The August birth flowers are the gladiolus and the poppy. The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, moral integrity, remembrance, and never giving up, and the poppy symbolizes sleep, peace, death, and remembrance of fallen soldiers.
The August birth flower has two options: the gladiolus, the primary flower, and the poppy, the second. Both appear in the August list published by The Old Farmer’s Almanac and in UK florist lists. Both flowers carry a theme of memory and courage.
The gladiolus takes its name from the Latin word for sword and was linked to Roman gladiators, while the red poppy became the symbol of soldiers who died in World War I.
The two differ in timing: the gladiolus blooms from late summer into fall, which matches August birthdays, while most poppies flower in spring and early summer.
Both carry safety warnings: the gladiolus is toxic to pets, and some poppies contain opiate alkaloids. This page covers each flower’s meaning, name, history, bloom time, and safety. For every month’s flowers in one chart, see our Birth Flowers by Month guide.
Table of Contents
What is the August birth flower?
The August birth flower is the gladiolus, with the poppy as the second August flower. The table compares the two.
| Attribute | Gladiolus | Poppy |
|---|---|---|
| Rank for August | Primary birth flower | Second birth flower |
| Meaning | Strength of character, sincerity, moral integrity, remembrance, never giving up | Sleep, peace, death, remembrance |
| Genus | Gladiolus | Papaver |
| Plant family | Iridaceae (iris family) | Papaveraceae (poppy family) |
| Number of species | About 260 to more than 300, depending on the source | About 100 |
| Grows from | Corms | Seed |
| Height | 1 to 6 feet, depending on variety | 9 to 18 inches for the corn poppy |
| Bloom time | Late summer into fall | Mostly spring to early summer |
| Colors | Cream, gold, yellow, green, orange, pink, purple, red, burgundy, white | Red, orange, pink, yellow, white |
| Toxic to pets | Yes, highest in the corms | Some species rich in opiate alkaloids |
Meanings come from the Farmers’ Almanac. Plant details come from the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox pages for Gladiolus, Papaver, and the corn poppy.
The gladiolus: primary August birth flower
The gladiolus is the main August birth flower, a tall plant with sword-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped flowers that open in sequence from the bottom of the stalk to the top.
North Carolina Extension notes that the genus comes from Africa, Madagascar, and Eurasia, that it grows from corms rather than true bulbs, and that it flowers from late summer into fall, which places its peak close to August birthdays.
What does the gladiolus symbolize?
The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, sincerity, and generosity, a meaning that dates to ancient Rome, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. The same source gives its modern meaning as “moral integrity, remembrance, and never giving up.” The table shows how the meaning has shifted.
| Period | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Rome | Strength of character, sincerity, generosity | Farmers’ Almanac |
| Modern use | Moral integrity, remembrance, never giving up | Farmers’ Almanac |
Where the name “gladiolus” comes from
The name “gladiolus” comes from the Latin for sword, because the flowers grow up a long, sword-like shaft. The Farmers’ Almanac explains the link, and North Carolina Extension describes the plant’s “long, sword-shaped green leaves in upright fans.” The same Latin root gives English the word “gladiator.”
Gladiolus lore: gladiators and Hyacinthus
The gladiolus is tied to Roman gladiators and to Greek myth. The Farmers’ Almanac records that “Roman crowds are said to have thrown the blooms into the arena to honor a victorious fighter.”
In Greek myth, the flower was said to have sprung from the blood of Hyacinthus, a lover of Apollo killed by a discus, and a broader belief held that gladioli grew wherever someone was killed by a sword.
How many gladiolus species are there?
Sources give different counts for the gladiolus genus. The Farmers’ Almanac puts the number at about 260 species, while North Carolina Extension counts more than 300.
| Source | Species count |
|---|---|
| Farmers’ Almanac | About 260 |
| North Carolina Extension | More than 300 |
Growing gladiolus
Plant gladiolus corms about 4 inches deep in spring, after the last frost, in full sun and well-drained soil. The Farmers’ Almanac recommends planting corms in batches a few weeks apart for a longer bloom season, and North Carolina Extension also advises making “consecutive plantings to extend the flowering season.”
Gladiolus grows in USDA zones 7a to 10b. Hardy varieties can stay in the ground with mulch, while others need their corms lifted and stored over winter. North Carolina Extension notes that the plant attracts bees and makes an “excellent” cut flower.
The poppy: second August birth flower
The poppy is the second August birth flower, a plant with large, papery petals, usually four to six per flower. North Carolina Extension counts about 100 species in the genus Papaver, with a native range stretching through Greenland, Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and northern North America.
The genus includes annuals and perennials, such as the corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas, the Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, and the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum.
What does the poppy symbolize?
The poppy symbolizes sleep, peace, and death, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. The source links these meanings to the flower’s “deep red color, resembling blood, and its opiate properties,” and notes that poppies were used as offerings to the dead in ancient Greece and Rome. Today, the red poppy’s main meaning is remembrance of fallen soldiers.
The remembrance poppy
The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance after World War I. The Farmers’ Almanac notes that “red poppies bloomed over the disturbed ground of the battlefields,” and that the custom grew after John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields.” North Carolina Extension confirms that the corn poppy, also called the Flanders poppy, “became a symbol for the losses incurred on the battlefields of World War I.”
