What Do All the Plant Emojis Mean?

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A guide to every tree, bush, leaf, fruit, and veggie in your emoji keyboard

Co-authored by Dan Hickey

Last Updated: January 7, 2026 Fact Checked

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Plant Emojis

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Flower Emojis

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Fruit Emojis

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Vegetable Emojis

There’s a full forest of plant emojis in your keyboard, and lots of them have slang or alternative meanings beyond just what the emoji shows. Read on for a full breakdown of every plant emoji and what they all mean. We’ve even covered all the flowers, fruits, and vegetables, too, so that you’ll always be in the know when you’re scrolling social media.

Note: Some emojis are not supported on older devices. These may render as square blocks on these.

Plant Emoji Meanings You May Not Know

The seedling 🌱 emoji often means someone is vegan when it’s in their profile.
The potted plant 🪴 and herb 🌿 emojis are used to talk discreetly about marijuana online.
The palm tree 🌴 emoji sometimes refers to Palm Sunday.
The cactus 🌵 emoji is sometimes used as a middle finger gesture online.
The sheaf of rice/wheat 🌾 emoji means “white people” in online discussions about race.

Section 1 of 4:

Plant Emoji Meanings

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1
Seedling 🌱: Gardening, growth, and new beginnings This emoji shows a small green sprout with 2 leaves, symbolizing new beginnings, growth, nature, spring, and gardening. More metaphorically, it can represent getting a fresh start or beginning a new project.
- Alternative meaning: On social media, the 🌱 emoji can also show that someone is a vegan when it’s included in a post or bio.
- “So excited to watch these little seedlings grow! 🌱”
- “I love this time of the year. Finally time to get back to gardening! 🌱”
2
Potted plant 🪴: Houseplants and indoor gardening The 🪴 emoji shows a green-leafed plant growing from a pot and represents gardening and home decor. It’s used to show an interest in houseplants or to symbolize adding a touch of green to your home environment.
- Alternative meaning: The “potted” plant is also used to represent marijuana (“pot”) in texting slang and to avoid content moderation on social media.
- “My microgreens are looking good today! ☀️🪴”
- “Do you have a 🪴 connection?”
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3
Evergreen tree 🌲: Forests and nature This emoji resembles a fir or pine tree that keeps its green foliage all year round. It represents nature, the outdoors, and forests, as well as the winter holiday season and Christmas. Metaphorically, it symbolizes timelessness and endurance.
- “Let’s plan a winter hike this year! 🌲❄️”
- “Just 3 more days until our cabin getaway in the woods 🌲⛺”
4
Deciduous tree 🌳: Growth, life, and natural beauty The 🌳 emoji shows a classic tree with leaves that shed in the autumn. It represents nature, growth, and the cycle of the seasons, as well as the environment and outdoor activities in general.
- Alternative meaning: The 🌳 emoji is sometimes used to represent weed since the foliage resembles a bud of marijuana.
- “There’s nothing like reading under the shade of an oak tree 😎🌳”
- “Who’s up for a picnic!? 🌳🧺”
5
Palm tree 🌴: Tropical and vacation vibes This emoji represents all things tropical and relaxing, from beaches and tropical climates to going on vacation (spring break!) and unwinding in warm, sunny weather. It’s a must-have for any vacation photo caption!
- Alternative meaning: Less often, the 🌴 emoji is used to represent the Christian holiday Palm Sunday.
- “I need a vacation NOW 🌴”
- “There’s nothing better than soaking up the sun on the beach 🌴☀️🏖️”
6
Cactus 🌵: Desert life The cactus emoji is most often used to represent literal cacti and other succulents, as well as desert climates in general. Metaphorically, it can also symbolize resilience, endurance, a “dry” sense of humor, or a situation that’s “thorny” or “prickly.”
- Alternative meanings: The 🌵 emoji is sometimes used as a stand-in for the middle finger in texts and social media. Less commonly, it can also be used as a sexual innuendo for a penis.
- “Off to Arizona! 🌵🏜️”
- “He’s about as cuddly as a cactus 🌵🙄”
7
Sheaf of rice 🌾: Agriculture This less commonly used emoji symbolizes harvests, agriculture, farming, and grain crops like rice or wheat. More broadly, it can also mean growth, nature, and rural or farming life.
