St. Patrick’s Day Flowers: What do They Symbolize?

With St. Patrick’s Day soon approaching, you may wonder how to promote your floral services on this distinctly green holiday. Well, knowing the most common flowers used on St. Paddy’s Day and what they symbolize can help with your marketing efforts.

But first, a bit about St. Patrick himself: Did you know he wasn’t Irish at all, but a British missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland? After his death, he was named the Patron Saint of Ireland; Each year, on his death date of March 17^th, a Festival of St. Patrick is held—what we now celebrate as St. Patrick’s Day. So you see, you don’t have to be Irish to celebrate this traditionally Irish holiday!

Here are the most popular flowers connected to St. Patrick’s Day, and their meanings:

Bells of Ireland: Also called “shell flowers”, Bells of Ireland aren’t actually Irish at all, but are native to western Asia. The stalks of tiny white flowers surrounded by green calyces have a spicy, peppery scent. As they symbolize good luck, they are often used in St. Patrick’s Day arrangements to represent the “Luck of the Irish”.

Green Carnations: With green carnations seen everywhere on St. Patrick’s Day, you may not realize that it wasn’t a popular St. Patrick’s Day flower until about 1900. The carnation’s scientific name, Dianthus, comes from a combination of two Latin words: dios, (“gods”) and anthos (“flower”): flowers of the gods. The white carnation has traditionally symbolized good luck, so the green carnation is a natural fit for St. Paddy’s Day.

Shamrocks: From four-leaf-clovers to leprechauns and pots of gold, when you think of “luck” you think of the shamrock. But there’s an even more interesting reason to use this flower on St. Patrick’s Day: It’s said that St. Patrick himself used the leaves of the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity. The shamrock has been used as the symbol of Ireland since the 18^th century, but its history goes to the ancient Druids, who believed it had the power to turn away evil spirits.

Green Buttons and Green Spiders: Green Button Poms are also known as Yoko Ono poms or Kermit Poms, and are a great addition to any St. Patrick’s Day arrangement. Green Spider Poms and Athos Spray Poms also bring a beautiful bright-green touch to a St. Paddy’s bouquet. As chrysanthemums generally symbolize optimism and joy, these poms would be perfectly suited for a fun St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Green Trix: Also known as Green Trix Dianthus Carnations (dianthus meaning “flowers of the gods”), these furry, moss-like flowers add an earthy, playful feel to any arrangement. The vibrant green color symbolizes luck, and these fluffy green balls will bring a unique, unexpected look to any St. Patrick’s Day bouquet.

No matter which flowers you use to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, make sure you call your local wholesaler well ahead of time so you can stock up on green flowers from Rio Roses!