Le langage des fleurs

Considered the first popular book on the language of flowers, Le langage des fleurs by Madame Charlotte de Latour (pseudonym of Mme. Louise Cortambert) is arranged by season. This small book discusses the language of the seasonal flower and its 19th-century symbolism, based on classical literature, Rousseau, and Celtic and Eastern traditions of floral expressions.

In the section of the book titled Dictionnaire des plantes avec leurs emblèmes, an alphabetical listing of flowers is annotated with their sentiment and symbolic meaning; for example, Muguet (Lily of the Valley) symbolizes Retour du Bonheur (Return of happiness). In addition, the book includes a history of plants and their uses.