- Alternative meaning: Since “wheat” sounds like “white,” the 🌾 emoji is sometimes used in online discussions about race and identity to represent white people and bypass content moderation for potentially offensive posts.^{[1]
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- “I love driving past the farms this time of year 🌾”
- “Visiting the countryside this weekend 🌾 It’s always good to be home!”
8
Herb 🌿: Culinary and medical plants The 🌿 emoji represents literal herbs that you would use to cook with, as well as anything related to gardening, healthy eating, cooking, or organic things.
- Alternative meaning: The 🌿 emoji is also commonly used to represent the cannabis plant in texts and social media.
- “No dish is complete without fresh herbs! 🌿😋”
- “Ugh I’m almost out of 🌿😞”
9
Shamrock ☘️: Good luck and Irish culture The shamrock represents Ireland and Irish heritage, including St. Patrick’s Day. It also means good luck, nature, and springtime.
- Alternative meaning: The shamrock is sometimes used to represent the Holy Trinity in Christianity because of its 3 leaves.
- “Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️🎉”
- “I’m feeling lucky this morning ☘️”
10
Four-leaf clover 🍀: Good luck and positivity Like the shamrock emoji, the four-leaf clover 🍀 represented all things Irish, good fortune, and positivity. Since it’s rare to find a four-leaf clover in nature, it’s considered even more lucky than a regular shamrock!
- “Today’s my lucky day! 🍀”
- “You’re truly one of a kind. Good luck today! 🍀”
11
Maple leaf 🍁: Autumn and Canadian culture The red-orange maple leaf symbolizes the changing of the seasons in fall, as well as a love for fall scenery, autumn coziness, and a love for nature (and of course, maple syrup!). It’s also featured on the Canadian flag, making it an emblem of Canadian patriotism.
- Alternative meaning: Even though the leaf is red, it sometimes means marijuana since it’s shaped similarly to a pot leaf.
- “Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year ❤️🍁”
- “I can finally cross Canada off my travel list! What a beautiful country 🍁🇨🇦”
12
Leaves 🍃: Breezy days and the movement of nature This emoji depicts green leaves fluttering in the wind, representing nature, freshness, and movement. Metaphorically, it can mean something is carefree or changing.
- Alternative meaning: On social media apps like TikTok, 🍃 is sometimes used to represent marijuana (although this one is a bit less common than other weed emojis).
- “I’m just gonna see where the wind takes me today 🍃”
- “It’s such a beautiful day outside! 🍃☀️🌬️”
13
Fallen leaves 🍂: Autumn and the passing of time The fallen leaves 🍂 emoji symbolizes autumn, the cycle of the seasons, and feelings of nostalgia or fleeting time. It’s a less energetic, more introspective emoji than 🍃.
- “Love the colors of fall! 🍂🍁”
- “Idk, I’m just feeling a little melancholy today 🍂😕”
14
Christmas tree 🎄: Christmas and winter festivities This one’s pretty self-explanatory. The 🎄 emoji symbolizes the Christian holiday Christmas, as well as winter festivities in general. It can also represent generosity and giving, holiday cheer, and warmth.
- “Only 4 more days until Christmas! 🎄🎁⛄”
- “I just love all the joy and fun this time of year brings 🎄❤️”
15
Leafless tree 🪾: Winter, natural cycles, and loneliness This bare tree with no leaves symbolizes winter, barrenness, rustic scenery, environmentalist concerns, and the cycles of nature. Metaphorically, it can represent stagnation or a lack of growth.
- “There’s something so quiet and peaceful about winter 🪾❄️”
- “We need to do more to protect the forests before it’s too late! 🪾”
16
Pine decoration 🎍: Kadomatsu (Japanese New Year decoration) A kadomatsu is a traditional Japanese ornament made of bamboo and pine and represents prosperity and good fortune. It’s a common New Year’s decoration believed to bring hope and renewal. It’s also known as the “bamboo emoji.”^{[2]
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- “Happy New Year! May your year be filled with joy and abundance. 🎍🎉”
- “Sending peaceful vibes your way this holiday season. 🎍🌟”
17
Tanabata tree 🎋: Japanese Tanabata festival The 🎋 is a traditional and festive Japanese tree (also known as the Star Festival tree) and is made of bamboo and paper strips. The Tanabata festival celebrates the mythological meeting of two stars, Orihime and Hikoboshi. The emoji also represents Japanese culture, good luck, wishes, and celebrations.^{[3]
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- “Happy Tanabata Festival! May all your wishes come true 🎋✨”
- “I'm heading to the Japanese market to get some Tanabata decorations 🎋”

