Q.
They did you dirty, but now they’ve sent you flowers. An apology? Perhaps. But if, like the Victorians, you’re keen on analyzing the meaning of bouquets, then you might want to look closer.

What are some flowers that – traditionally, cross-culturally – have been assigned, at minimum, mixed meanings?

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A.

With a historical eye, one might want to think twice if receiving an apology bouquet that includes…

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Begonia
Begin Again or Beware?

Borage
Tactless or Brave?

Crocus
Cheerful or Beware of Excess?

Delphinium
A Big Heart or Fickle?

Hydrangea
Braggart or Gratitude?

Lupin
Imaginative or Insatiable?

Peony
Is this to signal Empathy or Anger? Sheepishness or Romance?

Ranunculus
Childish, Ungrateful or Stunning?

Snapdragon
Creative, Gracious, Arrogant or Untrustworthy?

Tansy
Immortality? Or Be Gone, I Declare War Upon You?

Thistle
Revenge or Royalty? Nosiness or Healing?

Yellow Rose
I’m Sorry? I’m Jealous? Or Our Love Is Dying?

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www.justcurious.ca

Header Art: Willem van Aelst. Flower Still Life with a Timepiece. 1663