From the Teeth of the Lion to the Dandelion

The stories behind the names of flowers
The Wall Street Journal
By STEPHEN MESSENGER

This weekend, weather permitting, we will celebrate our nation's independence at outdoor parties across the country. While savoring the barbecue, we should not forget to consider the flowers blooming all around us.

Throughout history and in cultures around the world, mankind has held a deep connection with flowers. From the smallest blossoms emerging from the melting snow, marking the end of winter, to elaborate bouquets given as gestures of love, flowers are unmatched in their ability to please the senses and delight the soul.

They have also been infused with symbolism that transcends their colorful blooms. A poetic regard for flowers is evident even in Neanderthal culture with the discovery of burial sites containing Hollyhocks -- an indication that the Neanderthals too considered it as "holy"' as its name also suggests today.

The names we give to flowers reflect a loftier esteem than the ones we give to, say, vegetables. Broccoli, for example, derives its unappetizing moniker from the Italian brocco, meaning simply a shoot or stalk -- in line with the opinions of countless picky eaters. But the names given to flowers often denote their benefit to the spirit.

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The Language of Flowers

The idea that flower bunches or arrangements conveyed a series of secret meanings between covert lovers was popularised in Europe, especially France in the early 1800s. It was thought to come from Turkey where flower arrangements were used to convey messages between lovers - with each stem having a particular meaning. In the harems of the Middle East, the rose and other flowers were used as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly. This is, unfortunately, a myth, but there is some truth there.

This 'secret' language using flowers was first introduced into Europe through the letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in 1718. Writing to her lady friends from Turkey, Lady Mary described a system that used objects, including flowers, to communicate. Each object signified a small verse. A pearl, for example, meant 'Pearl, fairest of the young'. A huge range of objects were used, including flowers, fruits, other foods, to pebbles and even coal. A Turkish love letter therefore could be a purse containing any number of objects, not just flowers.

This romantic notion that illicit lovers could speak with each other through a 'secret' language quickly gained favour in 18th century Europe. By the early 19th century, this had evolved into a published list of the Language of Flowers, and was perhaps first published by Charlotte de Latour in 1819, but several books exploring this concept were published in France between 1811 and 1820. Many contained the first lists where individual flowers were given specific meanings.

Where these meanings came from is anyone's guess, and many books differed from each other about these specific meanings.

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Book Recommendation: How Plants Gets Their Names

How Plants Get Their Names

By L.H. Bailey

Reveals the confusion that results from misleading popular names of plants and points out the advantages of a sound, scientific approach. These few chapters cover virtually every aspect of the subject of how plants get their names and what those names signify.

181pp Paperbound

Video - Plants with Strange Names

P. Allen Smith

Think gardeners have some of the best senses of humor. I say this because of some of the funny and clever names they come up with for plants. Like this one I'm planting called Chicken Gizzard ...