Birth flowers, month by month
Every month of the year is linked to one or two birth flowers, much like each month has a birthstone. Each carries its own symbolism drawn from history, folklore, and the language of flowers.
Quick Lookup
I was born in…
Please select a month.
What Are Birth Flowers?
A birth flower is the flower traditionally assigned to the month a person was born. Most months are linked to flowers that naturally bloom around that time of year. These associations grew from European and North American floral traditions, including the Victorian “language of flowers,” where each bloom carried its own meaning.
Like birthstones, birth flowers give each month its own traditional symbol and are a popular choice for personalized gifts. Because there is no single official list, the flowers assigned to a month can vary between countries and traditions, reflecting different regional customs and growing seasons.
Why Does Each Month Have Two Birth Flowers?
Most months are paired with two birth flowers, usually a primary and a secondary bloom. This developed for a few practical reasons. Floral traditions grew separately in different countries, so a second flower often reflects a regional custom that was added over time.
Seasonal availability also plays a part. A flower that blooms reliably in one climate may be scarce in another, so a second option gives more people a flower they can actually find in season. Botanical variety matters too: having two flowers per month covers a wider range of colours, forms, and meanings, making it easier to choose one that suits the occasion or the person.
Birth flowers by month
Here is a quick overview of the birth flowers for every month, with both blooms for each. Select any month to open its full guide, or jump straight to an individual flower for its symbolism, botanical name, and care details.
September: Aster, the star flower
Named for the Greek word for star, the aster has meant wisdom, patience, and enduring love since it was scattered by grieving goddesses across the autumn fields. It is the flower for the thoughtful ones — for the ones born as the light turns.
More than a pretty bloom
Where each tradition began — from Roman festivals to Victorian floriography and the Japanese hanakotoba.
What each flower says without a single word: love, resilience, remembrance, and quiet hope.
The right stem for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and sympathy — with etiquette from working florists.
A month, a meaning
The mood and symbolism of each month at a glance.
January · Carnation & Snowdrop
A month of fresh beginnings, January is associated with love, hope, resilience, and looking ahead with optimism.
February · Violet & Primrose
February’s flowers celebrate loyalty, devotion, affection, and the quiet strength that comes with enduring winter.
March · Daffodil & Jonquil
March welcomes spring with symbols of renewal, optimism, friendship, and fresh starts.
April · Daisy & Sweet Pea
April represents innocence, happiness, gratitude, and the joyful energy of spring in full bloom.
May · Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn
May is linked with happiness, hope, love, and renewal as gardens reach their seasonal peak.
June · Rose & Honeysuckle
June celebrates love, passion, devotion, and lasting affection, reflecting the warmth of early summer.
July · Larkspur & Water Lily
July represents positivity, grace, emotional strength, and deep personal connections during the height of summer.
August · Gladiolus & Poppy
August symbolizes strength, integrity, imagination, and remembrance through its bold late-summer blooms.
September · Aster & Morning Glory
September is associated with wisdom, faith, affection, and embracing the transition into autumn.
October · Marigold & Cosmos
October reflects warmth, harmony, optimism, remembrance, and the rich beauty of the autumn season.
November · Chrysanthemum & Peony
November celebrates prosperity, happiness, loyalty, and enduring good fortune through its late-season flowers.
December · Holly & Narcissus
December symbolizes hope, resilience, renewal, and goodwill, offering a fitting close to the year.
How To
Find your birth flower
- Find your birth month in the list above.
- Note the one or two flowers traditionally associated with that month.
- Remember that most months have two birth flowers because different regions developed different floral traditions.
- Choose either flower if you have two options, or explore both to see which meaning resonates more with you.
- Click through to the individual flower guide for details on symbolism, botanical facts, history, blooming season, and care.
- Use the flower’s meaning as a personal symbol, gift idea, or celebration theme for birthdays and special occasions.
Understanding the meanings
The meanings attached to birth flowers come mostly from floral symbolism, a tradition with roots in many cultures. In the Victorian era, sending a particular flower was a quiet way to express a feeling that might be awkward to say aloud, and printed dictionaries of “floriography” gave each bloom a defined message.
Symbolism also varies by culture. A flower may stand for celebration in one country and remembrance in another; the chrysanthemum, for example, is a joyful bloom in parts of Asia yet associated with funerals in much of Europe. These differences are a normal part of flower language and explain why you may find more than one meaning for the same flower.
FAQ
Frequently asked
A birth flower is the flower traditionally linked to the month a person was born. Each month has one or two, and they work much like birthstones as a simple symbol of that month.
Most birth flowers were assigned based on when they bloom or are harvested, then carried forward through European and North American floral traditions. There was no single official body that set the lists, so they grew through custom rather than rule.
A second flower usually reflects a regional tradition, a flower that is easier to find in season in a given climate, or simply a wider choice of colours and meanings. Months often have a primary and a secondary bloom for these reasons.
Yes. Different countries developed their own customs, so the flower listed for a month in one source may differ from another. Flower meanings can also vary between cultures, which is a normal part of floral symbolism.
No, but they serve a similar purpose. Both give each month its own symbol used for gifts and personalisation. One is a flower, and the other a gemstone, and their lists were set by separate traditions.
Birth flowers are assigned by birth month rather than your exact birthday. Everyone born within the same month shares the same traditional birth flower or flowers.
Yes. Most people have two flowers for their birth month, and you may also find an alternative flower listed in a different regional tradition. Many people simply pick the one they prefer.