Do we invest in particular flower colours for a reason?

As a nation we love our flowers; for our homes, gardens, balconies, a special person. Wherever we choose to present them, picking the right arrangement is a decision not taken lightly. When it comes to flower sending it's most certainly the thought that counts, but how does budget influence our flower colour choices and does this communicate more about our personality than we may think?

We recently ran a study which uncovered the most popular flower colour choices for both male and female flower senders by budget. We mathematically analysed the most dominant colour choices within each bouquet, with each ring representing one order. The sum total of all rings gives a quick overview of the most popular colours which revealed some surprising results.

UK flower senders

Overall, low spend flower senders in the UK tend to opt for a simple mixture of colours, but these tend to be the more brighter and bold of the bunch, whereas high spenders tend to opt for a more varied bouquet featuring a wide array of colours and these tend to be on the more neutral end of the spectrum.

The south versus the north

Our flower fingerprints revealed that in London, lower spenders tend to pick out a brighter colour bouquet. The top choice of colour for both males and females is yellow, a colour which has been long associated with moneylenders and finance throughout history. Symbolizing feelings of pride and happiness this is closely followed by the royalist of colours - purple.

Both genders have equal amounts of orange the most exuberant and far from reserved, this fiery colour represents excitement and passion. These choices are a stark contrast to that of bouquets picked by both male and female high spenders. Men tend to opt for a distinctively more understated colour palette featuring paler tones of pink, whites and creams associated with purity and innocence. Female high spenders seek out a more passionate-led colour palette, opting for vivid reds and oranges.

However when we look at flower senders based in the north of England, there is a distinct difference compared to London, the UK's capital city. Yorkshire male high spenders are refined in their choices, opting for a bouquet with just two prominent colours. The first is white, associated with admiration and communicates to the receiver that the sender holds high regard. The second is red, this colour is the most passionate, full of love and affection. Although this is one of the most simplests of arrangements the fingerprint shows that a clear message is communicated through this refined choice of colours. An arrangement which communicates excitement and passion is the chosen choice for female high spenders with the most prominent flower colour being orange.

For every occasion

Birthdays can be an exciting time, a new chapter, another year to pursue dreams and aspirations and it seems that our flower choices reflect these feelings. Both spenders opt for positively bold colours with a mix of oranges and yellows, communicating happiness, success and pride to the receiver. Low spenders add more purple to their bouquets, perhaps reaffirming their wishes of success and adoration to the receiver.

Roses are red

It comes as no surprise that for the most romantic day of the year reds and pinks are chosen by both spenders, but surprisingly it is not the only colour palette of choice. Low spenders pick joyful yellow along with creams and violet, a modern approach to sharing their love on Valentines Day, opting for a bouquet which celebrates happiness, admiration and grace. Bouquets sent by high spenders feature more of a traditional colour palette with red and pink taking prominence.

Winter wonderland

Our flower fingerprints show that typically bouquets under £20 tend to be a literal reflection of the food, feelings and mood of Christmas. The warming tones of oranges and deep reds reminds us of dinner by the fire and fresh clementines, these colours make up for 50% of the bouquet. When over £50 is spent, the colour of the bouquet drastically changes. Light-toned colours take preference, with whites and creams making up the majority of the bouquet.

Overall, these findings show a UK wide pattern which is consistent whether by gender and occasion. It seems that high spenders tend to opt for more neutral, understated and traditional bouquets, whilst low spenders tend to go for brighter and bolder colour choices.

If you want to find out more about how the flower fingerprint graphics were created click here.