Volume 2 delves into the historical roots and sources of flower symbolism, examining thirty-eight nineteenth-century language of flowers books and their illustrations, including various editions and reprints. It addresses questions and mysteries surrounding the tradition’s development.

Divided into seven chapters, Volume 2 opens with “Historic Roots of the Language of Flowers,” exploring how Chinese, Japanese, and Western flower calendars, as well as the Turkish language of flowers and objects, contributed to nineteenth-century European and North American flower associations.

“Sources of Flower Symbolism” identifies the diverse antecedents of flower associations, including plant characteristics, historical events, literature, folklore, mythology, religious traditions, plant names, and plant use.

“Illustrations in Language of Flowers Books” presents 232 illustrations from historic language of flowers books and identifies the artists and designers who created them.

The chapter on “Conundrums and Other Curiosities” tackles the challenge of dating books without publication dates and establishing which was the first North American language of flowers book. Other curiosities include typographical errors and the identification of obscure flowers.

The “Copycats and Copyright” chapter offers a revealing case study of nineteenth-century book publishing, when copyright protection was nonexistent or routinely ignored. It reveals the outcome of a lawsuit in which one publishing company sued another for copyright infringement and identifies instances in which entire dictionaries or whole sections of previously published books were appropriated. 

With its rich historical research, examination of 38 books, their editions and reprints, and 232 illustrations, Volume 2 is an unrivaled work of scholarship, illuminating the origins, influences, and inner workings of the language of flowers tradition with a depth and rigor that no previous work has achieved.