A customer's reaction to my peony choice really surprised me

I put together a birthday bouquet with peonies last week, thinking they were just pretty. The client quietly told me that where she's from, peonies mean something bad. I had no idea flower meanings could change like that. Makes you wonder what else we might be missing, right?

4 comments

4 Comments

williams.drew1mo ago

At our flower stand, we made a cheat sheet for what flowers mean in different places after a similar mess-up. Peonies, for instance, can mean shame in some Asian cultures, so we always ask now. It saves a lot of trouble and makes clients happy.

sarah_torres201mo ago

My friend in Korea told me chrysanthemums are for funerals, @williams.drew.

daniel_carter1mo ago

Flower meanings are such a minefield across cultures. My cousin once sent red roses to a business partner in Japan, forgetting they often signal romance there. The recipient was confused, and my cousin had to smooth things over with a lot of apologies. It's wild how a simple gesture can backfire.

kimr9123d ago

My aunt sent white lilies to a Chinese friend once, big mistake.