Birth Flowers by Month and Flower Meanings

Petal & Vesper by Jewel Eternal

A birth flower can mark a month. A flower’s meaning can say something more personal: hope for a new chapter, affection for a friend, or the memory of someone you love. Start with your month, the message you want to give, or a flower you have always loved.

This guide brings together the Old Farmer’s Almanac birth-flower calendar, the Victorian language of flowers, and specific stories from art, literature and living traditions. You can follow a documented meaning or choose a flower because it belongs to your own story.

Birth flowers by month

The directory follows the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s primary and secondary flowers. February also has an iris alternative in the named florist calendars below. Choose the tradition that feels relevant to you.

The twelve-month directory
Month	Primary flower	Secondary flower
January	Carnation	Snowdrop
February	Violet	Primrose
March	Daffodil	Jonquil
April	Daisy	Sweet pea
May	Lily of the valley	Hawthorn
June	Rose	Honeysuckle
July	Larkspur	Water lily
August	Gladiolus	Poppy
September	Aster	Morning glory
October	Marigold	Cosmos
November	Chrysanthemum	No second flower listed
December	Narcissus, including paperwhite	Holly

Looking for iris? Teleflora names iris as February’s birth flower, while Interflora lists violet and iris. Our iris profile explains that alternative and connects it to Iris Arc. Ginkgo and forget-me-not have their own meaning-led profiles below.

Find the message you want to give

The historical messages here come from Kate Greenaway’s Language of Flowers (1884). Her dictionary gives a wonderfully detailed vocabulary for affection, friendship and memory. Modern flower guides and personal interpretations add other ways to choose.

Hope and encouragement

Snowdrop and hawthorn both mean hope in Greenaway. Her “camomile” entry offers energy in adversity, while Chinese chrysanthemum expresses cheerfulness under adversity. These give you different ways to say that you are thinking of someone as they move forward.

Love and affection

Rose means love in Greenaway; purple lilac describes the first feelings of love, yellow acacia secret love, and ambrosia love returned. Jonquil expresses a wish for affection to be returned. A romantic message can be direct, tentative or full of shared history.

Remembrance and enduring connection

Forget-me-not brings together true love and the wish to be remembered. Greenaway also gives rosemary remembrance. The red corn poppy has a distinct war-remembrance history, while chrysanthemums have a place in French mourning customs. A favorite flower can also hold the memory of a particular garden, person or pet.

Friendship and gratitude

Greenaway gives acacia friendship, oak-leaved geranium true friendship, blue periwinkle early friendship, and agrimony thankfulness and gratitude. In Interflora’s contemporary guide, yellow roses convey friendship and sweet peas carry friendship and good wishes. Choose the message that describes your relationship.

Renewal and a new chapter

Lily of the valley has Greenaway’s particularly tender message, “return of happiness.” Daffodil is associated with rebirth in Kew Grow Wild’s modern interpretation. Either can inspire a personal message for a move, milestone or fresh beginning.

Endurance and perseverance

Ginkgo offers a botanical starting point: Kew describes its ancient lineage. You might choose its fan-shaped leaf to represent your own endurance or a lasting bond. For a historical flower message, Greenaway’s camomile and Chinese chrysanthemum provide the adversity-related meanings above.

Devotion and faithfulness

Honeysuckle means generous and devoted affection in Greenaway. Heliotrope carries devotion and faithfulness, blue violet faithfulness, and ivy fidelity and marriage. Think of the quality you want to recognize: steady care, loyalty, companionship or a promise already shared.

More messages beyond the birthday calendar

Motherhood and family: Greenaway gives cinquefoil maternal affection and moss maternal love. These can inspire a personal message for a parent.
Thoughts and interests: Pansy means thoughts, magnolia love of nature, acanthus the fine arts, auricula painting, and reed music in her dictionary. A gardener, reader, artist or musician may find a meaningful starting point here.
More difficult feelings: The same book includes refusal for striped carnation, distrust for lavender and egotism for narcissus. Historical flower language could be sharp as well as affectionate.

Explore the flowers

Each month below includes all the flowers in the directory. Historical meanings refer to Greenaway’s dictionary; other interpretations are linked to the source that uses them.

