While flowers are undeniably beautiful, they serve a very important purpose. Without them, many plants would be unable to reproduce. Their bright colors and sweet smell are simply a means to attract bees. When a bee lands within the flower, it harvests nectar from the plant in order to create honey, and then flies to another bud. By doing so, it carries with it pollen from the first plant. When this pollen is taken to another flower, it can enable it to release seeds, which in turn will grow into new plants.
Flowers have come to symbolize many things throughout the years. Roses, for instance, traditionally represent love. A red rose is associated with romance, a yellow rose with friendship, and a white rose with pure love. They have served as inspiration for many artists and poets. Notably, William Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," in his play 'Romeo and Juliet,' and Gertrude Stein said, "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose."
Lilies are often associated with Christianity. Paintings of the Annunciation, when Christian tradition says the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she was pregnant, often feature a white lily somewhere in the scene. Lilies also represent purity. Along with irises, lilies are frequently put atop graves, as they are symbols of the Resurrection.
Daisies are a beautiful, delicate, and widespread blossom. They have come to symbolize purity and innocence. Found in shades of white, yellow, purple, pink, and even blue, daisies are prevalent on six of the seven continents.
The poppy is another flower which has had great meaning since ancient times. The Greeks and Romans, for instance, used poppies as offerings to the dead, and today they are worn to commemorate those who have died in war. They are often associated with deep or even eternal sleep, probably because of the opium that is extracted from them. Their deep red color has also contributed to their mysteriousness.
It is no surprise that artists, too, are intrigued by beautiful blooms, and have worked for centuries to capture and reproduce the beauty they find in nature. Claude Monet is especially famous for his depictions of lilies and gardens. Vincent Van Gogh's painting of sunflowers is also well-known. Many artists have used blossoms to represent femininity on canvas, and Georgia O'Keeffe's floral paintings even evoke brazen female sexuality.
While universally regarded as beautiful, there is also more to flowers than meets the eye. They can represent innocence, sexuality, life, and death. For centuries, artists have found them enigmatic, making them the subjects of their work. With so much importance and meaning behind them, it's no wonder people continue to give blossoms as gifts and keep them in their homes and gardens.