Section 2 of 4:

Flower Emoji Meanings

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These flower emojis represent everything from spring and renewal to loss and grief. Your emoji keyboard is equipped with a whole host of colorful flowers, but did you know they all have a specific meaning besides their beautiful appearance? Here’s the real symbolism behind the flower emojis:^{[4]
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- Bouquet 💐: A colorful bunch of flowers representing love, appreciation, romantic gestures, and celebrations like Mother’s Day or weddings.
- Cherry blossom 🌸: A pink flower symbolizing beauty, springtime, and renewal (known as sakura in Japan).
- White flower 💮: A circular white flower representing purity, cleanliness, peace, and new beginnings.
- Rosette 🏵️: A circular flower design resembling a medal that symbolizes beauty, victory, and celebration.
- Rose 🌹: A red rose used to express love and romance, celebration, and beauty.
- Hibiscus 🌺: A pink or red tropical flower that represents tropical vibes, vacation, warmth, and relaxation.
- Sunflower 🌻: A large yellow sunflower symbolizing joy, sunshine and warmth, happiness, and positivity.
- Blossom 🌼: A yellow flower blossom representing springtime and new beginnings, happiness, and optimism.
- Tulip 🌷: An upright pink or red tulip that means love, affection, and the arrival of spring.
- Hyacinth 🪻: A large purple flower often used for decoration or as a gift that means beauty, springtime, calmness, and happiness.
- Lotus 🪷: A white or pink lotus flower meaning purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth in Buddhist and Hindu traditions.
- Wilted flower 🥀: A drooping red flower meaning sadness, loss, the end of a phase, or a lack of energy and vitality.

Section 3 of 4:

Fruit Emoji Meanings

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Many fruit emojis have alternate (and sometimes rated-R) meanings online. We’re not sure why, but the fruit emojis do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to special meanings! Be honest—how many of these did you know?^{[5]
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- Grapes 🍇: A grape bunch cut from the vine used to make wine.
  - Alternatively, the 🍇 emoji is used on social media platforms like TikTok to represent sexual assault in place of the word “r*pe.”^{[6]
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- Melon 🍈: A greenish-brown melon resembling a honeydew or cantaloupe.
  - Alternatively, the 🍈 emoji is used as sexual slang to represent breasts.^{[7]
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- Watermelon 🍉: A slice of watermelon showing the red flesh, black seeds, and green rind.
  - Alternatively, the 🍉 emoji can reference the flag of Palestine 🇵🇸 or be used in a derogatory way to reference Black people.^{[8]
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- Tangerine 🍊: A vibrant orange tangerine representing good health and vitamin C.
- Lemon 🍋: A bright yellow lemon made popular by Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade.
- Lime 🍋‍🟩: A light green lime wedge that also represents margaritas and Mexican cuisine.
- Banana 🍌: A ripe banana representing snacks, monkeys, or the visual gag of “slipping on a banana.”
  - Alternatively, the 🍌 emoji is a sexual innuendo representing a penis.
- Pineapple 🍍: A tilted pineapple fruit that is sometimes used to symbolize sex or an open/swinging relationship.
- Mango 🥭: A ripe mango fruit representing tropical climates and fruit.
- Red apple 🍎: A bright red apple that’s commonly associated with teachers, doctors (“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”), and New York (“The big Apple”).
- Green apple 🍏: A vibrant green apple that’s more tart than the red apple 🍎.
- Pear 🍐: A tilted green pear that can also represent a “pear-shaped” (prominent hips) body.
- Peach 🍑: A plump pink-orange peach most often used to represent a butt or to refer to impeachment.
- Cherries 🍒: A pair of cherries joined at the stem often used to represent breasts or testicles on social media apps like TikTok.
- Strawberry 🍓: A strawberry with green leaves representing all things fun, cute, and sweet.
- Blueberries 🫐: A cluster of blueberries meaning summertime, relaxation, healthy eating, and sweet things.
- Kiwi 🥝: A sliced kiwi fruit associated with people from New Zealand (nicknamed “kiwis” after the bird).
- Tomato 🍅: A red tomato representing cooking, gardening, and healthy cooking.
  - Alternatively, the 🍅 emoji can express disapproval (as in “throwing rotten tomatoes” at an unsatisfactory performer).
- Olive 🫒: A pitted green olive used to discuss olives, the color green, Mediterranean cuisine, or martinis.
- Coconut 🥥: A cracked-open coconut shell representing tropical climates, fruits, and drinks, or the sentiment of “being tough to crack.”
  - Alternatively, the 🥥 emoji can refer to former Vice President of the US Kamala Harris and her viral speech clip: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”^{[9]
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  - The coconut emoji can also be used as sexual slang for breasts.