In the United States, the American Legion made the poppy the official flower of the American Legion Family on Monday, September 27, 1920, and turned poppy distribution into a national program in 1924. National Poppy Day falls on the Friday before Memorial Day.
| Remembrance date | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| National Poppy Day (US) | Friday, May 28, 2027 | Friday, May 26, 2028 |
| Memorial Day (US) | Monday, May 31, 2027 | Monday, May 29, 2028 |
| Remembrance Day (Canada) | Thursday, November 11, 2027 | Saturday, November 11, 2028 |
Poppy seeds and medicine
Poppy seeds are a common baking ingredient, and the opium poppy is the source of important pain medicines. The Farmers’ Almanac notes that poppy seeds are most often used to top pastries, that opium poppies contain compounds used to produce morphine and codeine, and that doctors in ancient Egypt prescribed poppy seeds for pain relief.
Growing poppies
Poppies grow from seed sown on cool soil, and many types reseed on their own. The Farmers’ Almanac notes that many poppies “self-sow and return on their own year after year.” North Carolina Extension describes the corn poppy as an annual, 9 to 18 inches tall, that prefers fertile, well-drained soil in full sun and handles cool climates better than hot summers.
Each corn poppy flower lasts only one day, and its seeds have been known to sprout after 80 years of dormancy.
Are August birth flowers poisonous?
Yes. The gladiolus is toxic to pets, and some poppies contain opiate alkaloids. The table summarizes the safety information from each source.
| Plant | Toxic to | Most toxic part | Signs or risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiolus | Dogs, cats, horses | Corms | Salivation, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea |
| Gladiolus | Dogs, cats, horses (low severity) | Corms | Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea |
| Poppy (Papaver) | Not specified by species | Sap | Some species rich in opiate alkaloids; sap may harm a developing fetus |
Store gladiolus corms out of reach of pets, and keep poppy sap away from skin and mouths. If a pet eats either plant, call a veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Gladiolus vs. poppy: which August flower to choose
Choose the gladiolus for an August birthday bouquet, since it blooms in late summer, and the poppy for a remembrance gift or a self-seeding garden. The table compares the two by use.
| Use | Better choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| August birthday bouquet | Gladiolus | Blooms late summer into fall; excellent cut flower |
| Tall border or back of the bed | Gladiolus | Grows 1 to 6 feet |
| Remembrance or memorial gift | Red poppy | Symbol of fallen soldiers since World War I |
| Low-maintenance garden | Poppy | Many types self-sow each year |
| Pollinator garden | Gladiolus | Attracts bees |
| Meaning of never giving up | Gladiolus | Modern meaning from the Farmers’ Almanac |
Other August birthday symbols
People born in August have two birthstones: peridot and spinel. Jewelers of America lists both on the modern birthstone list, which was first standardized in 1912.
| August symbol | Item |
|---|---|
| Primary birth flower | Gladiolus |
| Second birth flower | Poppy |
| August Birthstones | Peridot, spinel |
August 2027 begins on Sunday, August 1, 2027, and August 2028 begins on Tuesday, August 1, 2028.
The July birth flower is the larkspur, with the water lily as the second, and the September birth flower is the aster, with the morning glory as the second.
What the August birth flower is not
The August birth flower is not the California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, which belongs to the same family but a different genus from the true poppies in Papaver. The gladiolus is also not a lily or an iris, although it belongs to the iris family, and it grows from a corm rather than a true bulb.
Finally, the August birth flower is not the flower for the Leo or Virgo zodiac signs, which follow star sign dates that change around August 23.
Frequently asked questions
What is the birth flower for August?
The birth flower for August is the gladiolus, with the poppy as the second August flower. Both appear in American and British birth flower lists. The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, moral integrity, and never giving up, and the poppy symbolizes sleep, peace, death, and remembrance, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
What does the gladiolus symbolize?
The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, sincerity, and generosity, a meaning from ancient Rome, where crowds are said to have thrown the blooms to victorious gladiators. Its modern meaning is moral integrity, remembrance, and never giving up, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. The name comes from the Latin for sword.
Why is the poppy a symbol of remembrance?
Red poppies bloomed over the disturbed ground of World War I battlefields, and John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields” made them a symbol of fallen soldiers. The American Legion adopted the poppy as its official flower on September 27, 1920. National Poppy Day falls on the Friday before Memorial Day.
Is gladiolus poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists gladiolus as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with the highest concentration of toxins in the corms. Signs include salivation, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, and diarrhea. North Carolina Extension rates the poison severity as low, but store corms where pets cannot dig them up.
When do gladiolus bloom?
Gladiolus bloom from late summer into fall, according to North Carolina Extension, which places the bloom close to August birthdays, unlike many birth flowers that bloom in other seasons. Plant corms about 4 inches deep in spring after the last frost, and plant batches a few weeks apart to extend the bloom season.
What is the August birthstone?
August has two birthstones: peridot and spinel, according to Jewelers of America. The modern birthstone list was first standardized in 1912 by the American National Retail Jewelers Association. August birthday gifts can pair a gladiolus bouquet with a peridot or spinel piece of jewelry.
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