The Secret Language of Flowers: Bouvardia

Named after Charles Bouvard, the personal physician to Louis XIII and the superintendent of the Royal Gardens in Paris, bouvardia comes in white (which is most often used in bridal bouquets) as well as several shades of pink, yellow, salmon and red.

Bouvardia is a small flower, often used to enhance hero flowers. They can be inserted to splash white into the arrangement and are most often used as secondary flowers, although they can be used in in mass clusters to create their own bouquet.

It has star-like flowers that grow in clusters on thin, branching stems. When used in bridal bouquets, closed bouvardia are often used, and they look like small neat boxes and the smaller the plant, the more 'box like' the look. When open, the petals looks like elongated stars, as in the bouquet above.

You'll see in the bouquet below that the buds are much more square than they are in the bridal mix above and the stars are smaller in the image below too. This is down to size and your florist will be able to advise whether they receive large or small bouvardia, depending on the look you prefer.

They have a waxy opaque look to them, much like orchids, and blend especially well with roses and gardenias. They have a delicate scent or no scent at all

Bouvardia represents 'enthusiasm'