15 Insulting Flowers That Represent Hatred and Dislike

Giving someone flowers isn’t always a positive gesture. Some flowers represent anger, jealousy, dislike, grief, and even hatred. You can get creative with expressing your feelings towards someone, even if the feelings are negative. Who says you need words? Maybe next time you’re upset with someone you dislike, you can send them one of the flowers listed below. Follow along to discover 15 insulting flowers that represent hatred and dislike.

1. Black Dahlia 

Dahlia flowers are beautiful. These gorgeous flowers are known for their thick and vibrant blooms. They come in many colors and represent different things depending on critical factors. For instance, red dahlias represent strength and love. You send them to someone you care a lot about. However, what if you receive a black dahlia? What does this mean?

One common interpretation is that black dahlias symbolize hatred, dislike, and intense jealousy. If someone gifts you these dark flowers, they aren’t doing so out of joy or love. These plants can also represent betrayal and sadness.

Interestingly, though, black dahlias aren’t entirely black. Instead, the’ black’ varieties are generally a deep red or purple with slight shades of black. Either way, this sinister flower is beautiful.

2. Black Roses

Another black and dark flower to make our list is black roses. Although roses generally represent love, passion, and affection, this is not true if they are black. Black roses aren’t natural, which might be why they represent betrayal and sneakiness. Usually, roses with black petals are either dark burgundy or white/red roses painted black.

Black roses and their strange appearance can also represent mystery, loss, mourning, and elegance. However, it depends on who gifts you these flowers and vice versa. Black roses may also symbolize hope, optimism, or new beginnings. So, if someone gives a black rose to you, it’s either hopeful or hurtful.

3. Orange Lilies

How can such a bright flower, like orange lilies, represent dislike, hatred, or anything negative? Strangely, orange lilies have two very different meanings, making it hard to understand why someone gifted you these lovely flowers.

On the one hand, orange lilies represent hope, new beginnings, vitality, wealth, and joy. On the other hand, though, orange lilies can also mean hatred and pride. They can also represent the end of a relationship. So, if someone gifts you orange lilies, they may wish you well or harbor hatred.

4. Yellow Carnations

Fourth on our list is the yellow carnation. Carnations are a tricky flower. They’ve been used for centuries to express complicated feelings like love, loss, fascination, respect, and gratitude. Like roses, the color of a carnation can change the meaning behind the flower. Yellow carnations, in particular, are tricky. They can either represent friendship and affection or disappointment and rejection. You can send these flowers to someone you dislike and are disappointed in or to a recently rejected friend as a consolation.

5. Hydrangeas

It’s hard to see why or how hydrangeas can represent anything negative or hateful. However, receiving hydrangeas isn’t always a good thing. These large flowers, native to Asia and the Americas, can represent arrogance or vanity. Interestingly, in Europe, these flowers were regarded as harmful during the Victorian times. They were given to someone vain, likely because of their showy petals.

Although once a great flower to give to someone you disliked, few people associate hydrangeas with vanity. Instead, these flowers can reflect rebirth, good fortune, and gratitude.

6. Butterfly Weed

The butterfly weed is next on our list of 15 insulting flowers that represent hatred and dislike. Butterfly weeds are bright flowering milkweed plants native to eastern and southwestern North America. They represent a lot of different things. One potential meaning is connected to grief. Butterfly weeds can symbolize letting go of grief and moving on. This flower’s meaning is rooted in transformation and rebirth. They can also represent loneliness. Although technically not a flower that directly reflects hatred, it is an insulting flower to give someone. It can either portray the message that you are lonely or that you know they are lonely. 

7. Yellow Hyacinths

Hyacinths aren’t always joyful or positive flowers, either. These spring-blooming perennials are vibrant and thick. They come in many colors, including pink, red, purple, white, and yellow. Depending on the flower’s shade, size, and presentation, the meaning can change. For example, gifting someone yellow hyacinths may show them you are jealous. Although this jealousy can be towards friendships or work, it’s generally connected to romantic relationships.

