From peonies to snowdrops, each month has two birth flowers
When people ask you when your birthday is, they're likely trying to nail down your zodiac sign. There's also the Chinese zodiac, which relies on the lunar calendar and suggests that each year is represented by one of 12 animals. Looking for yet another way to interpret your birthday? Try birth flowers!
Birth flowers provide a visually appealing way to celebrate your birth month. Each month is associated with two flowers – a primary and a secondary – selected based on the time they blossom to coincide with the month they symbolise. These symbols are believed to encapsulate the personality traits of their respective month.
For instance, daffodils in March signify persistence and predictability, while chrysanthemums in November reflect complexity and depth. Whether rooted in Victorian traditions, Greek mythology or modern interpretations, birth flowers offer fascinating insights into both the months and the people they represent. They also make thoughtful, personalised gifts for a loved one's special day.
Read on to discover all 24 birth flowers, along with their meanings and symbolism.
In Ancient Greece, carnations were used as home decor and strung into garlands. The meaning of these ruffled blooms often goes hand in hand with their colour.
Red and pink symbolise love and affection, while yellow is much less cheerful, representing disappointment and rejection. If the flower is striped, regret is in your future.
As one of the first flowers of the year to bloom, often peeking through the snow, snowdrops are seen as a symbol of hope and new beginnings. This birth flower also represents the Greek goddess Persephone; its bloom signalled she was coming up from the underworld to usher in a new spring.
Resilient in nature, these common houseplants bloom during the depths of winter. During the Regency era, a gift of violets was a declaration of true intentions, and that goodwill has carried on. Today, violets of any colour symbolise modesty, faithfulness, innocence, and everlasting love.
The most intellectual of spring flowers, irises represent wisdom and courage. Named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, this birth flower also symbolises the link between Earth and Heaven. These days, they are also commonly associated with the passion of Christ and the resurrection, probably because the flower blooms in spring around Easter.
One of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, daffodils represent rebirth and new beginnings. In France, daffodils are a symbol of hope. However, gifting someone a single stem is bad luck, so always deliver a bunch.
The national flower of Japan, the sakura – also known as the cherry blossom – represents a time to reflect on renewal and optimism. Think of this birth flower as the floral equivalent of a spring reset. These stunning pink blooms mark the end of winter and signify the beginning of springtime.
Long considered a symbol of friendship, innocence, purity, and love, the daisy has no negative connotations. In Norse mythology, they represent love, beauty, and fertility. Give one to the friend best known to keep your secrets safe.
Tulips symbolise fame and can be seen as a declaration of true love. In the 1600s, before the Tulip Market crash in Amsterdam, the flowers were a sign of wealth and prosperity. Variegated or striped tulips, however, are a subtle way to tell someone they have beautiful eyes.
An aggressive grower, lily of the valley can spread rapidly, often covering entire fields. With its dainty and sweet-smelling blooms, this birth flower represents sweetness and purity. Because it appears as a prelude to summer, it can also signify a return to happiness. Just be aware that it's toxic to people and animals.
Signifying the optimism that May can bring, hawthorn's flowers are often used to represent hope and supreme happiness. These blooms also have a long medicinal history, having been used in ancient times to treat anxiety, digestive problems, and various skin conditions.
While there are more than a hundred types of roses, the essential meaning of this birth flower is the same: love. Different colours express it differently, though. Red symbolises long-lasting romantic love, orange is about excitement and desire, and yellow represents joy and friendship. The ancient Romans viewed roses as a representation of death and rebirth, often planting them on graves.
Sweet-smelling and tasting, honeysuckle can be found all over the world. Symbolising the bonds of love and enduring connections, this birth flower is perfect for both friends and loved ones alike. This flower also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine.
Notoriously poisonous, the meaning of larkspurs is surprisingly positive. These blooms often symbolise positivity and dedication. They grow quite tall and were planted as protection against ghosts and spirits in Victorian times.
Because they close up at night and rebloom with the rising sun, water lilies are often used to represent rebirth, transcendence, and renewal. These blooms have long been revered, and odes to them date back centuries.
Once showered upon victorious gladiators (hence their name), these sword-like flowers are symbolic of honour and victory. This birth flower is a traditional gift for those with a high moral character.
Just like in The Wizard of Oz, red poppies have historically meant pleasure, sleepiness, and oblivion. However, they can also symbolise dreaminess and the line between reality and imagination. These days, they're also used to memorialise soldiers who've been lost during combat.
Once a symbol of revolution, the aster is now commonly used to remember soldiers lost at war. Because it also symbolises patience, wisdom, and beauty, this birth flower is a traditional 20th wedding anniversary gift.
Morning glories have a long history of medicinal use, treating everything from headaches to rheumatism. But these colourful blooms are also known to represent unrequited love, affection, and the fleeting beauty of life, so they're perfect for the transitional month of September.
Used to string garlands and adorn altars during Mexico's Día de los Muertos festivities, marigolds are associated with death, grief, and the coming of winter. But thanks to their golden hue, they're also a bright light in the dark. These blooms are largely present in Indian wedding traditions as they are used to bestow brightness on the newlyweds.
Like the balancing scales of the Libra zodiac sign, cosmos flowers represent inner peace and equilibrium. This birth flower has been grown and cultivated for centuries and was beloved by the ancient Mayan people for its beauty and healing properties.
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