The Best Flowers for Mother's Day

1st May, 2025

Sending flowers on Mother’s Day is even better when the flowers you pick are as meaningful as they are magnificent. That’s why our florists don’t just choose the freshest blooms available, they also create each bouquet paying close attention what you need to say, so it does your thoughts and emotions justice.

This magic comes from knowing a thing or two about floriography, aka the language of flowers. This was a sort of secret language that emerged during the Victorian era, when it was a touch less acceptable to be open about how you felt. Instead, you would signal your feelings with flowers (we’ve even got a whole guide to doing that!)

Although times have moved on, we still use blooms to share and highlight our emotions and we’re very happy that our florists are fluent in beautiful language of flowers. Now the question is: how do we speak it for Mother’s Day?

Getting started choosing Mother’s Day flowers

Start off by thinking what it is you’re trying to say, or what emotions you’d like to share. Gratitude and appreciation, love and care, joy and celebration all come to mind. But you might also be marking a loss or reflecting on a complex relationship with motherhood, so you may also feel sadness or longing. All of these can be reflected in your bouquet.

As well as the meaning of the flowers, you might also want to weigh up the season, any favourites of the special someone receiving them, any colours they love or loathe, and how long you want the flowers to last (we guarantee all our bouquets for at least a week, but some blooms can last much longer – we’re looking at you Alstromeria!) If you’d like to ask for specific flowers when you order with Interflora there’s a little box, you can add requests to on our website. Pop any notes or thoughts in there and the florist will try their absolute best to make it happen.

Still a bit stuck about? Let’s dig into some specific flowers and what they mean. By the end you should have plenty of ideas for special requests!

Carnations

You can’t beat a classic carnation, especially on Mother’s Day. Not only do they come in all shapes and colours (and last a long time), they signify admiration, deep love and affection to capture that special bond between you perfectly.

Carnations say: ‘I’m so lucky to have a mum like you’

Roses

Roses = love? Yes, but they also say a lot of other things depending on their colour. Yellow roses mean friendship and joy, and pink roses signify admiration, gratitude and appreciation (and boy do mums deserve that!) Peach roses mean you’re missing someone – an ideal choice to show your mum you’re thinking of her.

Yellow roses say: ‘You’ll always be my best friend’

Pink roses say: ‘Thanks for everything you do’

Peach roses say: ‘Missing you loads – can’t wait to see you soon!’

Sunflowers

The happiest bloom around, sunflowers are more than sunshine on a stem. They also represent adoration, loyalty, and longevity – just the thing to show her your love.

Sunflowers say: ‘I’ll always be there for you, just like you’re there for me’

Gerbera Daisies

Like a supersized daisy, a gerbera’s beauty goes nicely with their meaning – symbolising cheerfulness and innocence. Gerberas also add vibrant pops of colour to bouquets to brighten up her special day.

Gerberas say: ‘The time spent with you is always the best time!’

Tulips

With Mother’s Day falling in spring tulips are an ideal choice. What makes them great for mum though is that they signify perfect love – and what love is more perfect than a mum’s? Another bloom that comes in all sorts of shades, they can add colour and depth to a bouquet.

Tulips say: ‘I love you so much’

Violets

We love these jewel-like little purple blooms. Their gentle purple shade matches their meaning well – symbolising innocence, but also love.

Violets say: ‘You mean everything to me, Mum’

Orchids

At the other end of the scale to the demure violet is this showstopper. Luxurious, showy orchids represent beauty, strength and love – a combination that we think sums up mums rather well. And of course they make a stunning display.

Orchids say: ‘I wouldn’t be the person I am without you’

Lilies

Like roses, lilies can say many things – from the calla lily which represents beauty and magnificence to the tiger lily which symbolises strength and confidence. But whichever lily you choose, all lilies signify devotion in one form or another, making them a fool-proof flower for Mother’s Day (and they smell lovely too).

Lilies say: ‘Whenever you need me, I’ll be here’

Freesia

Delicate freesias (those gorgeous soft petals always make us feel a bit dreamy!) are a Mother’s Day favourite because they signify innocence, friendship and thoughtfulness.

Freesias say: ‘I’m always thinking of you’

Alstroemeria

Symbolising devotion and friendship, alstroemerias are a brilliant way to show your appreciation for a mum who’s also a best friend. Like the carnation, they’re a long-lasting bloom, and the range of pretty colours add depth and detail to a bouquet.

Alstroemerias say: ‘Our friendship is special’

What are the Interflora team choosing for their mums?

We quizzed a few people at Interflora HQ to find out what they like to see in their Mother’s Day bouquets. Here’s what they said...

Jess, copywriter

"My mum is a queen of all things green, and she is fierce about protecting the environment, so I’d be asking for seasonal flowers, especially British grown ones – maybe tulips or daffs for this time of year?"

Rebecca, community manager

"My mum lost her mum young but she always remembers how much she loved carnations, that's why I always make sure to include some at Mother's Day to help her reminisce."

Bron, campaign manager

"My mom loves yellow roses as they make her feel happy and they always feel fresh . Weirdly she doesn’t like yellow as a colour generally but loves yellow roses."

Erica, brand manager

"My mum likes anything a bit different that she can ask the name of. She gets real joy from flowers and loves receiving stems she hasn't come across before. She's also got a soft spot for all the dried bits in our Trending bouquets, particularly the bunny tails."

Daisy, content executive

"My mum's favourite flower is alstroemeria in honour of her late friend, so I usually ask the florist to include some when I send her flowers. She always comments on them and it prompts her to talk about her friend."

Rachel, campaign manager

"My mum loves peach coloured blooms - it’s a bit of a generational theme. They were my great nan’s favourite flowers, so my nan used to send them to her on Mother’s Day. My mum then started including them in my nan's bouquet and now I send them to my mum. It gives us all a warm glow every time."

Time to make some Mother’s Day magic

Hopefully you’ve got more than a few ideas now for a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet, but don’t worry if you're still not sure – our florists are always full of ideas and they’ll pay close attention to exactly what goes into the bouquet. They’re a bit like translators, they’re brilliant at turning feelings, or even memories into something truly beautiful, paying close attention to every little detail.

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