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Roses and Peonies: What They Mean Together, and a Memorial Arrangement That Lasts

Why roses and peonies are such a loved pairing, what each flower means, why fresh peonies are hard to find most of the year, and how to bring them to a grave.

By Fern2 min read

Roses and peonies are one of the most loved flower pairings there is. The rose brings shape and a clear meaning; the peony brings softness and fullness. Together they look like a garden bouquet, which is exactly why so many families choose them for someone they miss.

What roses mean

The meanings people usually give rose colors:

  • Red: love.
  • White: purity, innocence and remembrance.
  • Pink: gratitude, admiration and gentleness.
  • Yellow: friendship and warmth.

Pink is the color most often paired with peonies, and it suits a mother, grandmother, sister or friend especially well.

What peonies mean

In Chinese tradition the peony is called the king of flowers and stands for honor and prosperity. In the Victorian language of flowers it was linked to bashfulness. Today most people choose it for simpler reasons: it is lush, generous and beautiful, and many families remember someone who grew them.

The catch with fresh peonies

Peonies have a short season. In most of the United States they bloom in May and June, and each variety flowers for only days. Outside late spring and early summer, fresh peonies come from cold storage or from growers in the Southern Hemisphere, and in some months they are hard to find at all.

Fresh peonies also open fast. They are lovely on a table, but a grave in full sun or wind is a hard place for them, and in many cemeteries they would be cleared when they fade.

Bringing roses and peonies to a grave

  • In season: fresh garden peonies and roses in the grave's vase are beautiful for a few days around a date that matters.
  • The rest of the year: a silk arrangement keeps the same look for months, in any season, without wilting.
  • Either way: check the cemetery's rules. Some limit artificial flowers to certain months or ban glass vases.

BloomBridge's Pink Roses & Peonies arrangement is hand-crafted in outdoor silk, so the peonies are in bloom any month of the year. A local Runner places it at the grave and sends you a photo of it at the headstone.

For more on what different flowers say, see our guide to flower meanings for a grave.

Topics Flower Guides Flower meanings Peonies Roses Silk flowers

Placed at the grave by a local Runner

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Grave flower delivery to any cemetery in all 50 states · find yours by state

Flowers at the grave, wherever it is

A local BloomBridge Runner places a hand-crafted arrangement at any cemetery in all 50 states and sends you a photo of it in place.

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Frequently asked questions

Roses carry love, gratitude or remembrance depending on the color, and peonies stand for honor and abundance. Together they make a soft, generous tribute.

In most of the United States, May and June. Outside that window fresh peonies come from cold storage or Southern Hemisphere growers and can be hard to find.

Fresh peonies are beautiful but short-lived outdoors. Silk peonies keep their look for months and work in any season, where the cemetery allows artificial flowers.