You probably know all about your birthstone, but what about your birth month flower? Like birthstones, each month of the year is represented by a flower, each with a different meaning behind it. These symbolic blossoms can be fun to decorate your home with or plant in your garden to celebrate yourself (or someone you love!) for more than just one day. Knowing each month's flower can also help you pull together an extra meaningful and beautiful flower arrangement to send to a loved one in celebration of their birthday. Usually, different colors of each flower have their meanings too, so if you want to plant or decorate with your birth month flower, you can further choose a variety that best fits your personality or intended meaning.
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January Birth Month Flower: Carnation
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One of the most popular (and widely available) flowers out there, carnations are a great way to kick off a year of birthday blooms. While many cultures have different meanings for carnations, the most common one is love. The various colors of carnations also have meanings, like white carnations for good luck or pink ones for gratitude. Carnations are a good cutting flower; you'll see them year-round at grocery stores and florists.
To grow carnations, plant them in a spot that gets plenty of sun with well-drained soil. Most varieties will grow up to 12 inches tall.
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February Birth Month Flower: Violet
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Delicate and fragrant violet is February's official birth month flower, symbolizing faithfulness and loyalty. As you'd expect from the name, purple is the most common color, which plays off the hue of February's birthstone, amethyst. Grow these beautiful blooms indoors until you can move them outdoors when the snow melts. This perennial can happily grow up to 12 inches in full sun or part shade as long as it has consistently moist soil.
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March Birth Month Flower: Daffodil
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It's no surprise that March—considered by many to be the beginning of spring—is represented by the sunny and cheery daffodil. Daffodils symbolize new beginnings or renewal, which perfectly describes these early bloomers. Force these bulbs early indoors to have blooms on your birthday in March, or plant them in the fall outdoors in a spot where they'll get about six hours of direct sun every day.
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April Birth Month Flower: Daisy
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Both humble and charming, the daisy, April's signature flower, represents youth and purity. The Shasta daisy is a hardy, perennial type of this flower, but tropical gerberas that bloom in bright shades of orange, yellow, and red can also represent this month. These classic flowers will brighten anyone's day, whether you buy them for yourself or give them as a gift. In the garden, daisies will stun, growing up to three feet tall in well-drained soil and direct sun or part shade.
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May Birth Month Flower: Lily of the Valley
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Lily of the Valley's delicate, bell-shaped blooms represent motherhood, making them one of the best flowers to give your mom on Mother's Day—and the right choice for May's representative flower. Multiple blooms come from one stem, and the white flowers stand out beautifully against dark green foliage. Lily of the Valley is known for its sweet scent and does well in damp and shady garden areas.
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June Birth Month Flower: Rose
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Like carnations, roses have different meanings for each color, but the family of flowers is widely known as the symbol of love. Red roses are for romantic love, while yellow roses make a beautiful gift for a friend with a June birthday. If this is your birth month flower, you're lucky; you have hundreds of varieties to choose from for your garden. Most varietals will do best in a spot with good drainage and at least six hours of direct sun per day, though specific care requirements can vary.
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July Birth Month Flower: Larkspur
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The stunning larkspur stands tall and proud—and represents all the summer babies born in July. The brightly colored stalk of larkspur blooms will always draw attention in the garden, and true to their aesthetic, these statuesque flowers are associated with gracefulness and positivity. Plant the color that best defines you, whether that's white for a happy-go-lucky attitude or purple for a sweet disposition. Larkspur can spring up to three feet tall if you plant it in well-drained soil and full sun.
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August Birth Month Flower: Gladiolus
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The tall, enchanting gladiolus symbolizes integrity and persistence. It displays a trademark endurance as it blooms throughout the hottest months of the year. Plant these tall spires toward the back of a border garden for dramatic height (some varieties can reach up to 8 feet!) to celebrate your birth month. Gladiolus thrives in full sun with well-drained soil.
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September Birth Month Flower: Aster
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Planting asters in your garden will make for a colorful show of flowers around your birthday. These fall bloomers represent daintiness and patience, which is fitting for a finely-textured perennial that's worth the wait. Asters are also an easy addition to any fall container garden, and grow best in sun or partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.
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October Birth Month Flower: Marigold
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Marigolds symbolize passion and creativity. These low-growing annuals come in gold, orange, and red hues that mimic the changing leaves in fall. The good news? You can enjoy your birth flower all autumn long—they'll continue blooming until frost. There are several different types of marigolds, and most usually grow between one to three feet tall, as long as they get enough sun.
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November Birth Month Flower: Chrysanthemum
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Stunning chrysanthemums (also known casually as mums) are a must for providing color toward the end of fall and are often considered the "signature" flower of the season. They symbolize friendship and longevity, which make them an apt gift for a friend or loved one celebrating a milestone birthday. While they're often grown as annuals, they're actually perennials; cover them with mulch in the garden for protection, and they should return the following year. Chrysanthemums can grow up to 3 feet tall and prefer well-drained, moist soil in full sun.
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December Birth Month Flower: Narcissus
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Daffodils belong to the Narcissus genus, so technically, this month shares a flower with March. However, the paperwhite has become the most popular daffodil for December because it is easy to force into bloom during the winter months. They symbolize hope and are often seen as a stunning centerpiece for Christmas dinner or your birthday brunch. Outdoors, they like full sun and dry soil and can reach up to 12 inches tall.
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Romantic Flowers and Their Meanings
If showing love is your reason for giving flowers, there are many blooms to choose from. Peonies look romantic, with their full, blowsy, blooms, and embody romance and good fortune. Red tulips are symbolic of romance, a perfect spring surprise for that special person. If love is just blossoming, give lilacs, especially white ones, which symbolize the innocence of new love. For enduring love, an orchid is a long-lasting gift that will rebloom with the right care and is emblematic of a strong relationship,.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which flowers are the easiest to grow?
Though flowers have a reputation for being a bit picky and difficult to grow, there are actually several varieties that are great for beginners. If you want to inject your garden with beauty and color without a ton of fuss, try growing marigolds, cosmos, zinnia, or coneflower.
What rose variety is the most fragrant?
Roses are an easy way to bring effortless beauty to your garden—as well as an enviable fragrance. For the most beautiful floral scent, try varietals like 'Madame Alfred Carriere' (a climbing rose), a Floribunda rose, a grandiflora rose, or an English rose.
How long do flower bouquets last?
Fresh floral bouquets typically last between 7 and 12 days, depending on the type of flowers included. To get your bouquet to last longer, periodically refresh the water and make new snips at the ends of the stems to refresh the blooms. Keep the vase of flowers out of strong sunlight.
