Anniversary Flowers by Year: What to Give

Every anniversary year has its own flower, and choosing it turns a beautiful bouquet into a personal one. Here is the list we use on our anniversary page, year by year, with the bouquets from our catalog we would reach for, and what to ask our florists when your year’s flower is not in a ready-made design.

How the anniversary flower list works

Each year pairs a flower and its meaning with a traditional gift: paper for the first, silver for the 25th, gold for the 50th. That gives you three ways to build the gift. Send the flower itself, choose a bouquet in its color, or pick a design whose name nods to the traditional gift.

If you would rather not count the years, use the anniversary flower finder. Enter your anniversary date or tap a year, and it shows the next anniversary, its flower, the traditional gift and our bouquets that match.

Years 1 to 5: the first flowers

• 1st, carnation: young, passionate love. Gift: paper. Tenderness pairs carnations with roses. For the paper theme, write a longer message on our free card.
• 2nd, lily of the valley: humility and sweetness. Gift: cotton. Go soft and white, the flower’s own color.
• 3rd, sunflower: warmth and loyalty. Gift: leather. Think golden yellow, bright and sunny.
• 4th, hydrangea: gratitude and heartfelt emotion. Gift: fruit and flowers. Citrus Heights & Vase sets hydrangeas with roses and tulips, already arranged in a vase.
• 5th, daisy: faithfulness and joy. Gift: wood. Summer Time mixes chamomile, a small daisy, with roses in pink and white.

Years 6 to 10: color does the talking

• 6th, calla lily: beauty and devotion. Gift: iron or sugar. A clean white palette suits it.
• 7th, freesia: trust. Gift: wool or copper. Choose warm yellow tones.
• 8th, lilac: love’s first emotions. Gift: bronze. Purple and lavender bouquets carry the mood.
• 9th, bird of paradise: joy and paradise. Gift: pottery. Orange is the color to follow.
• 10th, daffodil: happiness and new beginnings. Gift: tin or aluminum. Bright yellow, like the flower.

From the 7th to the 10th, the finder leads with color: it shows our bouquets in the flower’s shade, so the meaning still comes through. If you would rather have the flower itself, see below.

Years 11 to 15: tulips, peonies and lace

• 11th, tulip: perfect love. Gift: steel. Silk & Vase gathers 30 pink tulips with a vase and ribbon, and its name also answers the 12th year’s silk gift.
• 12th, peony: a happy marriage. Gift: silk or linen. Murmur brings peonies together with stock flowers in pink and white.
• 13th, chrysanthemum: friendship and rest. Gift: lace. Light Pink Lace takes the gift literally. Light Peach Lace and Lavender Lace offer the same idea in other shades.
• 14th, orchid: mature charm. Gift: ivory. Ask for white and ivory tones.
• 15th, rose: love, in every color. Gift: crystal. Any rose is right here, so choose by color and count.

Milestones: 20, 25, 28, 30, 40 and 50 years

• 20th, aster: patience and elegance. Gift: china. Look for purple tones.
• 25th, iris: faith and wisdom. Gift: silver. Blue is the iris color, softened with white.
• 28th, orchid: mature love. There is no traditional gift for this year, so let the flowers speak.
• 30th, lily: devotion. Gift: pearl. Choose white and cream. Our Pearl bouquet is named for the gift.
• 40th, gladiolus: strength of character. Gift: ruby. Deep red says it best: our Ruby Glow bouquet is named for the gift, and our red roses come by the dozen, two dozen and more.
• 50th, yellow rose and violet: joy and faithfulness. Gift: gold. Golden Chestnut, with its warm peach roses, carries the golden theme in its name.

If your year’s flower is not in the bouquet

For the 2nd, 7th through 10th, 20th and 25th anniversaries, the finder suggests bouquets in the flower’s color rather than the flower itself. Lily of the valley, freesia, lilac, bird of paradise, daffodil, aster and iris all work beautifully as a palette.

You can also ask us directly. Colors can be adjusted on request, and our florists create custom bouquets by budget and mood. Write the anniversary year, the flower you have in mind and your preferred palette in the order note, or call us at (323) 800-8421.

Getting the timing right

• Same day: order by 12 PM Los Angeles time. After noon, the bouquet goes out the next day. You can order online 24/7 for any date ahead.
• Before dinner: choose the 6–9 PM window. Delivery after 9 PM is available at no extra charge; just add it to the order note.
• At a hotel: add the guest’s full name as on the reservation and the arrival date. We call the front desk ahead.
• Peace of mind: we send a photo of the bouquet before delivery, by email or SMS.
• Delivery fee: free to 76 ZIP codes near our studios, $14 up to about 15 miles, $29 for long range. See delivery areas, fees and times.

To keep the flowers fresh for the week of celebrating, trim the stems at an angle every couple of days, change the water regularly, and keep the vase out of direct sunlight and away from ripening fruit. They usually look their best for 5 to 10 days.

Ready to choose? Open the anniversary finder, pick your year, and choose the bouquet that tells your story. Add a few words to the free card, and order by noon for delivery today.