'flower-loving' originates from modern English as a compound of the noun 'flower' and the present participle 'loving'. 'Flower' ultimately comes from Old French 'flor' and Latin 'flos, floris', where 'flos' meant 'blossom'; 'loving' derives from Old English 'lufian', where 'lufu' meant 'love'.

'flower' changed from Old French 'flor' to Middle English forms such as 'flour'/'flour(e)' and eventually became modern English 'flower'; 'love' developed from Old English 'lufu' and the verb 'lufian' to Middle English 'loven' and modern 'love', with 'loving' as its present participle. The compound 'flower-loving' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Individually, 'flower' originally referred to a blossom and 'loving' to the feeling or action of love; together the compound has consistently meant 'fond of flowers' and has also been used in ecological contexts to mean 'attracted to flowers'.