Birth flowers by month and what they mean

Every month has a birth flower (most have two), each with a meaning from the Victorian "language of flowers". Find yours, or pick a bouquet for someone's birthday.

Month	Birth flower	Second flower	Traditional meaning	In season (N. hemisphere)
January	Carnation	Snowdrop	love, fascination	forced / greenhouse
February	Violet	Primrose	modesty, faithfulness	late winter
March	Daffodil	Jonquil	new beginnings	early spring
April	Daisy	Sweet pea	innocence, loyal love	spring
May	Lily of the valley	Hawthorn	sweetness, return of happiness	late spring
June	Rose	Honeysuckle	love, devotion	early summer
July	Larkspur	Water lily	lightness, open heart	summer
August	Gladiolus	Poppy	strength of character, remembrance	late summer
September	Aster	Morning glory	wisdom, patience	late summer–autumn
October	Marigold	Cosmos	warmth, creativity	autumn
November	Chrysanthemum	—	friendship, long life	autumn
December	Narcissus	Holly	hope, good wishes	forced / winter

Why these flowers?

Most birth flowers are simply what blooms in that month in the Northern Hemisphere: daffodils in March, roses in June, asters in September. Winter months borrow long-lasting or forced flowers such as carnations and paperwhite narcissus. The meanings come mainly from 19th-century floriography, when books like Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (1884) gave each bloom a message.

In the Southern Hemisphere, some people swap to the flower of the opposite month so it's actually in season for their birthday.

Birth flower gift ideas

A small bunch of their birth flower with a note explaining its meaning.
Pressed birth-flower prints or jewellery for months whose flowers don't travel well (lily of the valley, larkspur).
A bulb to plant: daffodil, narcissus and gladiolus all grow from bulbs and come back each year.

Lily of the valley, narcissus, larkspur and daffodil are toxic if eaten, so keep them away from pets and small children.

More from your birth date

Birthday calculatorEverything about one birth date, on one ticket Age calculatorExact age in years, months and days Days livedDays, hours, heartbeats and milestones What day was I born?Your birth weekday, worked out by hand Age on other planetsYour age in Mercury, Mars or Neptune years What generation am I?Boomer to Gen Beta, by birth year Birthday countdownLive timer + a shareable link Half birthdayThe date six months after your birthday Birthday message writerA card message built from their birth date

Questions people ask

What is my birth flower?

January carnation, February violet, March daffodil, April daisy, May lily of the valley, June rose, July larkspur, August gladiolus, September aster, October marigold, November chrysanthemum, December narcissus. Most months also have a second flower.

What do birth flowers mean?

Each carries a traditional meaning from the Victorian language of flowers. For example, daffodils stand for new beginnings, roses for love, and chrysanthemums for friendship and long life.

What is the difference between birth flowers and birthstones?

Both are tied to your birth month. Birthstones come from a jewellery-industry list first standardised in 1912; birth flowers come from older folk and Victorian traditions and are based largely on what blooms that month.