Plants in Tarot Cards: Roses, Lilies, and More
Learn the rich symbolism of the flowers, fruits, and vines found in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot.
Key Takeaways
- The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot tradition defined the popular botanical symbolism still used in contemporary decks.
- Flowers appear frequently, representing different points on the path to spiritual enlightenment and emotional fulfillment.
- Throughout the deck, greenery represents growth -- sometimes inhibited or hidden, but always there.
What are the fruits seen on The High Priestess and The Empress? Why does Death have a flower on its flag? It makes sense for the Sun card to bear sunflowers, but do they mean something more? Glancing over any deck inspired by the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) tradition could have you asking these questions.
The relationship between the Tarot and the natural world is as old as the cards themselves, but the imagery wasn't always as lush as in the decks we hold today. Early Tarot traditions, like the Visconti-Sforza or the Tarot de Marseilles, used stylized, often geometric floral patterns that served more as ornamentation than narrative (especially on the Minor Arcana cards). However, when the RWS (née Rider-Waite) deck was published in 1909, illustrator Pamela Colman Smith and occultist A.E. Waite revolutionized the medium. In the RWS tradition, plants can show a specific spiritual state, symbolize emotional maturity, or foretell destined events.
What are the most meaningful plants in a standard Tarot deck?
White Flowers
Cards: The Fool, The Magician, Strength, Death, Six of Cups, Ace of Pentacles
In the RWS lexicon, white flowers -- most notably the lily and the rose -- represent purity, the unconscious mind, and the process of spiritual refinement. In The Fool, the protagonist clutches a single white rose. This represents the Fool’s untainted desires and innocence before his journey begins. Conversely, in the Death card, the same white rose appears on a black banner, symbolizing that even in endings, there is a new beginning through the purification of the soul. The Six of Cups is at a less specific place in this journey. It symbolizes memory and nostalgia, with its white lilies emerging from golden cups, suggesting the remembered purity of childhood.
Red Flowers
Cards: The Magician, Strength, Ace of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles, King of Pentacles
Where white represents the spirit, red represents the blood, the drive, and the physical world. Red roses are the primary botanical shorthand for human passion and desire. In The Magician, we see a canopy of red roses above and a garden of white lilies below, uniting physical action and metaphysical hope. This duality repeats in the Ace of Pentacles, where a hand emerges from the clouds over a garden of red roses and white lilies, signaling that a new material opportunity should be grounded in both passion and purity.
In Strength, a garland of red and white flowers binds the woman to the lion, suggesting that her power comes not from conquering her wilder instincts, but from balancing her civilized and primal urges. The Queen and King of Pentacles further this with the red blossoms on their crowns, anchoring their high status in the fertile, physical reality of the earth.
Other Flowers
Cards: Temperance, The Sun, Ace of Cups
Beyond the binary of red and white, specific species bring unique energetic signatures. In Temperance, the golden irises (named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow) symbolize the bridge between heaven and earth, echoing the angel’s balance of water and fire. The Sun is dominated by massive sunflowers that turn toward the light, mirroring the card’s themes of joy, vitality, and the "blossoming" of the ego. In the Ace of Cups, water lilies float upon the surface of a pond, their roots in the mud and petals in the air, illustrating how deep emotions can rise to become spiritual offerings.
Trees and Other Greenery
Cards: The Empress, The Hanged Man, The World, Two of Cups, Seven of Cups, Ace of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles, King of Pentacles
Greenery in the Tarot often represents the "living" aspect of wisdom -- growth that is slow, steady, and enduring. In The Empress, we see the ultimate expression of this: a laurel-wreathed-and-star-crowned figure surrounded by a lush forest, embodying the creative force of Mother Nature. In contrast, The Hanged Man hangs from a "living gallows," a T-shaped cross (Tau) that still sprouts green leaves. This indicates that even in periods of suspension or sacrifice, there is life and spiritual growth occurring beneath the surface.
The World card frames the cosmic dancer in a massive green wreath, a symbol of completion and the cyclical nature of time. Similarly, the Two of Cups and Seven of Cups utilize wreaths to denote victory or the "crowning" of an emotional choice. The Ace of Swords is tempered by both a palm leaf, another symbol of victory, and an olive branch, showing the potential for peace.
