Hydrangea Flower Meaning, Symbolism & Colors

As with any flower, knowing the hydrangea flower’s meaning is essential if you’re thinking about adding them to your garden, gifting them to a loved one, or displaying them in your home.

The hydrangea flower’s meaning and symbolism spans numerous cultures and religions. They are most often associated with gratitude, family ties, and polite apologies.

This article will teach you everything you need to know about hydrangea flowers’ symbolism, meaning, and significance.

What Does a Hydrangea Symbolize?

Hydrangeas come in many different varieties. According to American Scientist, hydrangeas bloom with pink, blue, white, and purple flowers. While the hues of these colors range in vibrancy, from bright and blinding to muted and pastel, hydrangeas do not come in yellow, orange, or red.

A hydrangea symbolizes loving emotions, apologies, and pride. Each color represents a different meaning. For example, the pink hydrangea symbolizes romantic or affectionate love, making it the perfect gift for your partner.

Pink Hydrangea Flower Meaning

With vibrant light pink petals, this variety of hydrangea is typically associated with genuine expressions of emotion. They are the perfect addition to a Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day, or anniversary bouquet because they symbolize the love and devotion you have for your significant other.

Blue Hydrangea Flower Meaning

Where pink hydrangeas are associated with expressions of positive emotion, blue hydrangeas signify the opposite. Blue hydrangea flowers are given as a form of apology, conveying remorse for your wrongdoings and standing as a promise to do better next time.

White Hydrangea Flower Meaning

White hydrangeas signify boasting or bragging. While bragging is often seen in a negative light, you might consider giving a bouquet of white hydrangeas as a show of your pride for a loved one who has accomplished something. That said, you might want to think twice about gifting someone white hydrangeas if you want to avoid offending someone.

Purple Hydrangea Flower Meaning

Purple hydrangeas are one of the most common shades of this fragrant flower. They represent your desire to learn more about another person and understand their emotions beyond the surface level. Hydrangeas with a purple hue would be an excellent gesture for someone in a new relationship.

What Is the Cultural Significance of Hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas are much more than a stunning addition to a bouquet or garden bed. While some cultures may only use them as decoration, others utilize the edible components of the flower for medicinal purposes.

Hydrangea Flower Meaning in Japan

Hydrangeas hold a great deal of importance to the people of Japan. They bloom during the country’s rainy season. The Japanese view hydrangeas as a sign of strength and patience because they can withstand torrents of rain without being ruined.

Additionally, it is traditional in Japanese culture to give someone hydrangeas as an apology. This practice comes from records that show an ancient Emperor gifting hydrangeas to his maidens to apologize for an extended absence or other wrongdoing.

Finally, hydrangeas of any color are displayed as decoration in family homes because they signify a tight familial bond. This meaning comes from the tightly-packed petals gracing the flower’s woody stem, which the Japanese see as a representation of a close family holding each other in a firm embrace.

Hydrangea Flower Meaning in Native American Culture

Tribes indigenous to North America have been known to use the woody stems and branches of the hydrangea for medicinal purposes. Indigenous peoples brew the woody stem into a diuretic tea, and the bark that surrounds the limbs is often used as a natural pain relief.

In terms of symbolism, hydrangea flowers were used in North America as a polite method of denying the advances of a suitor. If you were being pursued by someone you didn’t fancy, gifting them a bouquet of hydrangea flowers would hint at your disinterest.

Hydrangea Flower Meaning in Europe

Hydrangeas were brought to Europe by a German man named Siebold. After traveling to Japan and falling in love with a woman there named Otakusu, he was sent back to Germany and had to leave her behind. As a show of his love, he brought a hydrangea back with him from Japan and named it after his beloved.

In Medieval Europe, hydrangeas were an exceedingly unpopular flower. Rather than focusing on their beauty and delicious scent, Europeans saw their intricate blooms as a sign of arrogance and bragging. They would often be sent to enemies as a sort of taunt.

Additionally, people in the 1800s believed that a woman who planted hydrangeas outside her home would never find someone to marry.

What Is the Spiritual Significance of Hydrangeas?

In the Western world, flowers are often seen as a delightful gift or decoration. That said, a few religions have particular uses for hydrangea flowers.

Hydrangea’s Uses in Buddhism

Buddhists commonly use the petals of hydrangeas to brew tea used in rituals of cleansing or to clear negative energy from the body. These rituals are important in the Buddhist faith and have been practiced for centuries.

It is important to note that the petals of the hydrangea flower are not edible. When chewed, they produce cyanide and are dangerous for humans and pets to consume. However, Buddhists use a specific variety of hydrangea called hydrangea serrata, which has been said to treat everything from malaria to kidney stones.

Hydrangea’s Uses in Witchcraft

In traditional and modern paganism, almost every plant has a meaning and significance, from fruits and vegetables to flowers. Beyond basic meanings, witches use nature to conjure spells, perform rituals, and honor deities.

Hydrangeas are associated with divine feminine energy and moon magic. For those who follow Pagan or Wiccan practices, hydrangea flowers have the following uses:

Protection of the home and yourself. People wanting more protection may plant hydrangeas outside to ward off curses, carry them in a pouch to protect them outside the house, and use them in protection spells and rituals.
Clearing negative energy. It is a common practice to use bundles of flowers and herbs, including hydrangeas, to “sweep” bad energy out the front door.
Moon spells. Hydrangea flowers are associated with the moon and can be used to enhance moon water brewed when the moon is at its fullest.
God and Goddess offerings. Practitioners of witchcraft place hydrangeas on altars honoring certain gods and goddesses to express their dedication to that deity.

What Does a Hydrangea Tattoo Mean?

Hydrangea flowers are as beautiful as a work of art, so why not transfer that art onto your body? Hydrangea tattoos are popular for memorial pieces because they signify gratitude and family.

The name or birthdate of a loved one tattooed with a hydrangea flower symbolizes your gratitude for the value that person added to your life.

Additionally, hydrangea tattoos represent a connection to your own emotions. Getting a tattoo of a hydrangea flower means that you are in tune with your feelings and know the importance of expressing your emotions in a healthy way.

Tattoos range in color from black and gray to full-blown color, so the choice is yours when it comes to the shade. After reading this article, you’ll understand what the different colors of hydrangea flowers mean, so you can make a decision based on what you want the tattoo to represent.

Conclusion

Knowing the more profound meaning and symbolism behind hydrangeas is essential, whether you are adding hydrangeas to a garden bed, giving someone a bouquet, or getting a hydrangea flower tattoo. Each color variety has a unique meaning and symbolism, so picking the right color is of the utmost importance.