Valentine's Day flowers—expert reveals what the color of your blooms really means

It turns out color is more significant than we realized...

flowers
(Image credit: Christian Schwier / Shutterstock.com)

Valentine's Day is here and it's all about love today. 

From planning your Valentine's Day date idea to hunkering down with one of the best Valentine's Day movies there's a ton of ways to get in the mood.

And of course, flower sales naturally increase with the best flower delivery services going into overdrive but what does your preference for specific colored blooms actually indicate? Here's a breakdown of the color psychology of flowers.

PINK FLOWERS

British environmental psychologist and wellbeing consultant Lee Chambers at DIYS says pink promotes feelings of warmth and relaxation. Pink flowers "create an atmosphere of calmness that has an element of energy attached [to it]," he says.

These are the most compassionate flower color.

YELLOW FLOWERS

As bright as the sun, yellow flowers can clearly brighten anyone's day, also catalyzing feelings of optimism and creativity.

Think sunflowers, yellow roses and water lilies.

ORANGE FLOWERS

"Orange flowers create a vibrant and welcoming environment," says Lee. "[They] have the intensity to give us a feeling of joy and confidence to step outside of our comfort zone."

Flowers

(Image credit: Photos by R A Kearton)

RED FLOWERS

It doesn’t get more traditional than red flowers, right? An obvious symbol of love and romance, the blooms actually tend to increase our heart rate, make us even more social and overall amplify our emotions. "It is a color that promotes passion and power in equal measure," he says.

PURPLE FLOWERS

Not as common as other colors, purple flowers actually benefit from the two primary colors that give rise to it. "They promote the calm confidence of blue while bringing some of the energy and power from red," reads the study. The hue also helps folks express themselves and increase motivation.

WHITE FLOWERS

"White is harmonious and can make you feel like your internal orchestra is playing in tune," say the expert. Clean and peaceful, the flowers help us feel “fresh” whenever we’re a bit down.

The study also looks into how long flowers last—just in case you're looking to purchase some that will stand the test of time. According to the experts, chrysanthemums are the longest-lasting blooms out there (average length of survival: 28 days). Orchids and carnations come in second (21 days of life, on average) and sunflowers, lilies, anemones and alstroemeria follow with 14 days of survival, on average.

Anna Rahmanan

Anna Rahmanan is a New York-based writer and editor who covers culture, entertainment, food, fashion and travel news. Anna’s words have appeared on Time Out New York, the Huffington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Us Weekly, Bon Appetit and Brooklyn Magazine, among other outlets.