| Plant |
Culture |
Meaning |
| Cabbage | Floriography | Profit[6][13] |
| Cacalia | Floriography | Adulation[13] |
| Cactus | Floriography | Warmth[13] |
| Calla Lily | Floriography | Magnificence and beauty;[6][5] feminine beauty;[9] modesty[7] |
| Calycanthus / Sweetshrub | Floriography | Benevolence[13] |
| Camellia |
| General | Floriography | Constancy and steadfastness;[8] richness, excellency[12] |
| Red | Floriography | Unpretending excellence[13] |
| White | Floriography | Perfected loveliness[13] |
| Canary Grass | Floriography | Perseverance[13] |
| Candytuft | Floriography | Indifference[13] |
| Canterbury Bells | Floriography | Gratitude, acknowledgement;[6][9][7][5] constancy[4][8] |
| Cape Jasmine | Floriography | I'm too happy[13] |
| Cardamine | Floriography | Paternal error[13] |
| Carnation |
general | Floriography | Fascination;[5] distinction; ardent love;[16] contempt;[9] woman's love;[2] dreams, passion, remembering[12] |
| red | Floriography | Deep romantic love, passion, admiration[6][5] |
| deep red | Floriography | "alas poor heart,"[13] |
| green | | Secret symbol of the followers of Oscar Wilde, love between two men[20] |
| white | Floriography | Sweet and lovely, innocence, pure love, faithfulness[5] |
| pink | Floriography | A woman's love,[7] a mother's love; I'll never forget you[5] |
| yellow | Floriography | Rejection, disdain, disappointment;[6][5] pride and beauty[9] |
| purple | Floriography | Capriciousness[5] |
| striped | Floriography | Refusal, no, "sorry I can't be with you"[6][5] |
| solid color | Floriography | Yes, affirmative[5] |
| Cardinal flower | Floriography | Distiction[13] |
| Catchfly |
general | Floriography | Pretended love, a snare;[2][7] "I am thy prisoner"[9] |
| Sticky Catchfly | Floriography | Invitation to dance |
| red | Floriography | Youthful love[2] |
| white | Floriography | Betrayed[2] |
| Cedar |
General |
| Wisdom[3] |
| Floriography | Strength,[13] |
| Sumer | The world tree, the god Enki[3] |
| Hebrew tradition | Purification[3] |
| Leaf | Floriography | I live for thee[13] |
| Cedar of Lebanon | Floriography | Incorruptible[2][13] |
| Cempasúchil | Latin America | Dia de los Muertos[21][22] |
| Celandine | Floriography | Joys to come;[2][9] deceptive hopes[7] |
| Cereus | Floriography | (creeping) Modest genius, horror[13] |
| Centaury | Floriography | Delicacy[13] |
| Chamomile | Floriography | Energy in adversity;[2][7][5] mercy[9] |
| Champignon | Floriography | Suspicion[13] |
| Chequered Fritillily | Floriography | Persecution[13] |
| Cherry |
Blossom |
Floriography | A good education;[2][6][5] |
| Japan | Transience of life, Mono no aware, Wabi-sabi, gentleness, kindness;[citation needed] |
| China | Feminine beauty[citation needed] |
| Blossom, white | Floriography | Deception[2][13][13] |
| Tree | |
Kindness, beauty, love |
| Native American | expressiveness, rebirth, compassion [12] |
| Chestnut |
general | Floriography | Do me justice;[4][6] deceptive appearances;[9] luxury[13] |
| Sweet chestnut |
| The god Zeus, nourishment[3] |
| Ancient China | The earth gods of the west[3] |
| Christianity | goodness, chastity, overcoming temptation[3] |
| Chicory | Floriography | Frugality[4][6][9] |
| Middle ages | Magic, protection, martyrdom[23] |
| China aster |
| General | Floriography | Love of variety,[4][6] fidelity, afterthought[7] |
| Double | Floriography | "I partake your sentiments"[13] |
| Single | Floriography | "I will think of thee/it"[5][9][13] |
| Christmas rose | Floriography | Relieve my anxiety[13] |
| Chrysanthemum |
general | Floriography | fidelity, optimism, joy and long life; "you're a wonderful friend," rest, cheerfulness[5] protection, good luck, immortality, daintiness[12] |
| China | Solitude, longevity, wealth, a peaceful retirement[24] |
