As someone who tends to err on the side of caution, I’ve always religiously followed superstitions I got from my grandmother despite not fully believing in them. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

Even when gifting or buying flowers, I’m cautious of superstitions, as I don’t want to bring bad luck to anyone. Because yes, while flowers are pretty, they don’t always bring good news!

If you, too, would like to be cautious about your flower gifts, this guide is for you! Here are all the important flower superstitions that you’ve probably never heard of but definitely need to know about!

A bouquet with an even number of flowers symbolizes death

In some cultures, particularly in Russian and European cultures, even numbers of flowers symbolize death. That’s why it’s customary to send funeral flowers in even numbers to show mourning.

Due to this superstition, it’s considered bad luck to use an even number of flowers during weddings. Bouquets for celebrations should always contain an odd number of flowers for good luck.

Only gift 13 poppies to avoid bad luck

While the number 13 is commonly associated with bad luck in many Western cultures, the association doesn’t apply when gifting flowers, at least when gifting poppies.

It’s believed that when gifting poppies, you should always gift a bouquet with 13 stems to avoid bad luck. Any more or less than that can bring bad luck to the recipient! 

Hanging a flower wreath on a front door can drive away bad energy

Marigolds and anemones are believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits and protect people from witchcraft. Many used to make flower wreaths of them to hang on the front door and protect those living in the house.

Although this isn’t widely practiced nowadays, it was a pretty common belief in the past. The Aztecs even used marigolds during rituals because of their belief that they had magical powers.

Pregnant mothers who eat tubers of orchids will give birth to a baby girl

Orchids’ name came from the Greek word “orkhis,” meaning testicles. Because of this, the flower is often associated with fertility, which led to several fertility-related superstitions.

One of the most popular ones is that when a pregnant woman eats a small orchid tuber, the baby will come out as a girl. However, if it’s the father who eats one, the baby will come out as a boy.

This, of course, doesn’t have any scientific basis, like most superstitions. Don’t try it without informing your doctor as it can cause complications with your pregnancy!

Dandelions can predict how many kids you’ll have in the future

It’s a pretty common belief that dandelions can predict the future, especially in the past. This belief is typically linked to the practice of blowing on a dandelion puffball.

The superstition goes that the number of seeds left on the stem after blowing corresponds to the number of children you’ll have in the future. Others also say it can correspond to how many years it will take before you get married.

Gifting performers a flower bouquet before they perform can bring bad luck

You often see theater performers carrying bouquets of flowers after the show, so you might get excited at the thought of gifting them some. But before you do that, there’s a superstition you have to first remember to avoid making a mistake!

It’s a pretty common belief in the theater industry that gifting flowers before a performance can bring bad luck to the performer. In some cultures, like Russian, the bouquet can even take the performer’s talent away if it includes white carnations.

If you really want to give them a bouquet, give it after the performance. It will serve as a congratulatory gift instead of a good luck gift.

Poppies can bring good crops to farmers

Poppies are among the favorite flowers of farmers because they’re believed to bring good luck and plentiful crops. Farmers would plant poppies near their land to manifest for good crops in the coming harvesting period. 

While there’s no scientific proof, the thought relieves the farmers of their worries, which is why many still follow it today.

Putting red and white flowers together will bring you bad luck

During Queen Victoria’s reign, it was a popular superstition that you should never use red and white flowers together in an arrangement. It’s believed that someone will die if you put the two colors together.

It’s especially bad to gift a red and white flower arrangement to someone sick, even if you mean to send it as a get-well-soon gift. The patient may die because of the bad luck the arrangement will bring.

Bringing lilac or hawthorn into a home can bring death to one of the residents of the house

Despite their beautiful appearance, lilacs and hawthorns don’t bring beautiful energies to the home. Some cultures, especially Scottish, believe the flowers’ sweet scent will attract evil spirits and bring bad luck.

Some even believe that simply bringing the flowers indoors can cause death to those living inside the house. That’s why, until today, some Scottish people don’t bring lilacs and hawthorns inside their homes.

This superstition is mainly because hawthorns and lilacs were used in witchcraft according to Celtic legends.

Never bring home flowers you receive in a hospital

The beauty of the get-well-soon flowers you received while recovering from a sickness might tempt you to bring them home, but don’t do it! There’s a superstition that bringing home flowers you received in the hospital can make the illness return.

Leave the flowers in your boring hospital room and just get a beautiful floral arrangement on your way home to celebrate your discharge!