Top 8 Flowers That Symbolize Sons and Daughters

Bringing a child into the world is often described by many as the most satisfying and fulfilling moment of one’s life.

Whether you have a son or a daughter, there may come a time in life when you want to present them with flowers to show your love.

Flowers that symbolize sons and daughters are not always easy to spot, but they can be found with a bit of digging into the actual history of flowers and their deeper meanings.

Flowers that symbolize sons and daughters are: Lilac, Gardenias, Peonies, Azalea, Roses, Daisy, Orange Blossoms, and Hydrangea.

1. Lilac

The lilac flower, a descendant of the Syringa plant family, comes from a family of around 25 species in total.

Lilac flowers are extremely fragrant, soft, and light. They are often found budding on smaller trees and shrubs of olive family plants.

Most often, the lilac flower can be found growing throughout various regions of Asia as well as suitable areas of Europe.

Lilacs are made up of small, dainty, lightweight petals that are almost always light purple or whitish in color.

The four-petalled flowers make up a vertical oval cluster, which gives this plant its unique appearance.

One of the most common lilacs, known as Syringa vulgaris, is found around many regions of the world, from North America to Europe.

These lilacs come in many different shades, from light purple and royal purple to blue, pink, and even white and yellow. At its maturity, the lilac flower can grow as tall as 20 feet, or 6 meters in total.

Lilac flowers are known to represent family familial love, along with peace and the joy of having children around.

They are most suitable for gifts for daughters due to their effeminate appearance and fragrance.

2. Gardenias

The gardenia flower is another dainty and delicate flower that is often associated with love, peace, joy, and purity.

It can also be associated with platonic and unconditional love, making these flowers ideal for giving as gifts to daughters.

Gardenias are smaller flowers and include white petals that can be singular or attached in a cluster of their own.

Gardenia flowers are often used to create flower arrangements at weddings or other romantic celebrations, although they are also entirely appropriate to represent platonic and familial love.

Gardenias, in some cultures, represent the playfulness of children as well as their innocence, which is why they might make the perfect gift for your own daughter.

3. Peonies

Peonies have a complex history in both the West and the East. Today, many cultures find Peonies to be a symbol of good luck and of good fortune to come.

The peony flower is derived from the word “Paeonia”, which just so happens to be the actual genus name of the flower itself.

Typically, peonies are used in non-romantic situations but can be used to represent platonic or familial love, especially when given as a gift to sons and daughters.

In many cultures and belief systems, peonies symbolize prosperity or even the ability to sustain an everlasting marriage throughout life.

Peonies can also represent wealth, which is why they can make a great gift when congratulating your daughter or son about a new career or achievement in their lives.

4. Azalea

The Azalea flower, from the Greek word ‘azaleos’, is directly translated into the word ‘dry’.

This translation is likely due to the Azalea’s ability to grow and bloom with little to no water, even in arid and dry conditions.

The flower itself appears light, flowy, and pretty in nature, closely resembling flowers from the rhododendron family.

Being closely linked to the rhododendron family, Azalea flowers are known as delicate flowers that require constant monitoring and balance in order to maintain peace.

This can symbolize the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with those in your life, including your own children.

As far back as the Ottoman Empire, the Azalea flower has been known as a symbol of platonic love, respect, and care.

The Azalea flower can even be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, in which the flower is not only represented as a symbol of romantic love, but also as a symbol of unconditional and/or platonic love.

Giving the gift of an Azalea flower is appropriate for both sons and daughters, as the flowers themselves represent the fondness you have for your loved ones.

The flower also symbolizes care and reconnection, which is why the Azalea is one of the best flowers for daughters and sons.

5. Roses

Unsurprisingly, roses also make this list, even though they are not always tied directly to romantic love or lust.

Because roses come in many different colors, they can take on the role of different meanings, depending on when you are presenting them as gifts and to whom.

If you intend to gift your daughter or son with flowers, you might do so with a white rose, as this represents peace, honor, and respect in many different cultures.

If you want to show love to your daughter, you might consider choosing a light pink rose, or a yellow rose, which both represent appreciation, friendship, joy, love, and happiness.

A blue rose is also a way to show your son or daughter just how much you care, especially due to their rarity.

Roses come in many different colors, which makes them one of the go-to flowers to give when you are giving a gift to your own son or daughter.

6. Daisy

The daisy flower has a fascinating history and mythology, dating back to Celtic legends. An ancient Celtic myth claims that daisies were planted and sprinkled around the world to represent children who were lost too soon, as gifts for grieving parents.

Since this legend, daisies have been closely linked and associated with family and familial love.

Daisy flowers are actually a combination of two flowers into one, including the inner disc floret as well as the external outer ray floret.

Because the daisy is a combination of two technical flowers, they make a great symbol of unity and coming together, which is why they are often connected with family and loyalty.

Aside from being a suitable flower to give to a son or a daughter, the daisy flower also represents innocence and purity, which can be appropriate for the celebration of bringing new life into the world as well.

7. Orange Blossoms

Contrary to their name, orange blossom flowers do not actually appear orange in nature whatsoever. Instead, orange blossoms produce elegant, leathery, white-petalled flowers with small buds and clusters that meet toward the center.

Although the flower is not orange and does not appear to be orange in any capacity, it does emit a citrus fragrance that is zingy and refreshing.

Orange blossom flowers have been widely regarded as a sign of fertility and of purity, especially throughout ancient cultures.

In many other locations, such as India, China, and Persia, orange blossoms are also used to symbolize the coming together of a marital union as well as a symbol of potential fertility.

Because orange blossoms are so closely related to family relationships and connections, they can be the perfect choice when presenting a flower to represent your bond with your son or daughter.

8. Hydrangea

Hydrangea flowers are extremely vibrant and bunched together, giving the illusion of a massive flower, rather than a combination of numerous small flowers pushed together.

Hydrangea flowers are known for their bright and vibrant colors, from bright blue and purple to pink and white.

Most often, finding hydrangea flowers can be done throughout Southern Asia as well as suitable regions in East Asia, depending on your location.

In Ancient Greece, the word “hydros”, could be translated into “water”, and the word “angos”, into “vessel”.

This essentially meant that hydrangeas were known as water vessels. However, when looking into the history of the hydrangea plant even further, the translation began to take on a philosophical meaning as well.

Many cultures, since those in Ancient Greece, believe there is more to the hydrangea plant than just its bustling beauty and vibrancy.

Symbolically, many cultures and belief systems believe that the hydrangea flower is associated with expressing honesty and emotions through an open vessel.

They also believe that the flower is associated with gratefulness, gratitude, and unconditional love.

Hydrangea flowers are rarely associated with negative qualities or emotions, which is why they have also been chosen as a flower to best represent the connection between parents and their children.

Additionally, the hydrangea flower is also tied to many of the emotions that we experience whenever we spend time with our children or our loved ones. This is why so many today believe that hydrangeas make the perfect family flowers.

Summary

Giving your son or daughter flowers that symbolize sons and daughters can allow you to show your love in a special and unique way.

Even if they are unaware of how flowers may symbolize the love between a parent and a son or a daughter, it is a great moment to share an even broader lesson with the ones who mean the most to you.

Header image courtesy: Halil marx07, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons