Here's What Your Birth Month Flowers Symbolize

Primary (left): Carnation

With ruffle-like petals and a strong, spicy fragrance, carnations stand as January's primary birth flower. Originally light pink or pale orange in hue, the colors of the carnation have expanded to include red, purple, green and even bi-color and frosted varieties. Each shade symbolizes a slightly different meaning, but most believe carnations represent a mother's love.

Secondary (right): Snowdrop

Hailed as the "earliest garden flower to bloom," according to the Almanac, snowdrops trace their name back to Greek genus origins, meaning milk (gala) flower (anthos). The snowy white botanical often symbolizes sympathy and celebration, providing compassion through difficult times.

Primary (left): Violet

Named after their purple hue, violets are native to woodland regions of the Northern Hemisphere due to their cold and light tolerances. Violets also come in shades of blue, yellow, white and cream. The small flower is said to symbolize modesty, faithfulness and remembrance.

Secondary (right): Primrose

One of the first blooming flowers of spring, the primrose gleans its name from the Latin word 'primus,' further bolstering its front-running position of growth. It buds well in February due to its preference for cool, shaded areas. The yellow, pink, red, white or violet bloom is said to evoke protection, safety and love.

Primary (left): Daffodil

"Daffodils are named the March birth month flower because they naturally bloom in the wild/outdoors in the spring," says Connare. Their natural makeup includes six petals and a trumpet with frilly ends. The flower is natively seen in hues of yellow or white. Because of their early bloom, they are said to represent rebirth and new beginnings as well as good luck and happiness.

Secondary (right): Jonquil

If you're curious why daffodils and jonquils look so similar, it's because they belong to the same genus. The Almanac notes, "all jonquils are daffodils, but not all daffodils are jonquils." Because they're tied so closely, it makes sense that the jonquil would be the sister flower of March. They carry a similar meaning of hope and renewal.

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Primary (left): Daisy

"Day's eye," now known as the daisy, got its name from its petal habits. They open themselves up during the day and close at night, like a matinee show. The daisy can be identified by two parts: the center disc and floret petals, which reach out from the inner circle. The well-known floral is said to symbolize innocence, purity and true love.

Secondary (right): Sweet Pea

The 'pea' of sweet pea isn't a coincidence. The April bloom is actually related to beans and other legumes. However, just because it's similar doesn't make the sweet pea edible — it's actually toxic to humans and animals. The annual blooms are said to convey endings and gratitude, as well as kind wishes and friendship.

Primary (left): Lily of the Valley

A sweet, bell-like flower, Lily of the Valley, garnered its name from Biblical origins where it's said that the flower was born out of Eve's tears after she was cast out of the Garden of Eden. Ironically, the Lily of the Valley is not a member of the lily family. It's a member of the asparagus family, hailed as a symbol of sweetness and purity.

Secondary (right): Hawthorn

A relative of several fruits, such as apples, cherries and pears, hawthorn is also a fruit-bearing plant. It produces pomes that redden as they mature. The botanical's most notable feature is its one- to three-inch thorns, noted in the name. The tree and shrub flowering plant is said to symbolize strength, hope and healing.

Primary (left): Rose

Surprising to many, rose is not the birth flower of February but rather the flower of June because that is when the famed bloom is at its best. While different rose colors often mean different things, the flower as a whole is frequently used as a symbol of love, beauty and affection.

Secondary (right): Honeysuckle

Strongly scented honeysuckle can be easily identified thanks to its tubular shape, starring in hues of white, yellow, purple, red and pink. The name is believed to have literal origins, as the flower produces a sweet nectar once picked. The commonly planted flower is said to symbolize happiness and affections of new love.

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Primary (left): Larkspur

Renowned for its height, the larkspur can grow up to three feet tall, often blooming in early summer. While stunning to view, the blue, pink, white and purple flower is greatly poisonous if ingested, so it's best to admire its beauty and symbolism from afar. The larkspur is said to represent positivity, loving connections and sincerity.

Secondary (right): Water Lily

Split into two varieties, tropical and hardy, water lilies gently rest atop ponds, lakes and rivers in a delicate display of nature. Depending on the type, the water lily opens its petals in the morning and closes by the afternoon or opens at dusk and closes before noon. The botanical is important to the ecosystem and symbolizes purity, innocence and chastity.

Primary (left): Gladiolus

As a member of the Iris family, Gladiolus can grow between two to five feet tall, blooming from bottom to the top. The botanical peaks from mid-to late summer and comes in a host of vibrant hues from pink, red and purple to white and yellow. The stalk-like plant is said to symbolize strength and love.

Secondary (right): Poppy

Known for their medicinal purposes, the poppy flower is also commonly grown for its seeds, which are used for culinary reasons. The bloom of a poppy has four to six petals and appears downturned as a bud before opening. The botanical, which prefers cooler summer temperatures, symbolizes remembrance, peace and resurrection.

Primary (left): Aster

"Asters have long been a symbol of love and wisdom, patience and beauty, and are also associated with faith, friendship, and purity," says Connare. "Purple asters are considered a royal color and a symbol of wisdom, white asters represent innocence, red is a sign of devotion and passion, and pink symbolizes love and kindness."

Secondary (right): Morning Glory

Morning Glory flowers are a fast-growing botanical with a quirky schedule. They open their petals up toward the sun in the morning and close back up by the afternoon. The bloom is said to symbolize love in many forms, depending on its color: blue for enduring love, red for passionate love, white for true love, pink for grateful love and purple for young love.

Primary (left): Marigold

Easy-to-grow marigolds are recognizable for their vibrant yellow-orange hue. People once believed the flower was poisonous due to its strong scent, but they are generally considered to be non-toxic. Instead, the October flower is said to represent optimism, prosperity, cheer and success.

Secondary (right): Cosmos

Cosmos supply color to an autumn garden. They symbolize "order and harmony of the universe," which stems from their Greek genus, 'kosmos.' Connare hypothesizes, "Maybe [it's] because they have medicinal properties that can make people feel well and thus in harmony with the world, including repelling bacteria and inflammation and improving circulation. It was also believed that cosmos attract fairies to the garden."

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Primary (left): Chrysanthemum

"The agreed-upon birth month flower for November, chrysanthemum, is readily available almost everywhere in North America in late fall, can be showcased in a container or planted in the ground and comes in many colors, so it’s versatile as a birth month flower," says Connare. The layered and frequently vibrant flower symbolizes friendship, happiness and well-being.

Secondary (right): Peony

The secondary flower of November is where opinions differ. There is no readily agreed-upon bloom, so many websites do not list a second flower for the eleventh month of the year. However, many sources seem to suggest the peony as the sister flower of November. The peony has six official forms, and each one is said to represent intrigue, beauty and contemplation.

Primary (left): Paperwhite Narcissus

"The paperwhite narcissus is what is tied to December as a birth month flower, likely because they are easily forced to bloom indoors in the wintertime," says Connare. Since they are not sturdy enough to sustain an American winter, they are frequently grown in pots and planters indoors. The daffodil kin are said to symbolize individualism and unconditional love.

Secondary (right): Holly

A shrub bearing red berries and blooms, holly carries significant cultural ties to the month of December. Ancient groups used to bring holly into their homes during the winter solstice to protect against dark and evil spirits, so it is believed that holly contains powers of renewal and light.

To learn about the history of birth flowers and their meanings, we tapped the Editor-in-Chief of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Carol Connare, for her expert insights.

“[Birth flowers] are the product of folklore and tradition that dates to ancient times,” says Connare. “The language of flowers, including their symbolic meanings, is present in ancient Greek mythology, and ancient texts from China, Egypt and Rome, as well as folklore from Asian and European cultures.”

These flowers, associated with a specific month, often reflect the botanical’s best time for bloom, helping gardeners in centuries prior map their planting schedule to reach optimal botanical growth. Lily of the Valley, for instance, is a delicate, bell-shaped flower that reaches peak bloom in May, its designated birth month. While most birth flowers follow this rule of blooming within their set month, it’s not a steadfast edict.

While flower meanings "don’t necessarily signify [the] personality traits of people born in that month, they are about the symbolism of the flower itself," says Connare. Innocence, patience and beauty are just a few examples of attributes tied to florals.

If you search the words ‘birth flowers,’ you may notice conflicting opinions about which flower is associated with which month. Connare says it’s “because not all cultures agree on which flowers correspond to which months or meanings, plus some flowers simply aren’t as available in certain regions during the designated month.”

Therefore, the categories of ‘primary flowers’ and ‘secondary flowers’ were born. Your primary flower is the most widely agreed-upon floral for your month. If you’ve heard of birth flowers before, this bloom is likely the one that comes to mind for you. Your secondary flower is up for greater debate, as it’s often tied closer to your region and natural climate.