Waxflower
FillerAll seasons
True to its name, the waxflower is an Australian native filler whose small blooms — glossy as if brushed with a thin coat of wax — crowd densely along every branch. Each star-shaped flower opens five petals smaller than a fingernail, yet when dozens of them hang in a row down a single branch and bloom together in a cluster, they carry the dainty presence of a scattering of little stars. Short, needle-thin leaves wrap the branches so densely that a gentle rub releases a faint, fresh green scent — a charm all this flower's own. A plant of the myrtle family that grew in the dry scrubland of Western Australia, it was shaped by long endurance of water-starved ground, so it scarcely wilts even after being cut. The name waxflower comes from the waxen shine of its petals, and its colors run from pink through white to soft lilac, so from the tail of winter into spring it is not hard to find at the flower market.
The story of its meaning
The Pink Waxflower means "Enduring love", and the White Waxflower means "Enduring happiness". Both meanings spring from the flower's uncommon vitality. Cloaking its leaves and blooms in a wax-like film to survive parched, dry ground, the waxflower keeps its freshness far longer than most flowers even after it has been cut and set in a vase. The way it refuses to wilt and holds its color to the very end came to be read as a heart that endures unchanged as time passes. So the pink shade holds a love that never cools with the years, and the white a happiness that carries on and on. It is no accident that the waxflower is a favorite in wedding bouquets and flower crowns, either — few meanings suit a place where two people wish to cherish each other in happiness for a long time to come as well as "Enduring love" and "Enduring happiness". Small and unassuming though its little blooms are, the constancy held within them rings out no less than a larger flower.
Meanings by color
- Pink WaxflowerEnduring love
- White WaxflowerEnduring happiness
When to gift it
The waxflower is a fine flower to hand to a relationship that has weathered a long stretch of time together. True to the Pink Waxflower's language of "Enduring love", it quietly stands in for the heart at the anniversary of a couple or a married pair who have shared many years. As a supporting player that fills densely around the main flowers rather than stepping out in front, making the whole bouquet fuller and more solid, it suits a moment where you want to add an unchanging heart without a word. The White Waxflower's "Enduring happiness" carries the sentiment at moments that wish a new happiness to last, like a wedding or a housewarming. Because it is such a long-lasting flower, the person who receives it can keep its freshness by their side for days on end — a welcome reason to reach for it when you want your care to be remembered for a good while. Tuck it in when you want to convey steady gratitude to a parent or a longtime friend.
Pairing tips
The waxflower takes the filler's role in a bouquet, packing tiny blooms into the empty spaces between large, round mains like Roses and Peonies. Being a spray flower whose single branch sends out many blooms, just a few added stems close up the loose gaps of a bunch naturally, and its little starlike flowers set off the volume of the larger blooms all the more. When matching colors, tie the Pink Waxflower in analogous harmony with a warm-toned main like a pink rose or peony and the tone carries through softly, while the White Waxflower is unfussy about color and blends easily with any main. Its slender, deep-green leaves do the work of a green material on their own, so set beside foliage like Eucalyptus or Ruscus it brings out a natural, wild grain. Thanks to its long-lasting nature it dries well, keeping its form and color even as a dried flower, which makes it a fitting material for a bouquet or crown meant to be kept and enjoyed for a long time.