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15 Best Flowers for a Happy New Year

From symbolism to sheer beauty, these flowers are the top picks to have in your home for a festive new year.

Flowers are often bought for their beauty, selected because they are a particular color or scent, or they remind us of a specific time or event in our lives. Many people aren’t aware that flowers have amazing symbolism due to their rich history that often dates back to ancient times.

All around the world, flowers carry important symbolism that often carries over into different religions and cultures, regardless of the inherent beliefs or differences. Very few things are as beautiful and meaningful as flowers.

These 15 flowers are some of the most beautiful and meaningful ones to have in your home to help welcome in a happy new year.

1. Daffodil

A symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, daffodils — and other members of the narcissus genus — are recognized for their cheerful white and yellow flowers that push through the earth and bloom in early spring to announce the arrival of warmer days. They are known for their resilience, weathering the winter storms as strong little cheerful survivors to bring happiness and joy, along with an appreciation for being alive.

2. Daisies

Touting a long list of symbolic meanings, including positivity and new beginnings, daisies are a bright, cheerful staple in gardens and cut flower arrangements. Their symbolism stems from closing their petals each night and reopening them every morning to greet the sun. Daisies come in various colors, but the traditional white with yellow center disks appeals to many because of their simplicity.

3. White Lilies

Lilies have a long, rich history dating to ancient times. The different flower colors have a unique symbolism, but white lilies represent a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning. With its graceful stature and long stalks of blooms, the Easter lily is one of the most well-known white varieties. Due to its Christian symbolism, it is famous as a potted plant at Easter but is available as a cut flower year-round.

4. Orchids

Delicate and exotic, orchids represent love, luxury, abundance, strength, fertility, and innocence. But the individual colors also hold their own meaning. Red orchids are symbolic of courage, determination, perseverance, passion, and desire. Yellow orchids are thought to represent new beginnings, friendship, and joy. Green orchids are believed to bring good fortune and good health into your life.

5. Paperwhites

Another member of the narcissus genus, paperwhites stand for prosperity and good fortune, along with rebirth and the renewal of both energy and life. They are among the first bulbs to sprout and blossom in the late winter or early spring and are readily available as potted plants just before Christmas.

6. Gladiolus

Gladioli get their name from the Latin word “gladius” for their sword-shaped flower stalks. Their name pays homage to the Roman gladiators who donned gladiolus corms around their necks as they went into battle. There are over 225 different species available, but overall the flowers symbolize strength, honor, strong character, and moral integrity.

7. Lotus

Highly regarded in many cultures, predominantly Asian, lotus flowers signify rebirth and self-regeneration. The lotus flower lives in muddy, dirty water, pushing its way through the murkiness to emerge and bloom with beautiful, clean petals. This characteristic is the perfect analogy for the human condition — even when submerged in filth, the most beautiful flower can still bloom.

8. Stargazer Lilies

Stargazer lilies, with their beautiful pink and white blooms, signify prosperity, the fulfillment of a dream. A relatively new cultivar, they symbolize the fantastic success of the breeder, who worked fervently and tirelessly to achieve what he believed to be the ideal lily. Stargazer lilies are a prevalent mainstream variety with upward-facing flowers that appear to look toward the heavens.

9. Lily-of-the-Valley

Lily-of-the-valley has another rich history of symbolism. Dating to the Victorian era, lily-of-the-valley meant “return of happiness.” Today, these delicate white flowers are symbolic of both happiness and luck. It was believed that the bloom’s bell shape called in good spirits and worked to ward off evil forces. Greek mythology tells of Apollo, the God of the sun, growing lily-of-the-valley plants in the woods to protect the feet of his muses.

10. Verbena

Verbena’s symbolism dates to ancient Celtic and Roman cultures. This powerful, sacred herb represented happiness, creativity, and healing but also protected against evil. It was carried by soldiers and commoners for good luck and hung in homes to protect the structure against lightning.

11. Cornflower

The symbolism of cornflower (not to be confused with the coneflower) dates to ancient Egypt and is linked to good fortune, wealth, and prosperity. Each bloom stands for a single blessing, symbolic of positive hope for the future. The beautiful blue flowers are a humble reminder of the simple beauty in nature and the extensive cycle of life.

12. Hollyhock

Hollyhocks are known as symbols of ambition, fertility, and the cycle of life. Their symbolism may be derived from their nature of growing tall, spreading, and flowering for long periods to reseed prolifically. Without a doubt, they are ambitious in their growth, and their ability to reseed and produce many offspring year after year correlate highly with the circle of life and fertility. Traditional, they were planted at the front doors of the home to encourage prosperity.

13. Valerian

Traditionally, valerian is steeped in symbolism due to its Latin name, “valere,” which means healthy and strong, or “be well.” Plants are known for their homeopathic remedies and typically bear clusters of small white or pink flowers that also signify readiness and awareness of what is to come.

14. Peruvian Lily

Also known as alstroemeria, the Peruvian lily represents achievement, fortune, wealth, and prosperity. The flower’s symbolism comes from the six petals on each flower and their twisted leaves. The petals represent commitment, empathy, humor, patience, respect, and understanding; the leaves symbolize stability, bonding, and overcoming difficulties together.

15. Bird of Paradise

One of the most unique flowers, the tropical bird of paradise is a sight to behold. Its attractive shape and bright, bold colors make it the quintessential symbol of optimism, wonderful anticipation, excitement, magnificence, and excellence. The bird of paradise also represents freedom and overcoming obstacles in life, as we let go of our burdens and worries to embark on new adventures and unfamiliar places.