Hi, I'm Kiran, and I've loved flowers for as long as I can remember.
It started with my grandmother's plants. Red roses became my special color when I was a little girl, and they still are. Today I grow flowers at home in Saudi Arabia and arrange them around the house, and I still feel the same small joy every time something blooms.
Why PetalSay
Choosing flowers should be a happy thing, but it often isn't. Which flower is right for a birthday, a new baby or a funeral? Does yellow mean friendship or jealousy? And once the flowers are chosen, what do you write on that tiny card?
I started PetalSay so you can pick the right flowers without worrying, and find the right words for the card.
What you'll find here
- Birth flowers for every month, with their meanings by color and gift ideas.
- Flower meanings, one flower at a time, with the sources behind each meaning.
- State flowers for all 50 US states, with the year each was adopted and a link to the law that adopted it.
- What to send and what to write for birthdays, sympathy, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Easter, with card messages you can copy.
How I work
Flower meanings change between countries and centuries, so I don't rely on memory. Every meaning, history note and pet-safety claim on PetalSay links to a source: state legislatures, university extension services, the ASPCA, the Royal Horticultural Society and published floriography dictionaries. If I can't find a source for something, I leave it out. You can read the full process in our editorial policy.
I'm not a florist. I'm a lifelong flower lover who reads up on what flowers mean, so you don't have to dig through ten tabs.
Who runs PetalSay
PetalSay is a small family site. I write it; my husband Arslan builds and runs the website.
Questions, corrections or a flower you'd like me to cover? Write to [email protected] or use the contact page.