In the suit of Pentacles, greenery becomes a measure of wealth. The Seven of Pentacles shows a gardener contemplating his harvest, while the Nine and Ten of Pentacles (as well as the King and Queen) use dense foliage and vines to showcase the "fruit" of one's labors and the legacy of a well-tended life.
Nurture the seeds of truth till you flourish into a wise oak with the Tree of Life Tarot reading!
Fruit and Edible Plants
Cards: The High Priestess, The Empress, The Lovers, The Devil, Three of Cups
Edible plants represent the results (fruits, as it were) of our actions. Whatever we sowed, we're about to reap! The Empress sits before a field of ripe wheat, signaling her role as the provider and the source of abundance. In The Lovers, the botanical choices are stark: the Tree of Knowledge (apples) stands behind the woman, while the Tree of Life (fire) stands behind the man, representing alternate paths with their own benefits and drawbacks.
The High Priestess sits before a veil patterned with pomegranates. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate is linked to Persephone and the underworld; here, it symbolizes the hidden fertility of the subconscious. (The Empress herself also wears pomegranates, though we'll get more into that in the next section.)
The Three of Cups shows three figures dancing in a field rich with pumpkins, toasting to the fruits of their combined labor.
On a darker note, The Devil features two chained figures, one with grape clusters on their tail, the other with flames -- calling back to The Lovers' juxtaposition of fruit and fire. The Devil does not say that worldly indulgences are evil; it just wants us to be aware of their potential to keep us stuck in bad habits.
Nature Motifs
Cards: The Fool, The Empress, The Hierophant, Page of Cups, Nine of Swords, Nine of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles, King of Pentacles
In several instances, a card's featured plants are woven right into the character design. The Fool wears a tunic embroidered with a floral pattern, potentially medlar fruits or another leafy plant. In The Hierophant, we see a fascinating contrast: one supplicant wears a robe of red roses (passion/desire), while the other wears lilies (thought/purity), representing the different paths to the divine.
The Page of Cups sports a floral tunic (frequently referred to as lotuses or tulips) that reflects his youthful, poetic nature, while the King of Pentacles wears a robe heavily embroidered with grapes, visually merging his identity with his vast, material wealth. The Empress, too, symbolizes her abundance with her robe adorned with pomegranates. Even in the Nine of Swords, a card typically associated with regret or pain, the bedding is adorned with red roses -- a reminder that even in our darkest moments, the potential for life and passion remains with us.
The Suit of Wands & Living Wood
The Wands (also known as Staves or Rods) are not just wooden sticks. In the RWS deck, they are "Living Wood" (reminiscent of The Hanged Man), drawn with fresh leaves still sprouting from the grain. This connects us to the element of Fire -- raw, growing energy that’s often associated with the suit of Wands. Within this lively, leafy suit, there are also specific cards with extra meaningful plant symbolism.
- The Queen of Wands is the most botanically inclined of her suit, holding a sunflower and sitting on a throne carved with the same, signifying her radiant, charismatic power.
- The Knight of Wands shows leaves on his horse’s reins, suggesting his headlong rush is fueled by natural impulse.
- The Six of Wands uses greenery to denote social victory, with the rider wearing a laurel wreath and his staff bearing another.
- The Two and Four of Wands use garlands and heraldic flowers to mark the transition from personal success to the establishment of a home or a kingdom.
How do alternative popular Tarot traditions utilize plants?
While the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the gold standard for botanical storytelling, other traditions take different paths. The Tarot de Marseilles uses more abstract, folk-art florals that focus on symmetry and rhythm rather than specific species. The Crowley Thoth Tarot, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, uses more esoteric, geometric, and often psychedelic plant imagery that leans into the "Art Deco" style to explain Alchemical processes. The Visconti-Sforza cards, being Renaissance artifacts, used plants primarily as status symbols or decorative fillers. None, however, match the "narrative botany" that Smith pioneered.
How are plants used in contemporary Tarot decks?
It’s a testament to the power of these plant symbols that contemporary decks, even those that look nothing like the 1909 Rider edition, still honor the botanical beats laid down by Smith and Waite. In the vibrant Cosmic Slumber Tarot, the High Priestess retains her pomegranates as a link to the deep psyche. In the minimalist Mystic Mondays, the Fool holds his singular white flower, though rendered in sleek, modern vectors. And of course, there are decks like The Herbal Tarot that put plant life in every single card. We continually use the language of the Earth to describe the soul.
