The daisy flower has several meanings and symbolisms, including:
- Innocence and purity: The daisy is often associated with purity, innocence, and new beginnings.
- Love and loyalty: In some cultures, the daisy is a symbol of love and loyalty, often given as a gift to represent fidelity in relationships.
- Beauty and simplicity: The daisy’s beauty is in its simplicity. It is a modest and unassuming flower that is often admired for its charm and delicate features.
- Cheerfulness and positivity: The daisy is also a symbol of joy and cheerfulness, often associated with optimism and a positive outlook on life.
- Motherhood: In some cultures, the daisy is a symbol of motherhood, often given as a gift to new mothers to represent the birth of a child.
Overall, the daisy is a versatile and meaningful flower that can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context and culture.
Flowers do not only offer beauty, but they can also convey different messages and symbols. They are used in literature and art, among other areas, to send messages due to their rich history. This article explores the symbolistic meaning of daisies, beautiful flowers that grow in several places around the world, and are commonly found as part of flower arrangements. Here is what we discuss:
* A few facts about the daisy plant
* The meaning of the daisy flower
* What does “daisy” mean around the world?
* The meanings of differently colored daisies
* Interesting facts about the daisy
A Few Facts About the Daisy Plant
The daisy plant is part of the Astro family; this perennial plant is common to the Mediterranean, and its name essentially means ‘excellent pearl’ in Latin because of its beautiful, pearly petals.
Furthermore, it has an elongated shape with little to no leaves on the stem. They can be white, pink, red, yellow, and other varieties. The petals are placed in the shape of a basket, in a circular pattern. They often bloom one year after they were planted, and they have a life of approximately two years, dying in the third.
The daisy plant is not pretentious, and it blooms from April to November. It does not freeze, and it reproduces through cuttings, bush division, and auto-semination. It can grow both in the sun and the shadows, and it loves well-fertilized, loose soil that is rich in organic compounds.
The Meaning of the Daisy Flower
Flowers hold different secret meanings and symbols that were attributed to them during many centuries of cultural influences from all over the world. Some meanings are more popular than others:
* Innocence and purity. Daisy flowers are often associated with newborns and babies, and for this reason, they symbolize innocence. They used to be a part of flower arrangements given to children and parents. What is more, this associates the daisy with a new beginning and hope. On the same note, they convey symbols of purity so, if you know someone who gave birth, daisies can be the perfect gift.
* Hope and new beginnings. If you know someone about to have a significant breakthrough or to start a new chapter in their life, it is a great idea to offer them daisies as a gift. They are suitable for anyone who starts a new school, a new job, or bought their first house. Daisy flowers symbolize a new beginning, with fresh hopes, as they close their petals at dawn and open them once again when the sun shines. The cyclicality of the daisy flower suggests new beginnings.
What Does “Daisy” Mean Around the World?
Not only offering it as a gift sends a strong message; instead, the flower itself is a true symbol of warmth, innocence, and purity in art and literature. It embeds notions of modesty and simplicity, patience, and loyalty.
The terminology is the combination of “eye” and “day” in Old English, referring to the flower’s cyclical opening and closing its petals when the day starts and ends. Thus, the daisy is a solar symbol that relates to light, life energy, positivity, warmth, but also eternity.
In the Renaissance period, artists used the daisy to picture baby Jesus, symbolizing the purity and modesty of his soul.
For the Nordic countries, the daisy has a somewhat different message. It was pictured with Freya, the goddess of love. Because of this association, the Nordic mythology associates the daisy with fertility, sensuality, and maternal strength. This is why daisy is the perfect gift for mothers.
What Do Differently Colored Daisy Flowers Mean?
The daisy flower is not only white, related to purity and innocence, but it can be found in other varieties, too. These include:
* Yellow. This color is a symbol of friendship and happiness. Yellow daisies can be offered to anyone who is a good friend to you, or you can place them in your home to bring positive energy.
* Pink daisies mean gentleness, love, and romance. If you have a significant other or you fancy someone, a bouquet of pink daisies is able to send through your feelings. They also symbolize feminine energy; thus, they can be the ideal gift for any woman or girl in your life.
* Red daisies send messages of passion, romance, and love. They can be offered to your significant other, telling them that you are entirely devoted and that you care. If you want to surprise your spouse or partner, the red daisy flower can pass on the message on your behalf.
Interesting Facts About the Daisy
To wrap up the meanings of the daisy, we introduce to you some interesting, less popular facts about this beautiful flower. They might surprise you!
* An old Celtic legend says that God spread daisies over the earth whenever a baby passed away in order to cheer up the parents;
* A Roman myth states that Vertumnus, who was a god of gardens and seasons, fell in love in a nymph called Belides. In order to escape him, Belides turned herself into a daisy, which now gives the scientific name of the flower “Bellis”;
* Daisy flowers are actually made of two flowers; they are called composite because of this combination. The section inside is known as a disc floret, while the outside part with the petals is known as a ray floret;
* The phrase “ups-a-daisy” was used in the 1800s by adults when children fell, encouraging them to get back up; nowadays, this is known as “whoops-a-daisy” or “oopsy daisy,” used after a mistake;
* Daisies are medicinal and can be consumed, usually as an addition to salads. Daisy teas are often used to treat bronchitis, coughs, inflammation, and many other conditions. Wild daisy flowers might also be applied to wounds on the skin and some diseases.