Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The Age of Innocence is filled with more flowers than a bridezilla wedding. From May's lilies-of-the-valley to Madame Olenska's roses, there are almost too many petals to keep track of. It's not just a game of he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not, though. It's about what flowers mean. That's right: different flowers have different meanings, and not only that, but flowers' meanings have changed over the last hundred and fifty years.
Nowadays, we associate red roses with Valentine's Day-style romance, but in the nineteenth century every flower had a meaning attached to it. Fortunately for those of us who aren't florally literate, the significance that Newland attaches to the flowers he gifts are very close to the classical "language of flowers" meaning.
Newland associates lilies-of-the-valley with purity and virginity, which is why he sends bushels of them over to his fiancée, May. The more official meaning of lilies-of-the-valley is a return of happiness, or future happiness. This is just as appropriate a meaning in the larger context of the novel. Newland picks May because she signifies future happiness to him. She's not giving him a whole lot of present happiness, that's for sure, but he crosses his fingers and thinks that if he marries the "right girl" (May), future happiness will be handed to him like a canapé at a reception.
When he sees the yellow roses at the florist, he feels that "there (is) something too rich, too strong, in their fiery beauty," (9.75) for May, so he sends them over to Madame Olenska. Tellingly, the flowers he picks match the passion that he can't admit to himself yet, because it's just too intense. The classic meaning of yellow roses is jealousy, infidelity, or adultery. Huh. How about that. Newland tries to engage in both infidelity and adultery with Countess Olenska. He's madly jealous when he thinks Countess Olenska is canoodling with Julius Beaufort, and his Ellen-love certainly inspires a tad bit of jealousy in May's tender bosom.
Flowers are also a status symbol in The Age of Innocence. The van der Luydens' expensive orchids grown at their Skuytercliff estate are a show of prestige. Julian Beaufort lavishes saucy red roses and pansies on Countess Olenska, and Marchioness Manson thinks that Count Olenska's vast gardens filled with roses almost redeem his bad behavior. (Source: Waid 342)