The number one flower purchased for Valentine's Day is the rose. Roses come in a variety of colors and each color has a different symbolic meaning. If you are planning on purchasing some roses for your friends or loved ones for the holiday (or any other time), please be sure to refer to the color guide below.
Red Roses
Red roses are the most traditional Valentine’s Day flower, and with good reason. This color represents romance, love, beauty and perfection. It is sometimes said that dark red roses represent humility or unconscious beauty. The ultimate classic romantic gift is to give a dozen long stemmed red roses to let the other person know that you love and appreciate them.
Orange Roses
Bright, fiery orange represents life, energy, passion and excitement. Give these roses to someone irresistible. Softer shades, like peach, are used to express sincerity or gratitude, while pastel peach is considered a modest color.
Yellow Roses
The warmth of the yellow rose symbolizes friendship, joy and gladness. These flowers can also be used as a sign of remembrance or affection. If you would like to show your appreciation to a friend and not worry about giving the wrong impression of romance and love, yellow roses are a safe choice for this gift.
White Roses
White roses come with a variety of meanings, including purity, innocence, grace and humility. Because these flowers have long been popular for weddings, they have also come to represent new beginnings and budding love.
Pink Roses
Pink roses are given to express your admiration of someone’s refinement, elegance or femininity. Darker shades of pink convey a sense of appreciation, while pale pinks are generally used to give a sense of admiration, joy or gentleness. All meanings aside, someone may just like pink roses better than any other color and this should be your appropriate selection.
Lavender Roses
In the language of flowers, lavender roses are used to tell someone that you’re enchanted by them. They also represent desire and love at first sight. These are the roses that you would give if you are not certain on how red roses would be accepted yet. If they are acceptive to your romantic approaches, you would definitely follow-up with red roses later.
Mixed Color Roses
Sometimes a rose of one color isn’t enough to say what you mean. You’re free to mix and match roses as much as you like, but keep in mind that some combinations have meanings all their own. For instance, a bouquet of red and white roses represents unity, which makes this combination a wonderful choice for someone who has been by your side through the years. A mixture of red and yellow roses represents happiness, and when you give yellow roses with orange or red tips, you’re telling that person that your feelings of friendship are turning to into love.
If you cannot decided which color roses to get someone, you can always consult the florist and ask what they recommend. Almost every florist knows the language of the color of flowers and roses, and they can assist you in making the correct selection.
