Tag Archives: language

MIMOSA   “Sensitiveness”             Also known as the Sensitive Plant, because it closes its leaves when touched.  According to the Greeks, it was originally a woman named Cephisa who, fleeing from Pan, was turned into a plant.  She still shrinks from the touch of men.  (And women, by the way.)             Some books list “Sensibility” forContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Mimosa to Nuts”

LOBELIA   “Malevolence”             I am told this can be poisonous if taken in large quantities.  I do not wish to know who ate enough Lobelia to find that out.  Our ancestors also called this Gagroot and Vomitroot, so apparently a lot of people tried it. LOCUST   “Affection Beyond the Grave” LOCUST, HONEY   “Sweetness” LONDON-PRIDE   “Frivolity”Continue reading “Ranunculus to You: Lobelia to Millet”

                                                            L LARKSPUR   “Pensive Beauty” Lad’s Love:   see SOUTHERNWOOD LADY’S MANTLE   “Fashion”             Plantlorists tend to make any reference to a lady in a flower name symbolic of the Virgin Mary.  Floriographers seem not to have seen it that way. LADY’S SLIPPER   “Capricious beauty” *LADY’S TRESSES   “Bewitching Grace” LAGERSTRAEMIA   “Eloquence”             This is sometimes calledContinue reading “Ranunculus to You: Larkspur to Liverwort”

                                                                        H HACKMETACK   “Single Blessedness”             This is a kind of tamarack, and is sometimes spelled tacmehac.  No, honest! HAND FLOWER TREE   “Warning” HARBELL   “Grief” *HARLEQUIN   “Laugh at Trouble”HAWK WEED   “Quicksightedness”             It was believed, once upon a time, that hawks rubbed their eyes with this to give them, well, eyes like a hawk.  IContinue reading “Ranunculus to You: Hackmetack to Hyssop”

G GARDENIA   “Transport of Joy”             Sheer ecstasy is what they mean.  The gardenia appears more often in flower language books as Cape Jasmine.  See also JASMINE, CAPE. *GARLAND   “Love’s Bondage”             “Love for a garden has powerful influence in attracting men to their homes, and on this account, every encouragement given to increase aContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Gardenia to Grass”

F FAIR MAIDS OF FRANCE   “Lustre” FENNEL   “Strength”*             This was a wreath awarded at games in ancient days, generally for great strength.  Gladiators ate it to give them strength and courage in the ring.  And the Battle of Marathon was supposed to have been fought in a field of fennel.  But its meaning couldContinue reading “Ranunculus to You: Fair Maids to Furze”

                                                                        D DAFFODIL   “Regard”             The pioneer floriographers could not agree on whether the Daffodil meant Chivalry, Uncertainty, or Mistaken Hope.  In 1867, the Lover of Flowers declared it stood for Regard, and that meaning has prevailed ever since. DAHLIA   “Instability”             Tradition tells us the Dahlia came from mainland Europe to England twice.  TheContinue reading “Ranunculus to You: Daffodil to Eyebright”

CORIANDER   “Concealed Merit”*             Henry Phillips says this comes from the use of coriander as an anti-colic drug given to women and children disguised in a bonbon.  The men took it straight, I guess.             Anyway, most all the pioneers agree on this meaning: Mme. De Latour, Robert Tyas, Lucy Hooper, and Frances S. Osgood. Continue reading “Ranunculus to You: Coriander Through Cypress”

CARROT   “Good Character”             As Dennis the Menace will not tell you, eating all your cooked carrots builds good character.             Animals, birds, and insects seem to get all the really good superhero names; even weather conditions and abstract qualities seem to be preferred.  There was Captain Carrot (a superhero rabbit) and The Black Orchid,Continue reading “Ranunculus to You, Carrot to Coreopsis”