The Meaning Behind The Colors of Roses

As found on some Yahoo! page. You want to give your sweetie a bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day. That's a classy move. Think twice, though, before plucking any random bunch of blooms. If your special someone is among the thousands of searchers hitting the Web for "meaning of flowers," he or she may have a funny reaction to that clutch of striped carnations. (What you just said: "Sorry I can't be with you.") To save you the horror of broadcasting the wrong message with yellow chrysanthemums ("slighted love"), yellow hyacinths ("jealousy"), or bright and shiny marigolds ("cruelty, grief, and jealousy," oh my!), we've paired the week's most searched-on flowers with their generally accepted meanings. Select with confidence... Roses - Love Orchids - A belle Iris - My compliments Daisies - Innocence Tulips - Declaration of love Calla Lily - Beauty Amaryllis - Splendid beauty Hydrangea - Heartfelt Anthurium - Hospitality Daffodils - Chivalry Chrysanthemums - Fidelity Carnations - Pride and beauty Lilacs - Youthful innocence Birds of Paradise - Joyfulness Tiger Lily - Wealth, pride Peony - Bashful Anemone - Anticipation Sunflowers - Pure thoughts Aster - Patience Gladiolus - Strength of character When it comes to sheer flower power, the rose is the "American Idol," the Michael Jordan, and the Beatles of botany, all rolled into one sweet-smelling, thorny cache. No flower comes close to its popularity. It draws its own "meaning" searches ("rose color meaning"), cooks up its own candy queries ("chocolate roses"),and sprinkles the Search box with its velvety parts ("rose petals"). If you're thinking of a dozen long-stemmed messages de amor for February 14, here are the week's most searched-on types of roses and their secret meanings... Red Roses - Love and romance Black Roses - Vengeance Blue Roses - Mystery and intrigue Pink Roses - Gratitude and appreciation Purple Roses - Love at first sight White Roses - Innocence and purity Green Roses - Fertility Yellow Roses - Joy and friendship Lavender Roses - Enchantment Orange Roses - Enthusiasm, passion