Anemone flowers from the buttercup family are quite a favorite – in all their beautiful forms and colors. Anemones grow throughout most of the world and comprise over 63 eye-catching species. However, is there a special anemone meaning and symbolism you should know before giving flowers like this?
Anemone flowers may symbolize love, sacrifice, changing seasons, spring, relaxation, and excitement. The specific meaning varies depending on the context. For instance, in religious or Christian works, anemones often symbolize sacrifice and the blood and death of Jesus Christ.
To understand the symbolism and meanings behind anemone flowers, we’ll explore their history and roles in different cultures. Keep reading to learn more.
Meaning of Anemone Flower
Anemones are perennial plants, so the actual plants live for a few years, but the flowers only bloom every spring. Anemone flowers come in various shades of color: red, violet, white, etc. These colors may also hold specific meanings like red is related to blood and sacrifice.
There are many kinds of anemones, such as:
Poppy anemone (Anemone coronaria)
Rue anemone, meadow anemone (Anemone canadensis)
Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa).
Why are anemones named so, and why are they also known as windflowers? It’s crucial to refer to etymology to understand the meaning behind the anemone flower’s name.
According to the Oxford Learners’ Dictionaries, you can trace the word anemone to the Greek root word anemones, which means wind. Thus, anemone means “daughters of the wind” in Greek. This etymological relationship may explain why anemones are also known as windflowers.
But why was the flower named after the wind in the first place? That may be because ancient people observed the flowers only to unfurl or open when the wind blows.
The anemones’ slender stalks and flowerheads dance gracefully in the wind. Hence, they came to be known as windflowers or anemones.
Anemone Flower Symbolisms
Besides the literal meaning or etymology behind the name, anemones convey other messages or ideas through symbolism.
Indeed, humankind has used anemones to symbolize several ideas, such as:
- Protection
- Forgotten love
- Excitement
- Sacrifice
- Death
- Bad omens
- Spring
- Rainstorm
- Relaxation
- Frailty/Fragility
- Healing
- Rejection
- Eternal love
We’ll explore some of these symbols and more in this section.
Religious Symbolism of Anemones
A great example of the religious symbolism of anemones is the vestments donated by the Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner of the Order of St. John. Vestments are holy garments that are precious to the Church.
The vestments donated by the Grand Master were intricately designed and adorned with several kinds of flowers. One of these flowers was the anemone, which stood out for its striking, scarlet red color.
In this context, the anemone symbolizes sacrifice because of its distinctive red color. Such a color is often associated with Jesus’ blood and death, His Crucifixion, and martyrs. Such symbolism is not limited to the vestments, as other Christian artworks also use anemones to portray such meanings.
Besides Jesus and martyrs, anemones symbolize the Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mother. They represent her passion and sorrow, especially after his Crucifixion. Anemones were chosen as the symbol because they are abundant in Calgary, where they crucified Jesus.
Anemones in Greek Culture (Adonis and Aphrodite)
Not many people know that anemones are associated with the story of Adonis. Adonis was a handsome lad known to be Aphrodite’s lover and favorite. Their love story may have begun with a stray arrow from Cupid.
Regardless of how their relationship began, it ended when a wild boar killed Adonis. The anemone flowers arose from Adonis’s spilled blood and Aphrodite’s tears of anguish. Thus, leading them to become symbols of eternal love and loyalty.
Legend tells that the anemone was initially white. However, Adonis’s blood turned the flower red, symbolizing forsaken love.
Anemones in Greek Culture (Anemone and Zephyr)
When talking about the anemone flower, there is yet another Greek tragic love with the anemone at its heart.
The less associated Greek myth is the story of the nymph named Anemone (same as the flower). Legend tells that the west wind god, Zephyr, fell in love with her.
However, Zephyr’s wife, Chloris, found out and exiled Anemone, which led to her death due to a broken heart. Upon her death, Zephyr implored Venus (or Aphrodite), the goddess of love, to transform the dead Anemone into a flower.
The said flower will bloom or resurrect the dead nymph every spring, consistent with anemones being a marker of spring arrival.
Zephyr became bored with the flower and failed to bloom, which may have led to the forgotten love and betrayal associations.
The Victorian language of flowers often uses anemones as symbols of forsaken love.
Anemones Represent Spring
As I’ve mentioned, anemones may also symbolize the heralding or arrival of spring. That’s mainly because these flowers bloom during the said season and remain until fall or autumn.
Aside from that, you may recall that this flower is heavily associated with the stories of Adonis, Aphrodite’s lover. Interestingly, Adonis is also a symbol of the changing seasons. His annual resurrection indicates the return of spring.
