There are few flowers as symbolic as the rose. It draws instant attention when it turns up in an arrangement or even on its own due to strong associations with love and romance. The truth is that the color is actually what you should be looking for when it comes to determining what a rose is saying. Each shade possesses a different meaning traditionally. A deep red is the symbol of romance for a reason and represents deep, heartfelt love and passion. Pink and orange have similar associates with love and affection to varying degrees. Others shades are often somewhat lost on people. This is especially true of the yellow rose. It has several meanings depending on the particular source you look to for meanings. Whatever the exact meaning you want, the yellow rose is a good way to honor a steadfast connection.

Happiness and Joy
The brilliant color of a yellow rose has a distinct connotation with the lighter emotions we feel in life. It makes them ideal as a gift of celebration to someone. This association with happiness is one of the most common ways the yellow rose remains used to do this day. It doesn’t have the strong connotations of other roses and serves as a pleasant way to remind people that you care without implying anything other than friendship. Ideally, the yellow rose should be used to celebrate a good thing happening for a friend if you’re not able to be around or if you want to add an extra kick to the celebration of favorable circumstances. This comparatively neutral association with happiness and joy makes the yellow rose also symbolize friendship in many cases.

Begin Again
A lesser known meaning of the yellow rose is that it can be used as a sign of contrition or forgiveness depending on who is doing the giving. The spirit of the gift is one that acknowledges something bad happened between you and another person that soured the relationship. Yellow roses are meant to help signal that you wish to put the bad events behind you. In some ways, this reconnects the yellow rose to the idea of friendship and happiness again. It is a clear wish to wipe the slate clean and begin again on equal footing without the bitterness of the past. This part of the symbolic tradition of the yellow rose tends to lean heavily towards them being a gift from the person who has done the wrong, but as previously noted this has gotten more relaxed over the years to the point that either side can do the giving.

“I’m Already Yours”
Another tradition holds that yellow roses given within the context of marriage have yet another meaning. They carry a heavy connotation of fidelity and contentment when given between partners in this context. Yellow roses represent a domestic contentment on either side and a lasting affection for one’s partner. The idea is less of the burning passion of a red rose and more of a love that has survived the burning passion to become stable, enduring commitment to one another. Yellow roses are a subtle reminder that you’re happy with where you are in your life and wouldn’t want it any other way. In some cases, this can mean people mix yellow and red roses to convey both lasting affection and passion.

The rose is the archetype of the idea of flower for many people due to its timeless symbolism. Lovers and royalty have each claimed the rose across time to represent themselves and their passions. They key to using the symbolism correctly is to make sure that the color you pick says what you want. So pick your colors as carefully as you would select your favorite beauty product and make sure your message shines through.