In embodiments of virtual addressing for mesh networks, a node in a mesh network publishes packets and/or subscribes to packets using a virtual address that is derived from a unique identifier. The unique identifier has a larger address space than the destination address field of the packet. The unique identifier and an application key are hashed to elide the unique identifier from the destination address that is transmitted in the packet over the mesh network. A node receiving the packet can determine that the address is a virtual address, and disambiguate the destination address to determine that the virtual address corresponds to a unique identifier known to the receiving node.