What it doesn't mean
Those are modern florists' readings. The Victorian books gave it 'False riches' (Dumont, 1851), or 'Adoration' and 'Haughtiness' depending on the plant's height (Greenaway, 1884).
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is worn by people who choose to share that they have a disability or condition that may not be apparent, and may need help, understanding or more time.
What it really means
The sunflower is a good test of the idea that every flower has one meaning. In the Victorian flower books it had at least three.
Henrietta Dumont's Language of Flowers, published in Philadelphia in 1851, gives the sunflower as "False riches". Kate Greenaway's illustrated Language of Flowers, published in London in 1884 and now free on Project Gutenberg, splits the plant by size: the dwarf sunflower means "Adoration", the tall one "Haughtiness". The books do not say why. The historian Beverly Seaton, in The Language of Flowers: A History (1995), shows that the floral dictionaries disagreed as a matter of course, and the Chicago History Museum notes that their meanings were often pulled, fairly arbitrarily, from poetry or from a plant's medicinal uses.
The meaning that matters most today has nothing to do with Victorian sentiment. A sunflower printed on a lanyard, badge or wristband is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. People wear it by choice to show that they have a disability or condition that may not be obvious, and that they may need a hand, some understanding or more time, in shops, at work, on transport or in public spaces. If you see one, that is the message, and it is worth knowing.
The name itself is plainer than any of this. English first used "sunflower" in the 1560s for flowers thought to turn towards the sun, and only later for the big North American plant, named for the look of its head.
Where it comes from
Old English sunne
from Old French flor
First used in the 1560s for any flower thought to follow the sun; applied to Helianthus, the North American plant, from the 1590s, after the look of its head.
- 1851
Henrietta Dumont's Language of Flowers (Philadelphia) gives the sunflower as 'False riches'.
- 1881
Kansas becomes the Sunflower State.
- 1884
Greenaway's Language of Flowers splits it in two: 'Sunflower, Dwarf' is 'Adoration', 'Sunflower, Tall' is 'Haughtiness'.
- Today
A sunflower on a lanyard or badge is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, a voluntary sign that the wearer has a disability that may not be obvious.
In real life
- To a Victorian reader, a tall sunflower in a bouquet might have hinted that the sender found you haughty.
- She wore a lanyard printed with sunflowers, the sign that she might need a little extra time at the airport.
- Kansas calls itself the Sunflower State, a nickname it has used since 1881.
Questions
Q01What does a sunflower mean?
It depends on the source. Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (1884) gives the dwarf sunflower as 'Adoration' and the tall sunflower as 'Haughtiness'. Henrietta Dumont's 1851 book gives the sunflower as 'False riches'. Modern lists usually say happiness or warmth.
Q02What does a sunflower lanyard mean?
It is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Wearing it voluntarily shows that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent, and that you may need help, understanding or more time in shops, at work, on transport or in public places.
Q03Why did Victorians think tall sunflowers meant haughtiness?
The books do not explain their choices, and the Chicago History Museum notes that many meanings were pulled, fairly arbitrarily, from poetry or from a plant's medicinal uses. A tall flower that stands above everything else is an easy picture of pride, but that is a reading, not a recorded reason.
Sources
- Kate Greenaway (illustrator), Language of Flowers (Routledge, 1884) — Project Gutenberg.
- Henrietta Dumont, The Language of Flowers (Philadelphia, 1851) — Project Gutenberg.
- What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? — Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
- sunflower (etymology) — Online Etymology Dictionary.
- Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History — University of Virginia Press.
- Speaking the Language of Flowers (With a Chicago Accent) — Chicago History Museum.