Did you know that daisies are the official flower for April babies? Daisies grow worldwide, and besides being known for their beauty, they also have a symbolic meaning. But the daisy flower meaning goes much deeper…
What is the meaning of the daisy flower? The generic meaning for daisies includes innocence, purity, fertility, motherhood, affection, hope, cheerfulness, new beginnings, fidelity, and loyalty. Daisies usually grow in the springtime. That is why they are mainly associated with fresh starts and new beginnings.
There are over 32,000 species of daisies, and they come in different colors. In this post, you will learn about the various origin stories of the flower and how it got its meanings, and what it symbolizes today.
What Does the Daisy Flower Mean?
At first, it can seem that there can be as many meanings for daisies as there are species of daisies. However, the most generally accepted meanings are:
- Innocence, especially with white daisies with yellow or pale centers.
- Purity – also shown by daisies that are as white as possible.
- New beginnings, which is why they are often found in bouquets for new mothers or as gifts for children.
- True love – because each daisy flower is really two flowers blended together in harmony.
- That the sender can keep a secret. Keeping a secret is one way a person can exhibit that they truly love another.
Daisy Flower Meaning in English
Daisy is a modern English word that stems from an Old English term for the flower, day’s eye. The flower got its name because the petals close over the center at night and re-open during the day to soak in the sun.
Has someone ever used the phrase, as fresh as a daisy to describe you in the morning? In relation to the above explanation, it means that you look well-rested and rejuvenated.
Origin Stories of the Daisy Flower and its Meaning
According to the Romans, a nymph called Belides turned herself into a daisy to avoid the romantic advancement of Vertumnus. Vertumnus was the Roman god of seasons and gardens, and Belides did not want to confront him. By turning herself into a daisy, Vertumnus stopped chasing her. In this story, the daisy symbolizes beauty and innocence.
In Norse mythology, the daisy flower is associated with the goddess of fertility, Freya, because it was her favorite flower. The daisy, in this case, symbolizes fertility, motherhood, love, sensuality, and childbirth. Contrary to this narrative, the Celtics believed that god sent daisies to parents who lost their children, especially during childbirth. The flowers were meant to ease the parents’ pain by bringing them joy and offering protection.
Daisy Flower Tattoo Meaning
Daisy tattoos are common among people born in April because the flower represents their birth month. Besides that, the daisy flower tattoo design is relatively simple to draw and looks just as beautiful as the real flower.
A daisy tattoo can signify your lighthearted personality or a new transition in life. However, the tattoo’s meaning can differ depending on the color of the daisy flower you choose. Below is a table showing the different meanings of daisy tattoos.
| Daisy Tattoo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| White daisy | Innocence, purity, remembrance or honor of a child |
| Yellow daisy | Friendship, happiness, lively personality |
| Purple daisy | Joy, independence, playful personality, determination to succeed |
| Pink daisy | Femininity, gentleness, kindness, love |
| Blue daisy | Tranquility, calmness, loyalty |
| Red daisy | Love, passion, romance |
| Daisy chain tattoo | Love, protection, blind loyalty |
| Daisy bouquet tattoo | New beginning, love, romance |
| Gerbera daisy tattoo | Cheerfulness, pure joy, happiness |
It is also common for people to get combination tattoos with flowers in the same family, like sunflowers. You can also blend your daisy flower tattoo with a lily, sweet pea, marigold, wildflower, or a rose. These blended designs usually stress the meanings above. For example, a daisy and a rose tattoo symbolize a highly passionate person.
Spiritual Meaning of Daisy Flowers
In Christianity, daisies represent the mother of Jesus, Mary. The Virgin Mary, like the daisy, is a symbol of innocence, chastity, and humility. Spiritually, daisies also symbolize the soul’s eternal life, reincarnation, and new opportunities.
Daisy Flower Meaning in the Victorian Era
It was common for people to communicate using flowers in the Victorian era. During this time, daisies were used to communicate innocence, loyal love, and one’s ability to keep a secret.
Giving someone a daisy in the Victorian era meant that you were willing to die with a secret.
7 Daisy Flower Colors and Their Meanings
The most common colors of daisies are white and yellow. However, there are more, and each has a different meaning. So, keep reading to know more.
1. White Daisy Flower Meaning
White daisy flowers have white petals and yellow centers. They represent purity, innocence, hope, and new beginnings and are a great gift for new mothers and a great idea for a bride’s bouquet.
2. Yellow Daisy Flower Meaning
Yellow daisies share meaning with the common sunflower.
They symbolize childish fun, joy, cheerfulness, hope, friendship, and good luck. So if you have a good friend in your life, you can appreciate them with a bouquet of yellow daisies. Better yet, you can get matching yellow daisy tattoos.
Another great idea is to have yellow daisies in your living space to brighten up the space and attract positive energy.
3. Blue Daisy Flower Meaning
Blue daisies are rare, but they are just as significant as the others. Blue daisies represent long-lasting trust, loyalty, calmness, imagination, and visualization. They are a great décor idea in whatever form in a meditation or prayer room to help calm the mind.
4. Red Daisy Flower Meaning
Red daisies symbolize love, passion, and romance. Are you finding it hard to tell your crush how you feel? Get them some red daisies to represent your romantic feelings towards them. Red daisies also make a great gift for your spouse during Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or an engagement.
