still innocent and gentle spirit of their love.

10 years: Daffodil
A simple daffodil signifies the pleasures both parties enjoy sharing together.

15 years: Rose
A rose represents the passion that still exists between two people.

20 years: Aster
Aster symbolizes the wisdom that comes with 20 years of marriage and wishes of good fortune.

25 years: Iris
An iris arrangement invokes faith in each other and the promise two people have made.

50 years: Violets
Violets are a display of a pair's virtue and humility.

Bright flowers represent hope during difficult times.

Sympathy and Funerals

Flowers are often seen as a sign of comfort when people are going through a difficult situation, especially in times of sickness and death. As with birthdays and holidays, there are appropriate flowers for funerals and moments requiring sympathy.

Sympathy
Sympathy arrangements are often sent to families dealing with a challenging situation. They're meant to let people know the sender is thinking of them during their difficult time and offer a sign of hope.

Although some people believe more somber arrangements are fitting, not all flowers have to feature muted colors. Bright and vibrant hues and scents can work wonders in cheering others up by signifying hope. Fresh cut arrangements, as well as potted plants, are popular choices, especially when they feature lilies, daisies and roses.

Sickness
Flowers are also appropriate to send when someone is dealing with a short- or long-term illness. The most important element to consider is whether the afflicted person is recovering at home or in a hospital, ProFlowers says. For recipients who will be at home, people can send houseplants that encourage health and well-being or flowers like marigolds and sunflowers to lift their spirits. Hospital patients, on the other hand, should receive flowers that have little to no fragrance, as it could affect their healing process. Assorted arrangements featuring bright flowers, like tulips, gladioli and irises, will have a positive effect on mood.

Funeral
Sending funeral arrangements requires people to be cognizant of the meaning behind certain colors. Blue, white and green flowers represent peace and comfort. People commonly choose funeral wreaths or other arrangements that use chrysanthemums, roses and lilies. Senders should put a fair amount of thought into their selection, as it will, most likely, be on display in one way or another.

The right type of flowers are of the utmost importance when choosing an arrangement for a particular occasion or situation. Each color and flower has its own meaning in certain contexts and people must be aware of the nature of their choice before sending or gifting them to another person.

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