August 14, 2020
Birthday Flowers: The Complete Guide of Birth Month Flowers
Everyone loves to receive flowers on their birthday, but you can really turn your gift into something meaningful by sending your loved ones their birth month flowers. You don’t know which flower corresponds with their birth month, you say? Well, today’s your lucky day because we’ve put together the handy Birthday Flowers guide below for your easy reference.
January: The Carnation
The birth flower for everyone born in January is the carnation. It’s also known as dianthus, sweet william or gillyflower. The carnation blooms in almost all the colors of the rainbow, like purple, red, yellow and even green. Carnations may look delicate but they can grow under extreme circumstances and will bloom during the winter months, as long as it’s not freezing. This flower symbolizes fascination, love and remembrance.
The secondary birth flower is the snowdrop, a flower that will also bloom during the months of January to March to make the cold winter months feel a little brighter. Wild snowdrop typically grows in large patches and resembles a field covered in snow. These flowers symbolize rebirth and hope — how fitting for the first month of the year!
Read more about the carnation flower in the detailed guide.
February: The Violet
The most commonly referred to birth flowers for February are the violet and primrose. The violet, which stems from the viola genus is a symbol of modesty, humility and faithfulness. Violets are named after their blue-purple color but they can also be found in yellow, blue and cream colors.
The secondary birth flower for February, the primrose, is a pale yellow flower that is edible! If you’re baking a birthday cake for a friend or family member born in February, consider yellow frosting and a few primroses for décor to personalize the cake.
March: The Daffodil
Daffodils ring in the spring and are the perfect birth flower for the month of March. These flowers stand for hope, rebirth and rejuvenation and are often referred to as trumpet narcissus. Daffodils carry different meanings in different cultures. In China, they are given as a token of good luck for the New Year, while a daffodil represents faithfulness in Wales. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed the flowers to have healing powers.
While there is no other March birth flower, anemones, tulips, irises and azaleas are often associated with this month as their blooming marks the beginning of spring. You can learn more about the origins of the daffodil in our in-depth article about the March birth flower.
April: The Daisy
The beautiful daisy symbolizes purity, new beginnings and true love. It’s the birth flower for anyone born in April and makes a wonderful choice to give in a spring bouquet! Gerbera daisies were discovered in the late 1800s in South Africa by a Scotsman who brought the flowers back to his home country. From there, they quickly became well-known and remain one of the most popular flowers to date.
The British also gave the flower its name, or so we’re told. It’s believed that the name derived from an old English saying “daes eage” or “day’s eye” because daisies open at the first touch of sunlight. If you’d like to learn more about the April birth flower, read about its origin and meaning in our detailed guide.
May: The Lily of the Valley
The springtime flower lily of the valley is the May birth flower. The sweetly-scented woodland flower is characterized by its bell-shaped white flower heads that open in late spring. Because the flower blooms in May, it’s also called May bells. The flowers symbolize sweetness, motherhood and humility and are often used in wedding bouquets.
The secondary birth flower for anyone born in May is the hawthorn which symbolizes hope and happiness. The hawthorn is technically a tree and can grow into a beautiful hedge with white or pink blossoms. Learn more about the history of the May birth flower.
June: The Rose
The rose is the official birth flower for the month of June. You’re not going to be surprised that the meaning of this flower is romance and love. The ancient Greeks and Romans associated the flower with their goddesses of beauty and love, Aphrodite and Venus, and the meaning stuck around for centuries to come.
However, different colored roses can change the symbolism of the flower. Yellow roses stand for friendship, white roses mean innocence or purity and pink roses symbolize perfect happiness. The honeysuckle is the other birth month flower for June.
Find out more about the history and meaning of the June birth flower.
July: The Larkspur
Larkspur are a species of the genus delphinium and the birth flower for the summer month of July. It’s said that the Tudors gave the flower its name because it resembled a lark’s spur with its tall spikes and colorful petals. The larkspur symbolizes dignity, grace and positivity.
The Water Lily is the secondary birth flower for this month. It stands for innocence, hope and rebirth. If you’d like to know how the larkspur is related to Greek mythology, check out our July birth flower article.
August: The Gladiolus
The August birth flower is the gladiolus. It stands for strength, integrity and remembrance but is also often associated with infatuation as Victorian romantics believed the flowers were able to pierce someone’s heart with their beauty.
The secondary birth flower for the month of August is the poppy. Like the gladiolus, it symbolizes remembrance. If you want to learn more about the gladiolus or find out what the August birthstone is, check out our article on the August birth flower.
September: The Aster
The vibrant aster is the birth flower of September. This pretty flower comes in a variety of colors from orange to red, white and all shades of pink and purple. The shape resembles a star which gave the flower its name. According to Greek mythology, the goddess Astraea once cried over a dark sky with too few stars to lighten up the night. Where her tears fell to the ground, beautiful star-shaped flowers grew. The aster symbolizes love, wisdom and royalty.
Morning glory, flowers that bloom in the early mornings, are also often associated with the month of August. Read more about the September birth flower and find out why butterflies love these flowers even more than we do!
October: Marigold
While the bright orange color of the marigold is what we know it for, the October birth flower also blooms in white and yellow. The flower is native in the Mediterranean and symbolizes creativity, passion and courage. The secondary birth flower for October is the cosmos.
During the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos, you can find the marigold decorating the streets of Mexico. In Mexican culture, the flower symbolizes the sun and light and is believed to help the spirits find their way from the cemetery to the altars where their lives are celebrated.
Read more about the symbolism and history of the October birth flower.
November: The Chrysanthemum
The chrysanthemum, often referred to as mum, is the only birth flower for the month of November. The meaning of this flower that was first cultivated in China around the 15th century is loyalty, joy and longevity.
The chrysanthemum is not only the November birth flower, it’s also the flower of choice to give on a 13th wedding anniversary to wish the couple a long and joyful life together!
December: The Narcissus
The narcissus is the birth flower for anyone who celebrates their special day in December and stands for faithfulness, good wishes and respect. Most flowers of the narcissus genus bloom in the early spring but species like the paperwhite narcissus can be found in all their glory in cold winter months like December as well.
Holly is also often associated with this month and is a beautiful choice if you want to embellish your gift wrapping. Read more about the Narcissus and find out why the birth flower for December is a sign of confidence and ambition.
These are the perfect flowers to include in a birthday flower bouquet so your friend or family member knows how much you appreciate them. The extra thought you put into sending them flowers for their special day won’t go unnoticed and it’ll be a great conversation starter at their birthday party!
