'tender-flowered' originates from the combination of 'tender' and 'flowered', where 'tender' meant 'delicate or fragile' and 'flowered' referred to having flowers.

The term 'tender-flowered' evolved from the Middle English word 'tendre' and the Old English 'flor' (flower), eventually becoming the modern English term 'tender-flowered'.

Initially, it meant 'having delicate flowers', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.