January: carnation and snowdrop

Carnation

Dianthus caryophyllus. Carnations offer a broad message of love and admiration in Interflora’s modern guide. Greenaway is more color-specific: striped carnations mean refusal and yellow carnations disdain. For a birthday or thank-you, decide whether you are choosing the modern association, a particular color tradition, or simply someone’s favorite ruffled flower.

Snowdrop

Galanthus species. Greenaway’s meaning is hope. Its small, nodding bloom makes a gentle visual companion to that message. Choose snowdrop as a January birthday flower or as a personal wish for brighter days. Its single hanging flower has a different outline from the repeated bells of lily of the valley.

February: violet, primrose and the iris alternative

Violet

Viola species. Blue violet means faithfulness in Greenaway, while sweet violet means modesty. Kew also traces violets’ place in lesbian cultural history, including their connection with Sappho’s poetry and later artistic communities. These are several distinct paths into a small flower: a February birthday, a faithful relationship, or a personally meaningful cultural connection.

Primrose

Primula species. Greenaway associates primrose with early youth. Alongside its February calendar place, this can inspire a message about beginnings or a fond early memory. The historical entry for evening primrose has another meaning; the shared word “primrose” does not make the two plant groups interchangeable.

Iris

Iris species. Iris is February’s flower in Teleflora’s calendar and appears beside violet in Interflora’s list. Teleflora connects it with faith, valor and wisdom. Greenaway’s simpler entry is “message,” which leaves room for a note that says exactly what you mean.

The Iris Arc Pendant follows layered iris petals and a sweeping stem. It comes in Plain Metal and Colored Enamel, both in solid 14K yellow gold with a small lab-grown diamond accent. It can be a February gift using the iris calendar tradition, or a flower chosen for a personal milestone.

March: daffodil and jonquil

Daffodil

Narcissus species. Greenaway gives daffodil the meaning regard. Kew Grow Wild describes daffodils as symbols of rebirth and strength through difficult times. The trumpet-centered spring flower therefore offers both an affectionate historical message and a modern renewal association, useful when marking a March birthday or encouraging someone at the start of a new chapter.

Jonquil

A jonquil belongs within the narcissus group. Greenaway gives it a more particular romantic message: a wish for affection to be returned. The daffodil and jonquil entries let you choose between general regard and that more tentative expression of love. If you are matching an actual garden flower, the plant’s identity can be as important as its calendar name.

April: daisy and sweet pea

Daisy

Greenaway’s basic daisy entry means innocence. She also gives separate entries to garden daisy and Michaelmas daisy, illustrating how a familiar common name can cover different flowers and messages. For an April birthday, begin with the daisy the recipient recognizes: its shape, color and place in their memories make the choice more specific.

Sweet pea

Lathyrus odoratus. Even one historical dictionary can offer more than one reading: Greenaway lists departure under “Pea, Sweet” and delicate pleasures under “Sweet Pea.” Interflora’s contemporary guide uses friendship and good wishes. The flower can inspire a thoughtful farewell or a message recalling the small pleasures you share.

May: lily of the valley and hawthorn

Lily of the valley

Convallaria majalis. Greenaway’s “return of happiness” makes lily of the valley a lovely starting point for a new-chapter message. Its small bell-shaped flowers also belong to the French May Day tradition of giving muguet as a wish for good fortune, described by France’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The Lily of the Valley Pendant gathers three bells beside a sweeping leaf. Made to order in solid 14K yellow gold, it offers Plain Metal and Colored Enamel finishes. Choose it for a May birthday, a personal message of happiness returning, or a memory of the flower itself.

Hawthorn

Crataegus species. Greenaway assigns hawthorn hope. In a different tradition, the National Museum of Ireland records hawthorn May-bush customs and fairy-tree beliefs. Decorated bushes were associated with household luck and protection; other beliefs warned against damaging a lone hawthorn or bringing its blossom indoors. That mix of welcome and caution gives the May flower a particularly rich folklore history.

June: rose and honeysuckle

Rose

Rosa species. Rose means love in Greenaway, but color changes the historical message: yellow rose signifies jealousy or a decrease of love. Interflora links yellow roses with friendship today. For a June birthday, anniversary or thank-you, name the meaning you are choosing in your card. A rose remembered from a wedding bouquet or family garden can be more personal still.

