The official flower of Mother's Day is the carnation. It has been used as a symbol of motherly love and gratitude since the early 20th century, when Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day, distributed carnations at the first Mother's Day service in West Virginia. White carnations were meant to represent deceased mothers, while pink or red carnations were for honoring living mothers. Nowadays, other flowers are also commonly given on Mother's Day, such as roses, lilies, and tulips.