Anniversary Flowers by Year: The Complete 1st–50th Guide

Anniversary gifts have traditional materials: paper, tin, silver, gold. Flowers have their own version of the list, and building each year's bouquet around it turns a standing tradition into a story you add a chapter to every year.

Below you'll find the traditional anniversary flowers by year, from the carnation of a first anniversary to the yellow roses and violets of a golden 50th, with what each one means and a gift idea for each. We've also covered the milestone years people ask us about most, what different colors say, and the question we hear every February and every anniversary morning: how many roses should I send?

Looking to order now? Browse our anniversary flowers, with same-day delivery across South Florida.

Anniversary Flowers by Year: The Full List

Year	Flower	Meaning	Gift idea
1st	Carnation	Young, devoted love	A full, ruffled bouquet in red or pink
2nd	Lily of the valley	Sweetness, happiness, good fortune	An all-white, fragrant design
3rd	Sunflower	Adoration, loyalty, warmth	A sunny sunflower bouquet
4th	Hydrangea	Gratitude, heartfelt emotion	Big, lush hydrangea in blue or pink
5th	Daisy	Optimism and loyalty	A cheerful garden-style mix
6th	Calla lily	Admiration, elegance, growth	A sleek, modern calla arrangement
7th	Freesia	Trust and faithfulness	A fragrant freesia bouquet
8th	Lilac	Joy, love's first emotions	Soft lavender tones
9th	Bird of paradise	Magnificence, splendor	A bold tropical design
10th	Daffodil	New beginnings, a decade in	Bright yellow and white
11th	Tulip	A declaration of love	A generous tulip bouquet
12th	Peony	Romance, prosperity, a happy marriage	A lush, garden-style peony design
13th	Chrysanthemum	Fidelity, joy, longevity	Warm, long-lasting mums
14th	Dahlia	Commitment, inner strength, grace	Rich, layered dahlias
15th	Rose	The classic, earned	A dozen (or 15) roses
20th	Aster	Wisdom and patience	Asters woven through roses
25th	Iris	Faith and hope (the silver anniversary)	Irises with white roses
28th	Orchid	Love, beauty, strength	A living orchid plant
30th	Lily	Devotion in full bloom	Fragrant lilies
40th	Gladiolus	Strength of character, remembrance	Tall, dramatic gladiolus in ruby red
50th	Yellow rose & violet	The golden pair: joy and faithfulness	Golden roses with violet accents

Years 16–19, 21–24, 26–27, 29 and 31–39 don't have a widely agreed flower. For those, the rule of thumb is simple: repeat whatever was in the wedding. (Lists also vary a little: some name the orchid for the 14th or 30th anniversary.)

How to Actually Use This List

Don't feel bound to a single-variety bouquet. Tell your florist the year and let the traditional flower lead the design. An iris-led silver-anniversary arrangement with white roses around it reads far more intentional than either flower alone. The same goes for a 4th anniversary built on hydrangea with a few roses, or a 9th that pairs bird of paradise with deep greens.

Some traditional flowers, like lily of the valley, lilacs, peonies and tulips, are seasonal or delicate, and South Florida heat isn't kind to them. When a year's flower isn't available, our designers carry the meaning through color and style instead: soft lavenders for a lilac year, an all-white fragrant design for lily of the valley.

1st Anniversary Flower: Carnation

Carnations are the traditional first anniversary flower, a symbol of young, passionate and devoted love. Each color says something slightly different: red for deep love and admiration, pink for gratitude and the kind of affection you don't forget, white for pure love. Carnations are also among the longest-lasting cut flowers, a fitting start for a marriage that's built to last.

Gift idea: A full, dome-shaped bouquet of red or pink carnations, or carnations mixed with roses if you want a little more romance. The 1st anniversary's traditional gift material is paper, so pair the flowers with a handwritten letter. It costs nothing and gets kept forever.

