Green carnations often represent wealth and prosperity. They’ve also been appropriated as a flower of the LGBT community.
The green carnation itself represents Oscar Wilde. He told a few of his friends to wear them on their lapels to the premiere of his play ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ in 1892. The green carnation served as a symbol of queer pride.
These traditional blossoms are also known in florist shops for symbolizing a deep and wholesome connection with natural elements and mother earth.
Additionally, the soft and elegant aesthetic of this flower means that the flowers are interpreted as a sign of affluence. People put them around their houses or gardens to signify their wealth.
What does the Green Carnation Symbolize?
1. Oscar Wilde and Gay Pride
The green carnation, above all else, is a symbol of gay pride. To this day, you’re likely to see the green carnation worn on lapels or adorning tables at gay pride events.
Oscar Wilde and his followers started wearing the green carnation on their lapels as a subtle sign of gay pride. He insisted his followers and friends wear them at the premiere of his comedy Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1892.
It’s believed Wilde brought this concept of the green carnation as a queer pride flower from Paris and popularized it in London.
Wilde himself was very coy about the symbolism of the green carnation in his interviews. While he encouraged followers to wear it, it was believed the flower’s true symbolism was only understood at the time by in-group people within Wilde’s fanbase.
In modern day contexts we can see that this mild symbology has maintained its significance. Trans Hollywood star Elliot Page was seen wearing a green carnation at the Met Gala Fundraising event in 2021, for example, as a defiant message of trans pride.
2. Gentleness
Green carnations and the color green are seen as soft, natural colors. A green carnation brings nature into your home.
We associate the color green with gentle nature as opposed to the hard grey and black colors of cities. The green carnation is similarly associated with this sense of gentleness. Placing green carnations around a room brings nature indoors and softens the hard edges of rooms and buildings.
Similarly, in a garden, the soft greens of green carnations can offset stronger hues like reds and purples, giving the garden a gentler and more elegant feel.
Its green petals are relaxing and even stress-relieving. Thus, giving green carnations to someone who is feeling anxious could be an effective use for this flower. You can also place them in your home office to bring peace and tranquillity to the space.
3. Wealth
Green carnations can also represent wealth and prosperity.
One of the reasons for this is that the flower is very delicate. Its presence in a house or party signifies the owner’s high-class taste for the finer things in life.
You might find flowering green carnations in a high-end party, the gardens of a mansion, or elegant private gardens.
This sends the message that the homeowners are able to live an affluent and luxurious lifestyle as they have a lot of prosperity.
Green carnations can also be gifted to individuals that you wish to send prosperity or well wishes upon. It symbolizes your desire to see them succeed. It might be a good idea to include a message with the flowers explaining what they symbolize to you, and why you decided to give these specific flowers as a gift.
4. Connection with Nature
The green carnation signifies that you have a strong relationship with mother nature.
Its green color creates a direct link between the wearer and nature. It is a reminder to all those who look upon it to care for and stay connected with the outside world.
The delicacy of the flower (and its soft green colors) similarly highlight the fragility of nature and the importance of caring for it. The green carnation could therefore be a good official flower of conservation groups.
In today’s day and age where most people are stuck in a monotonous indoor routine, taking time to stop and observe a beautiful bouquet of green carnations as well as taking in its fresh, woodsy fragrance is the perfect way to bring people back to the calming natural world.
If you happen to have a dreaming that revolves around green carnations, it could be a strong sign from your conscience to be more in touch with the outer world. Make conscious efforts to incorporate natural elements into your diet and lifestyle as it can be harmful to neglect these aspects of your life.
Conclusion
Unlike other carnations, the green carnation has one unambiguous symbol: it’s the flower of the LGBT community. To this day, it continues to be worn and used in queer-friendly events to symbolize gay pride and acceptance.
But it can also symbolize elegance, nature, and wealth. You will commonly see it in high-end gardens and parties.
Ideally, you would want to give this flower to someone either as a sign that you appreciate the elegance of the receiver of the bouquet. Similarly, you can place them around your own home or garden to give a soft elegance to the space that shows you to be a classy person.
I’m Chris and I run this website – a resource about symbolism, metaphors, idioms, and a whole lot more! Thanks for dropping by.