Honeysuckle

Lonicera species. Greenaway’s general honeysuckle entry is generous and devoted affection. That suggests a message of steady care for a partner, friend or family member. The name also carries memories of familiar gardens for many people. A particular climbing or shrubby honeysuckle can connect the symbolic message to a real place you have shared.

July: larkspur and water lily

Larkspur and delphinium

The Almanac’s July directory uses larkspur; Interflora uses delphinium and associates it with positivity and generosity. Greenaway’s larkspur entry is lightness and levity. These names are closely related in garden and florist use, so identifying the actual flower matters when matching a plant, picture or motif. The different meanings offer both a lighthearted birthday message and a contemporary note of encouragement.

Water lily

Nymphaea species. Greenaway gives water lily purity of heart. It offers an affectionate July message and a connection with ponds and water gardens. Museum objects sometimes use the historical name “lotus” for a water lily; the art-history examples below explain why that wording needs its own context.

August: gladiolus and poppy

Gladiolus

Gladiolus species. The Almanac’s August guide connects gladiolus with strength, moral character, love and remembrance. Its tall flower spike gives it a strong visual presence. For a birthday or achievement, it can inspire a message recognizing the character or determination you admire in someone.

Poppy

Greenaway gives red poppy consolation. The red corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, has a more specific later history: Kew describes its connection with First World War landscapes, remembrance and hope for peace. Choose the species and tradition deliberately. A remembrance poppy carries a different story from a poppy loved for its place in a home garden.

September: aster and morning glory

Aster

The Almanac’s September guide associates asters with love, wisdom and patience. Greenaway’s China aster entry instead gives variety and afterthought. “Aster” covers several garden groups, so the full name helps you select the right story. For a September birthday, the familiar star-like flower can also recall a favorite late-season garden.

Morning glory

Greenaway gives morning glory the meaning affectation. The Almanac’s modern account discusses love, including both enduring and unreturned love. That contrast is a useful reminder to explain your intended message. The flower’s connection with someone’s garden may be a clearer expression than relying on an unspoken code.

October: marigold and cosmos

Marigold

Greenaway’s general marigold entry means grief. In Mexican Día de los Muertos traditions, cempasúchil has a specific place on ofrendas honoring the dead. The Smithsonian’s account of Sandra Cisneros’s ofrenda explains the flower’s role and also describes roses chosen because they were her mother’s favorites. Traditional symbolism and personal memory meet in the same offering.

The common name marigold can refer to Tagetes or to pot marigold, Calendula. Identify the flower before connecting a design with a particular custom.

Cosmos

Cosmos species. The Almanac’s October guide associates cosmos with order, harmony and balance. Its open, daisy-like form offers a different October choice from a densely petaled marigold. You might choose it for a birthday or to express appreciation for the calm and harmony someone brings to your life.

November: chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum species. The Met’s interpretation of Ogata Kenzan’s Chrysanthemum connects the flower with autumn and longevity in Chinese and Japanese literary references. The Minneapolis Institute of Art also describes its mourning associations in France, including All Saints’ Day.

Greenaway gives red chrysanthemums love, white truth, and yellow slighted love. A November gift can draw on several very different stories. Think about the recipient’s own tradition and the message you want to share.

December: narcissus and holly

Narcissus and paperwhite

The Almanac’s December guide focuses on paperwhite narcissus. Narcissus is also the wider group that includes March’s daffodils and jonquils. Greenaway’s broad narcissus entry means egotism, while her daffodil and jonquil entries carry their own messages. For a December birthday, the paperwhite’s calendar connection or a shared winter-flower memory may be the part you want to celebrate.

Holly

Ilex species. Greenaway gives holly foresight. As the directory’s December alternative, its leaves and berries offer a botanical route for someone drawn to winter greenery. You might use that historical meaning to accompany a personal wish for the year ahead, or choose holly because it recalls a place or celebration you share.

Two meaningful choices beyond birth months

Forget-me-not

Myosotis species. Greenaway’s entry joins true love with the plea “forget me not.” Kew Grow Wild also connects wood forget-me-not with memories and true love. It is a natural starting point for remembering someone, celebrating a lasting relationship or writing to an absent friend. Its meaning-led place in this guide stands independently of the birthday calendar.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo’s fan-shaped leaf belongs to an ancient tree lineage, described by Kew. You can choose that history as the inspiration for a personal meaning of endurance or a lasting bond. It has no birth month in the calendars used here.

