Plant meanings and what they symbolise

Plant symbolism comes from a mix of folklore, Victorian flower language and simple observation of how plants behave. None of it is binding, but it gives a plant gift a line to write on the card, and that line is usually what makes it land.

We don't sell plants - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the plant, and the card to send with it.

Remembrance and sympathy

• Rosemary - remembrance. The oldest and most quoted of them all, and it grows on outdoors afterwards.
• Forget-me-not - memory and enduring love. Traditional for a child or a young person.
• Peace lily - peace and sympathy, and the standard UK funeral plant.
• Cypress and yew - mourning, which is why UK churchyards are full of them.
• White chrysanthemum - grief and honour, particularly in European tradition.

Love and marriage

• Myrtle - marriage and fidelity, and part of every royal wedding bouquet since Queen Victoria.
• Red rose - love, unambiguously.
• Ivy - attachment and loyalty, because it holds on.
• String of hearts - affection, and one of the few modern houseplants with an obvious meaning.
• Orchid - beauty, refinement and, historically, love.

New beginnings and luck

• Money plant, or Pilea - prosperity and sharing, since it grows offsets you pass to friends.
• Lucky bamboo - luck, with the number of stalks traditionally carrying its own meaning.
• Jade plant - growth and good fortune, a common housewarming choice.
• Snake plant - protection, which is why it's often given for a new home.
• Shamrock - luck, and an easy Irish or new job gift.

Friendship, thanks and healing

• Spider plant - friendship, because it hands out babies endlessly.
• Aloe vera - healing and protection, and it earns it.
• Sunflower - warmth, loyalty and cheerfulness.
• Basil - in Italian tradition, love and good wishes.
• Fern - sincerity, and one of the quieter get-well gifts.

Strength and long life

• Olive - peace and endurance, and it lives for centuries.
• Oak - strength, and a proper gift for a big anniversary if there's garden space.
• Bay - honour and victory, the original laurel wreath.
• Cactus - endurance, and a good joke for someone who's had a hard year.
• Bonsai - patience and care, which is exactly what it demands.

Shop cards

Prints on the same theme

Botanical prints, posted flat in a board-backed envelope.

How to write it so it lands

• Pick the meaning first, then the plant - it's far easier than the other way round.
• One sentence on the card is plenty. Don't write an essay on Victorian flower language.
• For sympathy, rosemary and forget-me-nots can be planted out later, which gives the gift a second life.
• Avoid symbolism that needs explaining in person. If it doesn't fit on a card, choose another plant.

Where to shop next

• Plant gifts UK
• What plant to give for each occasion
• How to wrap a plant as a gift
• Plants as a housewarming gift
• Low maintenance plants to give
• Sympathy and memorial plants
• Pet safe plants for gifting
• Plants as seasonal gifts
• How to keep a gifted plant alive
• Gift wrapping ideas
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

What plant symbolises remembrance?

Rosemary. It has stood for remembrance since at least Shakespeare's time and is still used at UK funerals and memorials.

What plant means new beginnings?

The Chinese money plant, jade plant and lucky bamboo are all associated with growth, prosperity and fresh starts, which makes them common new home and new job gifts.

Which plant symbolises friendship?

The spider plant, because it produces offsets that friends pass between each other. Sunflowers carry a similar meaning of warmth and loyalty.

Is plant symbolism taken seriously?

Not literally, but it gives a gift a story. Writing the meaning on the card is what makes the plant feel chosen rather than grabbed.