There’s also an event called Adonia Festival every start of the spring. They indicate the new season and remember the love shared by Adonis and Aphrodite. The Athenians planted anemones during this occasion.
Their role as a marker of spring also led them to become symbols of anticipation. As people get excited or anticipate the new season, they use anemones to convey such feelings.
Fading Hope, Fragility, and Frailty
Although anemone plants are perennials, their flowers aren’t. The blooming season of anemones is relatively short, leading them to be associated with fading hope.
Besides fading hope, anemones also have connotations of fragility and frailty. That symbolism may have risen from how fragile the flowers look when the wind blows over them.
Anemones Symbolize Death and Sickness
As I’ve expounded in the religious symbolisms, anemones are popular symbols of death and sacrifice. But such connotations aren’t just prevalent in the religious context.
Among the Chinese, wood anemones are called the “Flower of Death.” They do so because the flowers have a ghostly white color or appearance.
The wood anemone is also a famous icon of sickness among the Egyptians. People (not just Egyptians) used to run wood anemone fields while holding their breath, in fear of inhaling the illness people feared the flowers brought.
Anemones Are a Symbol of Relaxation
Anemones are nyctinastic flowers. Their petals are closed at night, and they open themselves in the morning when daylight comes.
Such behavior has led them to be associated with relaxation as well. It’s like how we relax at night when we go to sleep and then wake up in the morning.
Anemones Provide Protection From Harm
Anemones can have pretty contrasting symbolisms. They signify death and illness for the Egyptians and Chinese; however, the English folk used wood anemones as protection.
English legends dictate that you pick up and wrap the first wood anemone you see in silk. This unique bloom would become a powerful amulet that would magically protect you.
The Anemone coronaria, also known as a crown or poppy anemone, is also linked to protection.
Healing and Medicinal Meaning
In folk traditions, people used the anemone as a curative for physical ailments. The Russians once used these flowers to relieve various conditions, such as asthma and chest conditions. The Chinese also used the flowers in heat-clearing and detoxification.
The Omaha and Ponca Indians also used the flower’s roots and decoctions to manage pains and as an eyewash to treat eye infections.
Anemone Flowers and Color Meaning
Specific anemone flower colors can have particular meanings or symbolisms. I’ve discussed a few above, like how red is associated with blood and death.
Here are popular anemone flower colors and their meanings:
- Red: The striking red color of poppy anemones is usually associated with death because red is the color of blood. In the religious context, it also pertains to sacrifice or the Crucifixion.
- White: In certain cultures, i.e., Chinese and Egyptians, white colors are associated with death, ghosts, and the underworld. Thus, white anemones can mean bad luck or death to them.
- Blue: Blue anemones have a more positive connotation, unlike white or red. People link it to protection, love, excitement, and trust.
- Purple: Similar to blue anemones, anemones with purple or indigo shades have positive meanings. They are associated with protection, anticipation, royalty, and prosperity. Thus, they are popular in flower arrangements for celebrations, such as wedding bouquets.
- Yellow: Yellow anemones are like blue and purple. Their color is associated with excitement or anticipation, happiness, joy, optimism, happy mood, good fortune, and wealth.
Anemones Flower FAQs
Anemones can portray a wide range of messages.
Certain cultures have positive connotations of anemones because they symbolize love and loyalty. It is even used as a form of protection to ward off evil and misfortunes.
Specific colors like blue, purple, and yellow have more positive meanings and symbolism than other shades, like red or white.
Thus, anemones can signify good luck depending on the culture, place, and flower color.
However, before giving these anemones to another person, ensure that it would not mean anything besides good fortune.
For instance, because wood anemones are white flowers, people associated them with death and illness for the Egyptians and Chinese. Thus, it may not be the best idea to use anemones to wish luck to people from these cultures.
Pretty much the same logic as above applies here. Many cultures perceive negative ideas as anemones.
For Asians, like the Chinese, white anemones may be a sign of illness, death, and other bad omens. Negative connotations of anemones include fading hope, fragility, and forsaken love.
With such negative connotations, you can say that anemones are bad luck for specific cultures and people. Thus, it is best to consider this before giving others anemones.
When giving anemones, ensure the color you chose fits the person’s context and occasion. Bringing white anemones to a funeral may be acceptable, but it may not be in other situations.
Final Thoughts
Anemones as a symbol are very versatile. We cannot limit it to being a positive or negative icon only because, throughout history, the flower has embraced both positive and negative emotions.
Thus, if you plan to give anemones to someone, you may want to consider their culture and background first. Otherwise, you may mistakenly hand someone a sign of death instead of a symbol of protection.
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