| red | Floriography | Love[6][5] |
| yellow | Floriography | Slighted love[6][9][5] |
| white | Floriography | Truth,[6] loyal love |
| Chinese | Floriography | Cheerfulness under adversity[13] |
| Cinquefoil | Floriography | Beloved daughter/child;[8][5][4] maternal affection[6] |
| Circaea | Floriography | Spell[13] |
| Cistus or rock rose |
| Common | Floriography | Popular favor[13] |
| Gum | Floriography | "I shall die to-morrow"[13] |
| Citron | Floriography | Ill-natured beauty[13] |
| Clematis |
| General | Floriography | Mental beauty[13] |
| Evergreen | Floriography | Poverty[13] |
| Clianthus | Floriography | Glorious beauty[9] |
| Clotbur | Floriography | Rudeness, pertinacity[13] |
| Clovenlip Toadflax | Floriography | Please notice my love/feelings for you |
| Clove | Floriography | Dignity[4][6][8] |
| Clover |
red | Floriography | Industry[6][9][5][13] |
| white | Floriography | Think of me[6][5][13] |
| Four-leaved | Floriography | Be mine[13] |
| Cobaea | Floriography | Gossip |
| Coltsfoot | Floriography | Justice shall be done[6][2] |
| Columbine |
General |
| (in Hamlet) Ingratitude, infidelity[25] |
| Ancient Greece and Rome | Sexuality, the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus[25] |
| Christianity | The Holy Spirit, praise of God, protection[25] |
| Celtic tradition | Door to the otherworld[25] |
| Floriography | Folly;[4][6][8][9][13] |
| Purple or violet |
| Passion, penence[25] |
| Floriography | Resolved to win[13] |
| Red | Floriography | Anxious and trembling[13] |
| Yellow | | Light, vivacity[25] |
| Convolvulus |
| General | Floriography | Bonds[13] |
| Major | Floriography | Extinguished hopes[13] |
| Pink | Floriography | Worth sustained by affection[13] |
| Corchorus | Floriography | Impatient of absence[13] |
| Coreopsis | Floriography | Always cheerful,[6][9][7][5] love at first sight[2] |
| Coriander | Floriography | Hidden merit[4][6][9][7][8] |
| Corn |
| General | Floriography | Wealth[13] |
| Broken | Floriography | Quarrel[13] |
| Straw | Floriography | Agreement[13] |
| Corncockle | Floriography | Gentility[6], worth above beauty[9] |
| Cornel tree | Floriography | Duration[13] |
| Cornflower / Bachelor's button / Bleuet de France |
| Tenderness, power, reliability[26] |
| Ancient Egypt | Life, fertility[26] |
| Floriography | Celibacy;[6] hope;[5] single blessedness;[9] delicacy;[7] |
| France and Belgium | Remembrance of fallen soldiers[citation needed] |
| Coronilla | Floriography | "Success crown your wishes"[9] |
| Cotton lavender / Santolina | Floriography | Purification |
| Cowslip | Floriography | Youthful beauty and winning grace,[7] rejected love (in Switzerland), "glory of spring," heartsickness and the death of young maidens;[16] rusticity, healing, pensiveness[6][5] |
| Cranberry | Floriography | Cure for heartache;[6][2] hardiness[9] |
| Cress | Floriography | Resolution;[4] stability, power[6] |
| Crocus |
General |
| Rebirth of nature[27] |
| Minoan | Transition to adulthood[27] |
| Floriography |
Love, abuse not,[6] Lupercalia; impatience, youthful joy, hope, and friendship in adversity[16] |
| Spring | Cheerfulness[9][7] |
| Saffron | Love of variety, fidelity; mirth;[6] beware of excess[4] |
| Crown Imperial | Floriography | Power and majesty,[4][6] especially imperial power;[9] pride of birth[7] |
| Crowfoot |
| General | Floriography | Ingratitude[13] |
| Aconite-leaved | Floriography | Lustre[13] |
| Cudweed (American) | Floriography | Unceasing remembrance[13] |
| Currant | Floriography | "Thy frown will kill me";[6] "you please all"[9] |
| Cuscuta | Floriography | Meanness[4][6] |
| Cyclamen | Floriography | Diffidence[13] |
| Cypress | Floriography | Death, mourning, despair, sorrow[4][6][9][7][8] |