5. Pink Daisy Flower Meaning
Like many other pink flowers, pink daisies represent affection, gentle admiration, and adoration. In some cases, they also mean romantic love and are a great way to reveal your true feelings for potential love. Pink daisies are also ideal for planting in your home garden and as gifts for your friends and relatives.
6. Purple Daisy Flower Meaning
Purple daisies symbolize feminine beauty and thoughtfulness. They are a great way to show your friends and family that you remember them. Sending your loved ones purple daisies also shows that you wish them well and want them to be happy.
7. Orange Daisy Flower Meaning
Orange daisies represent friendship, excitement, passion, warmth, happiness, and joy. Orange daisies are a great choice for your home garden to add a pop of color and for your living space to elevate your mood. They also make a great gift for a friend on their birthday or any other occasion.
Below is a table summarizing daisy flower colors and their meanings.
| Daisy Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| White | Purity, innocence, new beginnings, hope |
| Yellow | Childish fun, friendship, joy, cheerfulness, hope, good luck |
| Blue | Long-term loyalty, trust, visualization, calmness, imagination |
| Red | Love, passion, romance, |
| Pink | Adoration, affection, gentle admiration, romantic love |
| Purple | Thoughtfulness, feminine beauty |
| Orange | Friendship, excitement, passion, warmth, happiness, joy |
Types of Daisy Flowers and Their Meaning
As you know, there are many species of daisies. However, some are more common than others, and each has a different meaning.
The English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
The English daisy is one of the oldest daisy flowers and can be traced back to the Victorian era. The flower has a yellow head and white petals with pink tips. The flower symbolizes purity, innocence, peace, calmness, and rebirth.
It was common for children and adults to use the flower to help decide their fate or foretell their future. For example, a game that lasts to this day is saying; he loves me, he loves me, not while plucking the petals to know whether your crush or love interest is into you.
Another situation where people relied on the wisdom of the daisy was in games like rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, banker, chief to decide a career. Young girls would also pluck a clump of daisies from the ground with their eyes closed to know how long it would take to get married or have a baby.
For example, if a girl ripped out five buds, it meant it would be five years before she married. The same would apply to women who wanted to know when they would have children.
Finally, people would hang English daisy drawings in their homes to attract calmness and tranquility. It was also common for people to lay English daisies on graveyards of their departed to wish them a good journey to the other side.
Gerber Daisies (Gerbera)
Did you know that gerbera daisies are the fifth most popular flower in the world? They look like sunflowers, especially the head, and come in a wide range of colors like pink, white, yellow, orange, and red.
Gerbera daisies are also known as African daisies because they were discovered in South Africa. However, the flower is also found in North and South America and Asia. Other common names of the flower include Transvaal and Barberton daisy.
Like sunflowers, gerbera daisies follow the sun and therefore symbolize devotion. Like other flowers, the symbolism of the gerbera daisy differs depending on the color. However, the generic meaning of this flower includes deep love, cheerfulness, admiration, purity, and innocence.
Michaelmas Daisy (Aster amellus)
Asters bloom from August to October. The flower is also known as the New York daisy. It is called the Michaelmas daisy in England because they are in full bloom in September during St. Michael’s feast. Furthermore, the word aster comes from the Greek word for the star because when the Michaelmas daisy blooms, it resembles a star.
Like the other daisies, asters come in different colors, including pink, red, lilac, white, and mauve. These beautiful vibrant colors represent faith, love, wisdom, and courage.
Entomological Meaning of the Daisy Flower
The modern English word Daisy comes from an ancient English word that is impossible to spell and pronounce almost impossible. It is important that Old English words mean “days of the eye” because the daisy flowers are only open during the day.
“Daisy” has also become some of the best quality, slang word word printed in the early 1800s. “Daisy” became “This is a wonderful thing.”
Symbolism of the Daisy Flower
In modern Paganism, daisies symbolize the sun just because they seem to appear like stars or suns.
In Victorian times, different species of daisies symbolized different things:
- Michaelmas daisy (Aster amellus) symbolizes a farewell or a departure.
- Gerber daises (those in the Gerbera genera) symbolize cheerfulness. They were often paired with ferns, which symbolize sincerity.
- English daisy (Bellis perennis) symbolizes innocence. They were often paired with primroses, which is a symbol for childhood and/or moss, which symbolized mother love.
The Daisy Flower Facts
- A single daisy flower is actually made up of two separate flowers. The center petals are one flower surrounded by the “rays” of another flower.
- Daisies grow all year round.
- Daisies are naturally resistant to many plant diseases and pests, which makes them perfect flowers for new gardeners.
- Unfortunately, the English daisy is considered a stubborn weed in North American lawns.
Meaningful Botanical Characteristics of the Daisy Flower
- For centuries, children and really bored child minders have used daisies in order to make daisy chains.
- Daisy leaves are edible. Some people add them to their salads.
- Wild daisy tea is said to be good for ailments of the throat, for putting on open wounds and as a “blood purifier” (whatever that means) but there aren’t any clinical studies to back up these traditional claims.
- People who are allergic to ragweed are very likely to also be allergic to daisies or any products made from daisies.
Recap: What do Daisies Symbolize?
Daisy symbolizes a hope and rebirth. After sending daisies, the sender wants the audience to see the world as they used to be a child. Do not call daisy allergic to pollen.
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