There is also a precise peace association: Hiroshima records eight ginkgos planted in Peace Memorial Park in September 1971 as a symbol of peace. The Ginkgo Fans Earrings follow the leaf’s radiating lines in solid 14K yellow gold, with Plain Metal and Colored Enamel choices.

Flowers in messages, literature and traditions

The Victorian language of flowers

Greenaway’s 1884 dictionary preserves a specific nineteenth-century flower vocabulary. The small distinctions are part of its interest: a full-blown rose placed above two buds means secrecy, while red and white roses together mean unity. Color, flower type and arrangement all help shape a message.

When translating a flower into jewelry, you can choose which idea to carry with it. A plain-gold motif can be selected for its shape and story; it does not need the meaning assigned to a particular petal color. A note with the gift makes that choice clear.

Shakespeare’s rosemary and pansies

Floral messages appear in English literature before the Victorian dictionaries. In Hamlet, Act 4, scene 5, Ophelia explicitly connects rosemary with remembrance and pansies with thoughts. Read in the scene’s context of grief and family loss, those flowers carry more weight than a simple list of pleasant meanings. For a reader, the literary connection itself may be the most meaningful part.

Wedding flowers and shared memories

Greenaway gives bridal rose happy love, ivy fidelity and marriage, myrtle love, and orange flowers bridal festivities. Those entries offer several historical starting points for a wedding or anniversary message. You can also begin with the flowers in an actual bouquet, the garden where you met, or a plant you have grown together.

Violet and lavender in queer cultural history

Kew’s account of queer floral symbols traces violets through Sappho and later lesbian cultural life. It also discusses lavender’s associations with empowerment, remembrance and resistance. These histories sit alongside Greenaway’s much different lavender entry, distrust. The source and period tell you which story you are reading.

Lotus and water lily in art

The Met’s ancient Egyptian Lotus Flower Inlay depicts a water lily and is interpreted through ideas of daily rebirth and rejuvenation. Its eighteenth-century Japanese Buddhist priest’s robe uses lotus petals in a context of purity and perfection. These are distinct artistic and religious settings, each worth exploring on its own terms.

Peony in Chinese art

In its exhibition on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Chinese art, the Met describes peony as an allusion to spring and wealth. It explains how motifs could enrich gifts and objects for special occasions. That gives the peony an art-history route into a meaningful gift, alongside the flowers in the birthday directory.

Folklore as part of a flower’s story

The Irish hawthorn customs and French May Day muguet tradition show how people have expressed hopes, fears and good wishes through plants. Learning the place and practice behind a belief makes the story more interesting, and lets you decide what it means to you.

Choose a flower for the occasion

A birthday: Start with the month directory, then compare its flowers. For February, decide whether violet, primrose or the named iris alternative fits the person best.
A new parent or motherhood gift: Consider the baby’s month, the parent’s month, or a message such as hope or return of happiness. The gift is for the adult recipient, so their own favorite flower and everyday style are good places to begin.
A wedding or anniversary: Look at the couple’s bouquet flowers, a shared garden memory, or the historical love and devotion entries.
A thank-you or friendship gift: Choose the quality you appreciate. Greenaway’s gratitude and friendship entries and modern yellow-rose or sweet-pea meanings offer different starting points.
A new beginning: Compare snowdrop’s hope, lily of the valley’s return of happiness and daffodil’s modern renewal association.
Remembrance: Begin with the person or pet being remembered and the recipient’s preferences. A beloved flower, familiar tree or shared place can carry an especially personal connection.
A gardener, reader or art lover: Choose an accurately identified favorite plant, a literary flower, or a motif from the artistic tradition they enjoy.

For the gift note, keep it simple: name the flower, explain the meaning you chose, and add the memory or quality that made you think of them.

Explore Petal & Vesper

The current botanical collection brings iris, lily of the valley and ginkgo into flowing jewelry designs. All three are made to order in solid 14K yellow gold, with Plain Metal and Colored Enamel choices.

Explore Petal & Vesper by Jewel Eternal or return to the meaning finder.

Sources reviewed October 2026. Follow the linked historical texts, botanical institutions, museums and named calendar guides to explore each tradition further.

Birth Flowers by Month and Flower Meanings