Japanese Language of Flowers, What do flowers mean to the Japanese? Options

[olinatasha]

I have read many manga and seen lots of anime. Quite often I find reference to this thing called the Japanese "language of flowers" or "flower language." I have been told it is also called Hana Kotoba. Sometimes scanlators will explain the reference or meaning of a scene where there is a reaction to flowers when it isn't explained in the dialogue. Sometimes there is no explanation at all in either dialogue or translator notes and I'm left wondering what's going on or why'd they do, say, or react that way. I have looked high and low for a book on the subject as well, to no avail. I have found a couple books on the meaning of flowers in western cultures, but not Japanese. It seems to be pretty important in the Japanese culture. In my frustration at not finding any information on the topic I can't help but wonder why no one has written a book on it (in English). Perhaps there are books in Japanese on the subject. But as much as the Japanese culture has fascinated so many over the centuries, I am wondering why there's no book on the topic.

However, just recently I discovered an article on Wikipedia (Wikipedia Article on Hanakotoba). In the article references there is a book listed, Meaning of Japanese Flowers by Sugizo, Obata. The article also notes:

"Since after World War II, the Japanese way of thinking, lifestyle and habits have been influenced by Western thoughts, therefore today it is not uncommon to find young Japanese people unaware of their own traditions, including the one about flowers and their meanings. They usually refer to the flower language of European origins, instead of their own."

There is a list of flowers and their meanings in the article as well. However, I don't know if these are the European or Japanese meanings. I thought I had read, for example, that white chrysanthemums are given at funerals, but the meaning in the article says truth. Perhaps I just don't understand the connection. Another example is the spider lily often seen in manga/anime that I believe somehow has reference to hell or death, but the article says the meaning is never to meet again, lost memory, and/or abandonment, which I guess could tie into each other. I could simply be misinformed, have misunderstood, or remembering incorrectly. I am really quite interested and curious about it and want to find out. So, to that end, I thought I'd start this thread and hope to get feedback from others.

What do you know on the subject? If you only know certain flowers and their meanings, please share that information here. If you know of a book in English on the subject of Japanese flower language or Hanakotoba, please tell us the title and author. Any information would be appreciated greatly. Even the tiniest bit of insight would be helpful. I feel sharing such information would serve the manga-/anime-loving community greatly. Again, please ensure that the information refers to the Japanese language of flowers not western cultures such as European or American. It is, after all, the flower language of Japanese tradition/origin that I am interested in. It is my hope that this thread is informative and useful to everyone with the same love and interest in Japanese culture.