Section 4 of 4:

Vegetable Emoji Meanings

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The veggie emojis pack tons of nutrition—and just as many slang meanings. Take a scroll through every vegetable emoji and what they really mean. Depending on which corner of the Internet you inhabit, you may be surprised…^{[10]
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- Avocado 🥑: A half an avocado with the pit showing, often meaning healthy eating, Mexican cuisine like guacamole, or being “basic.”
  - Alternatively, the 🥑 emoji is used to reference millennials and millennial jokes (as in, “You can’t afford a home because you buy too much avocado toast”).
- Eggplant 🍆: A purple, tilted eggplant widely used to represent a penis.
- Potato 🥔: A russet potato that represents cooking, frying, baking, or mashing.
  - Alternatively, 🥔 can be used as an insult for someone based on their appearance or intelligence.^{[11]
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- Carrot 🥕: A bright orange carrot representing gardening and healthy eating.
- Corn 🌽: An ear of corn in a husk, often used in place of the word “porn” on social media to avoid getting flagged for inappropriate content.
- Hot pepper 🌶️: A bright red pepper that symbolizes anything hot and spicy (literally or as an innuendo).
- Bell pepper 🫑: A ripe, green bell pepper representing vegetables, cooking, and healthy eating in general.
- Cucumber 🥒: A sliced cucumber that’s also sometimes used to represent pickles.
- Leafy greens 🥬: A head of leafy greens that can represent lettuce, chard, cabbage, bok choy, or other veggies.
- Broccoli 🥦: A floret or head of broccoli, sometimes used to represent a bud of marijuana.
- Onion 🧅: A round, yellow onion that symbolizes cooking, eating, crying, or the concept of “having layers.”
- Garlic 🧄: A bulb of garlic used to represent cooking, eating, bad breath, or protection from vampires.
- Peanuts 🥜: A pair of peanuts that can represent a cute nickname for children (“peanuts”), peanut butter, or other edible nuts like almonds or cashews.
  - Alternatively, 🥜 can be used as sexual slang for “nuts” (testicles) or “to nut” (ejaculate).^{[12]
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- Beans 🫘: A cluster of beans representing eating, coffee beans, or flatulence.
  - Alternatively, 🫘 can be used in place of phrases like “cool beans” or “spill the beans.”
- Pea pod 🫛: A split-open pea pod that represents peas and vegetables or the color green.
  - Alternatively, 🫛 can refer to the phrase “two peas in a pod.”
- Chestnut 🌰: A red-brown chestnut representing winter and Christmas (like in the lyric, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”).
  - Alternatively, 🌰 can refer to “nuts” (as in the slang for “testicles”) or be used as slang for “breasts” when doubled up.
- Ginger 🫚: A piece of ginger root symbolizing spice, flavor, or cooking.
  - Alternatively, 🫚 can refer to the nickname for redheads, “ginger.”
- Root vegetable 🫜: A generic root vegetable resembling a beetroot, radish, or rutabaga.
- Brown mushroom 🍄‍🟫: A culinary mushroom representing edible fungi like cremini, shiitake, or portobello mushrooms.
- Mushroom 🍄: A red-capped toadstool with white spots symbolizing wild mushrooms, poisonous things, and fairytales, fantasies, or video games (like Super Mario).
  - Alternatively, 🍄 represents psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms.
- Sweet potato 🍠: A sliced, roasted sweet potato representing autumn eats and cooking or potatoes in general.