10th Anniversary Flower: Daffodil

The daffodil marks a decade together. It's one of the first flowers of spring and stands for new beginnings, which fits a couple who has made it through the first ten years and is starting the next chapter. Daffodils are bright, cheerful and impossible to read as anything but happy.

Gift idea: A yellow-and-white bouquet that feels like sunshine. Daffodils are seasonal, so if they're not available on your date, a yellow-and-white design carries the same feeling. For ideas, see our guide to yellow flowers that work for almost any occasion.

25th Anniversary Flower: Iris

The 25th, the silver anniversary, belongs to the iris. Named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, the iris stands for faith, hope, wisdom and promise, which are the qualities that carry a couple through a quarter of a century. Its tall, upright form also suggests the strength a 25-year marriage has.

Gift idea: Irises carrying a silver-anniversary arrangement with white roses around them, perhaps with silvery-green foliage as a nod to the silver theme. If you're planning a 25th anniversary party, consider matching centerpieces. Our designers also handle special events.

50th Anniversary Flowers: Yellow Roses and Violets

A golden anniversary gets two flowers. Yellow roses, warm and sunlit, represent the joy and friendship at the heart of a long marriage. Violets stand for faithfulness and modesty, and legend has it that Napoleon sent Josephine violets every anniversary. Together they're the golden pair: lasting happiness and lasting loyalty.

Gift idea: Golden-yellow roses with violet or purple accents in a substantial, celebratory arrangement. For a 50th party, families often order a statement piece for the couple's table and smaller arrangements for each guest table. Shop roses for the yellow-rose centerpiece, or see Violet Haze, a romantic violet-palette arrangement that also works for anniversaries.

Make the card count: at a golden anniversary, the message often matters as much as the flowers. Mention the wedding date, the town where you married, or a line from your vows. Fifty years of shared history fits in one sentence if you choose it carefully.

Other Years People Ask About

2nd (lily of the valley): Tiny, fragrant white bells that stand for sweetness and good fortune. True lily of the valley is seasonal and delicate, so many couples choose an all-white, fragrant design that captures the same feeling.

3rd (sunflower): Sunflowers turn to follow the sun, a symbol of loyalty and adoration. Shop sunflowers.

4th (hydrangea): Lush and generous, hydrangeas say thank you for the life you're building. Shop hydrangeas.

5th (daisy): Daisies mean optimism and loyalty, which are worth celebrating at five years. A cheerful, garden-style mix suits couples who like things relaxed.

6th–9th (calla lily, freesia, lilac, bird of paradise): These four years run from elegant to bold. Calla lilies (6th) are sleek and modern, freesia (7th) is famously fragrant and stands for trust, lilac (8th) recalls love's first emotions, and bird of paradise (9th) is pure tropical drama. That last one feels right at home in South Florida, and our tropical flowers are a natural place to start.

11th–14th (tulip, peony, chrysanthemum, dahlia): Tulips (11th) are a declaration of love, peonies (12th) are the flower of a happy marriage, chrysanthemums (13th) stand for fidelity and longevity, and dahlias (14th) for commitment and inner strength. Tulips and peonies are seasonal and short-lived in the heat, so call the shop to ask what's available this week.

15th (rose): The classic, earned. Fifteen years in, there's no wrong rose color. See our local guide to rose bouquets.

20th (aster): Asters, whose name means "star" in Greek, stand for wisdom and patience. Twenty years in, both have been earned. Asters work best woven through roses or hydrangea rather than on their own.

28th (orchid): Orchids stand for love, beauty and strength, and an orchid plant can rebloom for years. In South Florida, it's one of the longest-lasting gifts you can give. Shop orchids and read our orchid care guide.

30th (lily): Lilies symbolize devotion and are a fragrant, elegant choice for three decades. Shop lilies. Note: lilies are highly toxic to cats, so choose another flower if your household has one.

40th (gladiolus): Gladiolus, named for the Latin word for "sword," stands for strength of character. Pair it with the 40th's ruby gift theme in deep reds.

