Read Flower Emoji Right: What ๐ธ, ๐น, ๐ฅ and ๐ Mean in a Text, Plus Every Flower to Copy
Unicode gives each flower a plain name, like ROSE or WILTED FLOWER, and no meaning. The romance in ๐น, the sadness in ๐ฅ and the congratulations in ๐ come from how people already use real flowers, and the CLDR emoji keywords point the same way.
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No flower emoji has an official meaning. Unicode names each one, CHERRY BLOSSOM, ROSE, WILTED FLOWER and so on, and CLDR, the Unicode data many keyboards use for emoji names and search, adds a few keywords. Those keywords are the closest thing to a definition, and they match how real flowers are used: ๐น is tagged love, ๐ is tagged birthday and anniversary, and ๐ฅ is tagged dying.
The short version:
- ๐ธ is spring and softness: cute, gentle, a light sign-off.
- ๐น is romance. Paired with โค๏ธ it is hard to read any other way.
- ๐ฅ is the sad one: a fading feeling, a loss, or a dramatic "I am fine".
- ๐ is congratulations, thanks or get well soon.
- ๐ท ๐ป ๐ผ are cheerful everyday flowers with no hidden tone.
- ๐บ says summer and holidays, and ๐ชท says calm.
Each flower below has a one-tap copy card, followed by a short guide to which flower to send.
What does ๐ธ mean in a text?
๐ธ is the cherry blossom, and its CLDR keywords include spring. In chat it usually adds softness: a cute tone, a pretty photo caption, or a gentle way to end a message. It rarely carries a double meaning, so it is safe with almost anyone.
๐ฎ is a different emoji, WHITE FLOWER in Unicode. Its Japanese CLDR name is ๅคงๅคใใใงใใพใใ, "very well done", and its Japanese keywords include ใฏใชใพใ. Without that context it reads as just another flower; the Japanese article on this site explains its school origin.
Cherry blossom
Spring, something soft and pretty, or a gentle sign-off. CLDR keywords include spring. Emoji 0.6.
White flower
Its Japanese CLDR name is ๅคงๅคใใใงใใพใใ, "very well done", and its keywords include ใฏใชใพใ; the Japanese article covers its school origin. Emoji 0.6.
Spring flower row
A quick spring or good-morning decoration with no hidden tone.
What do ๐น and ๐ฅ mean?
๐น is the rose, and CLDR lists love among its keywords. It fits a date, an anniversary or a message to a partner. ๐นโค๏ธ removes any doubt. Sent to a coworker it can read as more than friendly, so think about who is on the other end.
๐ฅ is the rose after the romance. Unicode names it WILTED FLOWER, it arrived in Emoji 3.0, and its English CLDR keywords are dying, flower and wilted. People use it for sadness, a relationship that is fading, nostalgia, or a playful overreaction to small disappointments. It is not a good choice for a get-well message.
Rose
Romance, a date, an anniversary. CLDR keywords include love. Emoji 0.6.
Rose and red heart
Plainly romantic. Save it for a partner or a date.
Wilted flower
Sadness, a fading feeling, or a dramatic "I am fine". Its English CLDR keywords are dying, flower and wilted. Emoji 3.0.
What does ๐ mean, and the everyday flowers ๐ท ๐ป ๐ผ
๐ is a bouquet, the emoji version of handing someone flowers. CLDR keywords include anniversary, birthday and date. Add ๐ for congratulations on a new job or a graduation, or send it alone as a thank-you.
๐ท, ๐ป and ๐ผ are the easy-going flowers. ๐ท is tagged growth, ๐ป is tagged sun, and ๐ผ is the plain blossom, and its keywords mention buttercup and dandelion. They brighten a good-morning message or a spring photo without saying anything you did not mean.
Bouquet
Congratulations, a birthday, a thank-you or a get-well message. CLDR keywords include anniversary, birthday and date. Emoji 0.6.
Bouquet and party popper
A ready-made congratulations: a new job, a graduation, a launch.
Tulip
Spring, a cheerful hello, or a small thank-you. CLDR keywords include growth. Emoji 0.6.
Sunflower
Sunny, warm and upbeat. CLDR keywords include sun and outdoors. Emoji 0.6.
Blossom
A small blossom; CLDR keywords mention buttercup and dandelion. Good for a light, cute touch. Emoji 0.6.
Hibiscus, lotus, hyacinth and the rosette
๐บ is the hibiscus, a common shorthand for summer, beaches and holidays. Its Korean CLDR name is ๋ฌด๊ถํ, the rose of Sharon. ๐ชท is the lotus; its CLDR keywords include calm, Buddhism and Hinduism, so it suits peaceful or spiritual messages.
๐ชท is Emoji 14.0 and ๐ชป hyacinth is Emoji 15.0, so on older phones they may show up as a blank box. ๐ต๏ธ is a rosette, a decorative flower shape that works more like a badge than a bloom.
Hibiscus
Summer, beaches and holidays. Its Korean CLDR name is ๋ฌด๊ถํ, the rose of Sharon. Emoji 0.6.
Lotus
Calm, peace and spiritual practice. CLDR keywords include calm, Buddhism and Hinduism. Emoji 14.0, so older phones may show a blank box.
Hyacinth
CLDR keywords include purple, bluebonnet and lavender. Emoji 15.0, one of the newest flowers.
Rosette
A decorative rosette rather than a garden flower; works as a badge or an award. Emoji 0.7.
Which flower to send, and when to skip it
- Birthday or congratulations: ๐, or ๐๐.
- Thank-you or get well soon: ๐ or ๐ท. Skip ๐ฅ, which says the opposite.
- A partner or a date: ๐น, or ๐นโค๏ธ when you mean it.
- Coworkers and clients: ๐ธ ๐ท ๐ป are friendly without being romantic.
- A sad day: ๐ฅ shows the mood; ๐ป or ๐ผ can be a gentle way to cheer someone up.
- Newer flowers like ๐ชท and ๐ชป may not display on older phones, so add a word if the flower is the whole message.
Further reading
Hearts come in as many colors as flowers, and each color has its own reading in the heart article. The moon article covers another family of nature emoji, and the Japanese article explains ๐ฎ and other emoji that started in Japan. To copy any other emoji, the full list is searchable by name.
The illustrations on this page are AI-generated. They are not emoji artwork from any platform.