The secret meaning behind orange flowers

• Written by Holly Hughes on February 05, 2022

Fiery and bright, the color orange is so evocative it is little wonder that in the secret language of flowers, blooms of this color carry important significance. In this article we’ll be looking at orange flower meanings to help you choose the perfect bouquet for a loved one or yourself. After all, we all deserve some more sunshine in our lives!

What does giving someone the gift of an orange mean?

Aside from flowers in this color making great gifts for lovers, family, friends, and even co-workers, other flame-colored objects have a long tradition of being symbolic gifts.

Think of the orange many of us received in our Christmas stockings each year as children - have you ever wondered what the symbolism behind this could have been? Let’s find out. 

It is thought that we continue to give oranges as presents, particularly at Christmastime for several reasons. One theory is that, up until quite recently, oranges were a luxury and to receive one was a rare treat. Other people believe that we give them to loved ones because they epitomize the Christmas spirit of giving through their segmented form that makes them seemingly designed for sharing. 

Finally, and this is important to consider when looking at orange flowers’ symbolism, in Eastern cultures this fruit was believed to have magical powers, bringing their recipients good luck, happiness, and warding off evil.There’s even a myth in Japan that oranges could impart eternal life! 

Now we know how precious this fiery-colored fruit is, let’s look at the meaning behind orange flowers.

What do orange flowers symbolize?

Bold, bright and reminiscent of the sun, orange flowers are known to represent enthusiasm, excitement, and warm feelings of love and joy. 

Think of some of your favorite orange flowers - tulips, marigolds, zinnias, nasturtiums, lilies - don’t they conjure up luminous feelings of happiness? 

Orange flowers convey the energetic nature of the color, as well as symbolizing a sense of heat, invigoration and even passion.

Let’s not forget the parent colors from which this shade is created. Red is the color of passion, desire, and courage. Yellow is the color of sunshine and therefore has connotations of happiness, mellowness, and positivity. It also has associations with tranquility. 

Mix these two colors together and not only do you mix their chemical compounds to form a new shade, you equally mix their characteristics to make a new symbolic color.

The symbolism of orange flowers, therefore, is something of a cross between the symbolism of red and yellow blooms. 

These flowers convey a loving warmth, a sense of strength and hope, and celebrate achievements and the joy of being alive in a sunny world. Therefore, depending on the kind of orange flowers you choose and who you wish to give them to, your flowers can express a desire to take a romantic relationship to the next level, congratulate someone you admire on a recent achievement, or raise the spirits of a despondent friend, reminding them of the importance of hope and strength in difficult days. 

Find inspiration for the perfect message you want your orange flowers to say with bespoke arrangements from exceptional floral specialists 1800 Flowers, FromYouFlowers, and SendFlowers.

What is the meaning of orange roses?

Ever wondered what an orange rose means? It’s true, tangerine, coral, and peach colored roses have their own particular meaning. 

Think again of the two varieties used to create this rare and fiery flower. Red roses are renowned for being the flower of passionate, romantic love while yellow flowers are a longstanding symbol of friendship.

Therefore, the meaning of orange rose varieties is somewhere between the two. These flowers convey passionate emotion and typically symbolize a desire to progress a relationship, and take it to the next level. 

Darker orange roses best represent passion and desire - symbolizing, essentially, the growing of a bright orange flame of love.

Lighter colors in peachier, coral tones tend to be more specific to the love experienced in friendship and focus on happiness over desire. These flowers proffer meanings of gratitude, celebration, and joy and so are perfect when celebrating a loved one’s achievements.

Are orange roses natural?

No, these blazing flowers do not occur naturally in nature but rather are the result of decades of crossbreeding between red and yellow varieties. This crossbreeding has led to the many iterations of orange roses we now see, each shade with its own unique meaning.

When should you send orange flowers?

As previously mentioned, orange flowers have passionate connotations and can represent romantic desire. So, if you are drawn to someone like a moth to a flame, express this intense desire and longing for more with a bouquet of blooms that are the same color of the fire burning within you.

Symbols of energy and enthusiasm, orange flowers are also the perfect gift to a friend whose spirits need a little lift. They are the ideal mood booster, sharing their vibrant and contagious vitality with anyone who comes into contact with them. In fact, these flowers are often tied to motivation and can be symbols of perseverance, encouraging loved ones to keep going!

Finally, orange flowers make a great gift to a loved one or colleague to celebrate achievements or to equally congratulate and encourage someone embarking on a new chapter in their lives. Orange flowers are actually considered to be tied to new ideas so are great for the grafter who is always pushing boundaries in your life!

Optimize the energetic vigor orange flowers represent by including them in a bouquet of freshly-delivered blooms from a flower subscription service like MonthlyClubs and BloomsyBox. Or, to truly harness their motivating and enthusiastic potential, get creative with a DIY subscription service like the offering from EnjoyFlowers which lets you arrange fresh stems delivered straight to your door every month or fortnight!

Ignite the flames of passion, desire, joy, strength, and motivation, with some fiery orange flowers.