"Anthurium Redux - FWIW"

Back in May after "There's No Place Like Home" aired, I tried to find some info on the meanings of the flower used as a directional signpost to the secret hatch in the Orchid Station. I didn't find much except, "...two Victorian meanings in anthurium-giving; either hospitality or intense attraction." I didn't put much importance on either symbolic intention, even though we were given the flashback of Ben's possessive feelings for Juliet.

Then today I was reading a book that I bought because I'm going to begin drawing and taking photos of stone statues soon. The book is, "Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography." Under Anthurium, it says: "Although there is not a lot of symbolism attached to the anthurium, it is often used to decorate graves in Hawaii...a gift of an anthurium from a man to a woman is supposed to signify his enormous attraction to her, for reasons that do not need to be explained."

I doubt that TPTB purposely put this plant in the show to point to Ben's seemingly unhealthy affection for Juliet, but I thought that it was interesting just the same to imagine Ben nurturing this plant that held the meaning of the feelings that he obviously felt for her. Considering that Juliet was so clueless as to Ben's affections (even though others seemed to notice) and the way he insisted that she should have known as they stood over Goodwin's corpse, "reasons that do not need to be explained", took on some interesting meaning in distant hindsight. Just sayin'. :-)