Birth Flowers by Month: The Complete Guide

Why Every Month Has a Birth Flower (and Why Lists Differ)

The custom of pairing a flower with each month of the year is generally traced back to a mix of older European and Roman seasonal customs, later shaped and popularized by Victorian-era “language of flowers” guides and, in the 20th century, by American and British florist associations. Because the tradition grew out of several overlapping sources rather than one official body, you’ll find real disagreement between lists — different florists, almanacs, and jewelry brands sometimes assign different flowers to the same month, especially for months that have historically carried more than one candidate bloom.

That’s worth saying plainly up front: if you see a birth flower listed differently on two websites, neither one is necessarily wrong. Treat these as widely repeated traditions rather than a single fixed standard.

Birth Flowers by Month at a Glance

This table reflects the most commonly repeated version of the tradition. A handful of months are genuinely contested across sources, and we cover those disagreements in dedicated articles linked throughout this guide.

Spring Birth Flowers (March, April, May)

March’s birth flower is most often given as the daffodil, with jonquil (a fragrant daffodil relative) as the widely cited second flower. Some sources substitute cherry blossom for jonquil, or mention it as a related seasonal bloom rather than an official birth flower — see our deep dive on the March birth flower debate for how that disagreement plays out across different sources.

April’s flower is usually the daisy, representing innocence and loyal love, with sweet pea as a secondary option in many lists.

May’s Birth Flower: Lily of the Valley (and Hawthorn)

May flower of the month meaning centers on sweetness, humility, and “the return of happiness” — fitting for a plant whose small, bell-shaped white blooms appear in late spring after a long winter. Lily of the valley prefers partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter, which is why it does well in woodland or shaded borders rather than full-sun beds.

Hawthorn, the secondary May flower in several traditions, produces clusters of small white or pink blossoms on a deciduous shrub or small tree and is generally associated with hope. May gets two flowers for the same reason several other months do: overlapping historical lists that never fully merged into one standard.

One practical note worth being careful about: lily of the valley is attractive and fragrant, but the whole plant is considered toxic if ingested, so it’s not a flower to plant where young children or pets might sample it.

Summer Birth Flowers (June, July, August)

June’s birth flower is the rose, with honeysuckle frequently listed as the secondary bloom.

July is commonly assigned two flowers — larkspur and water lily — a pairing some sources trace to florist associations in the mid-20th century, though exact dating varies by source. For a detailed look at both flowers’ symbolism, growing needs, and why July ended up with such a visually different pair, see our July birth flower guide.

August’s Birth Flowers: Gladiolus and Poppy

What is the flower for August? Most sources agree August has two: gladiolus (sometimes called “sword lily” for its tall, blade-like leaves) and poppy. Gladiolus is generally linked to strength, integrity, and remembrance, while poppy carries associations with remembrance, rest, and imagination — partly from its long association with Remembrance Day traditions following the poem “In Flanders Fields.” We go into more depth, including which of the two is usually called “primary,” in our article on the August birth flower.

Autumn Birth Flowers (September, October, November)

September’s Birth Flower: Aster (and Morning Glory)

Flower for September birthday traditions generally point to the aster as primary, with morning glory as the secondary flower. Asters are perennial, daisy-like flowers that come in shades of purple, blue, pink, and white and are commonly associated with love, faith, and patience. Morning glory is a fast-growing annual vine whose trumpet-shaped flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon — a trait tied to its symbolism around fleeting beauty and devotion.

October’s Birth Flowers: Marigold and Cosmos

October’s two widely cited birth flowers are marigold and cosmos. Marigold is known for its ruffled orange and yellow blooms, a spicy scent, and a long history in Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) traditions in Mexico, where the flower is called cempasúchil. Cosmos, by contrast, has thin, daisy-like petals on wiry stems and is generally associated with harmony and simple, understated beauty. Why does October have two birth flowers? As with most two-flower months, it comes down to different regional and historical lists never fully converging on one bloom.

November’s Birth Flower: Chrysanthemum (and a Disputed Peony)

Chrysanthemum is the month’s most consistently cited birth flower, associated with friendship, joy, and in some traditions, longevity. Peony is sometimes listed as a secondary November flower, but this pairing is genuinely disputed — peonies bloom naturally in late spring, not November, which has led some commentators to question how a late-spring flower ended up on a November list at all. We unpack that specific disagreement in our article on whether peony is really a November birth flower.

Winter Birth Flowers (December, January, February)

December’s primary flower is most often narcissus (commonly the paperwhite variety), symbolizing hope and new beginnings, with holly as a secondary, more festive option.

January’s birth flower is carnation, associated with love, fascination, and distinction, depending on color. February’s is violet, tied to modesty and faithfulness, with primrose sometimes listed as a secondary flower.

Why Some Months Have Two Birth Flowers

Several explanations show up across sources, and they’re not mutually exclusive: different historical lists (Roman, Victorian, and 20th-century florist-association traditions) assigned different flowers to the same month and were never fully reconciled; regional bloom availability meant a flower that suited one climate might not suit another; and having two options simply gives people more flexibility in choosing a flower that fits their personality or the occasion. Rather than one of these being “the” reason, it’s most accurate to say it’s a combination of all three.

Birth Flowers vs. Zodiac Flowers: What’s the Difference?

Birth flowers are tied to calendar months. Zodiac flowers are tied to astrological signs, which run on their own date ranges that don’t line up with calendar months (and which shift slightly depending on the source). The two systems sometimes name the same flower for overlapping date ranges and sometimes don’t. If you’re curious how this works for a specific sign, our guide to the Aquarius birth flower walks through one example of how zodiac and birth-month traditions compare.

FAQ

What is the flower for August? Most sources list gladiolus as the primary August birth flower and poppy as the secondary one.

What is the flower for October? Marigold is generally cited as October’s primary birth flower, with cosmos as the secondary flower.

What is the flower for a September birthday? Aster is the most commonly cited September birth flower, with morning glory as a secondary option in many lists.

What does the May flower symbolize? Lily of the valley, May’s most commonly cited birth flower, is generally associated with sweetness, humility, and renewed happiness.

Why do some months have two birth flowers? Mainly because different historical and regional lists were never fully merged into a single standard, so many months carry both a “primary” and “secondary” flower depending on the source you consult.