8. Cyclamen

The Cyclamen is another genus of flowers to make our list of 15 insulting flowers that represent hatred and dislike. These stunning plants are sometimes called sowbread or swinebread flowers. They are creative flowers that have multiple meanings. They can either express love and joy or distrust and lost love. It can also mean something more sinister. Cyclamen flowers, though, are generally shared between lovers and close friends. However, maybe think twice before choosing a Cyclamen to gift your significant other.

9. Tiger Lilies

Tiger lilies are breathtaking flowers. Like the other plants on this list, they are striking and hold many meanings. Tiger lilies can represent fierceness and resilience. It’s a flower to gift someone batting a sickness for encouragement. The bright orange color can also mean joy and compassion.

However, there is a darker meaning behind tiger lilies. They can also signify feelings of hatred, disdain, and anger. Orange is a fierce color, and fierce isn’t always seen as a positive. In some cultures, orange flowers represent jealousy and explosiveness.

10. Tansies

Next on our list of flowers that symbolize hatred and dislike are tansies. To gift someone tansies can sometimes be an insult. Tansies are perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the aster family. They are easy to identify from their tall stem, many leaves, and bright yellow heads. One interpretation of this flower is that it means happiness, health, wealth, and immortality. However, the flower also has its roots in resistance. Tansies can also be a sign or act of war. So, in other words, you can gift tansies to your best friend for good health or to an enemy as an act of war. Tansies are excellent insect repellents, which might be why they often represent resistance and war.

11. Lily of the Valley

It’s hard to imagine how such a delicate flower-like lily of the valley can have a negative meaning. Lily of the valley is a fragrant flower native to the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe. This plant produces small, bell-shaped white flowers that droop down in the spring. Like any white flower, the lily of the valley can represent purity, innocence, and luck. However, these delicate and sweet flowers don’t always send a happy message. They may also symbolize pain or loss. Although this flower isn’t necessarily insulting, it is used on less-than-happy occasions. Lily of the Valley flowers are sometimes placed in funeral arrangements.

12. Aconite

Next on our list of 15 insulting flowers representing hatred and dislike is aconite (aconitum), a genus of over 250 flowering plants. These plants go by many names, including monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard’s bane, devil’s helmet, or blue rocket. Although the flowers vary in appearance depending on the variety, they are generally blue-purple or yellow-green. However, some stunning hybrids are vibrant red.

So, how do these beautiful flowers represent dislike or hatred? These flowers represent hatred, caution, hostility, and death. Aconite flowers are poisonous. They were once used to poison people. They were also used as a poison on spears and arrows for hunting and battle. This may explain why the flowers are called the ‘Devil’s Helmet.’

13. Petunia

Strangely, petunias also make our list. Now, they typically represent hope and desire. These common and beautiful flowers don’t always mean joyous things, though. For centuries, petunias were gifted to people out of spite. They symbolize anger and resentment. You can send a bouquet of petunias to someone you disagree with but don’t want to say your feelings out loud—the meaning also depends on the color of the flower. Black or dark purple petunias are regarded as angry flowers. They may also signify death, gloom, and mystery.

14. Snapdragon

Snapdragons are feisty flowers. These lovely flowers are native to the United States, Europe, Canada, and North Africa. They come in many different colors, which can change the meaning behind the flowers drastically. These cooler plants can symbolize magic, grace, strength, and deception. You can gift snapdragons to someone you think is strong or someone who has deceived you. Interestingly, though, snapdragons are known for their connection with protection. In folklore, these flowers were used to guard against witchcraft and black magic.

15. Frog Ophrys

Last is the frog Ophrys, also known as a hairy orchid. This plant’s scientific name is Ophrys apifera. It’s a gorgeous orchid and is about 6 to 20 inches tall. The frog Ophrys has a unique flower that looks like a face. In ancient Rome, women may have used this plant to darken their eyebrows. The meaning behind this flower is often debated. Sometimes, it’s considered a lucky and ferocious flower, while other times, it’s an insult to gift someone as it can represent revenge or jealousy. Regardless of the symbolism behind this stunning orchard, it’s a gorgeous gift to give.