Anniversary Flowers by Color and Meaning

If the traditional flower isn't available, or you'd rather choose by feeling, color carries the message:

• Red: passionate, romantic love. The classic anniversary color, for any year.
• Pink: admiration, gratitude and gentle affection. Lovely for early years, or when you want romance without the intensity of red.
• White: purity, new beginnings and lasting commitment. It echoes the wedding, so it suits couples who want to bring back their bridal colors.
• Yellow: joy and friendship. It suits the 10th (daffodil) and 50th (yellow roses), or any year you want to celebrate being best friends.
• Purple and lavender: enchantment, devotion and admiration. A good fit for lilac (8th) and violet (50th) years.
• Orange and coral: energy, enthusiasm and warmth. A fun choice for couples who'd rather skip the traditional.
• Mixed: a mix of colors that tells your story, such as your wedding colors plus a nod to the year's flower.

For more color ideas, see our pink flower guide, or browse our love and romance collection.

How Many Roses for an Anniversary?

There's no rule, but there are a few traditions worth knowing:

• One rose: "You're still the one." A single perfect rose is a sweet, simple gesture, especially with a heartfelt card.
• One rose for every year of marriage: the most personal option. Fifteen roses for a 15th anniversary, twenty-five for a 25th. It works beautifully up to the larger milestones, and the count becomes a conversation piece.
• A dozen (12): the timeless romantic standard, and never the wrong answer.
• Two dozen (24): often read as "I'm yours, every hour of the day," and a generous statement for a milestone year.
• Fifty roses: a generous gesture for a golden anniversary, especially in yellow.

Color matters as much as count: red for romance, pink for admiration, yellow for joy (a natural fit for the 50th), white for the wedding. Mixing two colors, like red and white for "unity," is another classic. Browse our roses to choose your size and color.

Make It Easy on Yourself

Every South Florals store offers same-day hand delivery across its area when you order before the local cutoff, because forgetting until the morning of is also a tradition. Find your store, or browse our full anniversary flowers collection. Planning more than flowers this year? Our guide to wedding anniversary flowers in South Florida has more ideas, and if the anniversary falls near a birthday, see our birth month flowers guide.

Anniversary Flowers FAQ

What are the anniversary flowers by year?

The traditional anniversary flowers are: 1st carnation, 2nd lily of the valley, 3rd sunflower, 4th hydrangea, 5th daisy, 6th calla lily, 7th freesia, 8th lilac, 9th bird of paradise, 10th daffodil, 11th tulip, 12th peony, 13th chrysanthemum, 14th dahlia, 15th rose, 20th aster, 25th iris, 28th orchid, 30th lily, 40th gladiolus and 50th yellow rose and violet.

What is the traditional first anniversary flower?

The carnation is the traditional first anniversary flower. It symbolizes young, devoted love, and it's also one of the longest-lasting cut flowers.

What flower is for the 25th anniversary?

The iris is the traditional 25th (silver) anniversary flower. It stands for faith, hope and wisdom. Many couples pair irises with white roses for a silver-anniversary look.

What flowers are for a 50th anniversary?

Yellow roses and violets are the traditional 50th (golden) anniversary flowers. Yellow roses represent joy and friendship, and violets represent faithfulness.

How many roses should I give for an anniversary?

A dozen roses is the classic choice, but many people give one rose for each year of marriage. A single rose works for a simple gesture, and two dozen or fifty roses make a statement for a milestone year.

What if the traditional flower for our year isn't available?

Ask your florist to carry the meaning through color and style instead, such as lavender tones for a lilac year or an all-white fragrant design for lily of the valley. For years without a traditional flower, a good rule is to repeat the flowers from your wedding.

Can I order anniversary flowers from South Florals?

Yes. South Florals creates anniversary arrangements that use the year's traditional flower when it's available, or its colors when it isn't, with same-day delivery across South Florida when you order before the local cutoff.