Each month has one or two birth flowers: January carnation, February violet, March daffodil, April daisy, May lily of the valley, June rose, July larkspur, August gladiolus, September aster, October marigold, November chrysanthemum, December narcissus.
Birth flowers by month are a list of 12 months matched to the flowers traditionally associated with them, much like birthstones. Eleven of the 12 months have two birth flowers, and November has one, which gives 23 flowers in the standard American list.
The list is not fixed by any single authority. American almanacs and British florists agree on most months but differ on February and December, and some florists add a third December flower, the poinsettia.
This page gives the complete chart, the regional differences, the plant family behind each flower, and the birthstone that pairs with each month. Each month links to its own page with the flowers’ meanings, history, and growing season.
Table of Contents
Birth flower chart: all 12 months
The standard US birth flower list, as published by The Old Farmer’s Almanac, assigns two flowers to every month except November. The table lists both flowers, their plant genus, and the birthstone for the same month from Jewelers of America.
| Month | Primary birth flower | Second birth flower | Genus | Birthstone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Carnation | Snowdrop | Dianthus, Galanthus | Garnet |
| February | Violet | Primrose | Viola, Primula | Amethyst |
| March | Daffodil | Jonquil | Narcissus | Aquamarine |
| April | Daisy | Sweet pea | Bellis, Lathyrus | Diamond |
| May | Lily of the valley | Hawthorn | Convallaria, Crataegus | Emerald |
| June | Rose | Honeysuckle | Rosa, Lonicera | Pearl, moonstone, alexandrite |
| July | Larkspur | Water lily | Delphinium, Nymphaea | Ruby |
| August | Gladiolus | Poppy | Gladiolus, Papaver | Peridot, spinel |
| September | Aster | Morning glory | Symphyotrichum and Aster, Ipomoea | Sapphire |
| October | Marigold | Cosmos | Tagetes or Calendula, Cosmos | Opal, tourmaline |
| November | Chrysanthemum | None | Chrysanthemum | Citrine, topaz |
| December | Narcissus (paperwhite) | Holly | Narcissus, Ilex | Turquoise, tanzanite, blue zircon |
The word “marigold” covers two different plants from separate genera. American gardeners usually mean Tagetes, the French and African marigolds, while British sources often mean Calendula, the pot marigold. Both appear in October birth flower lists.
Birth flowers by season
Birth flowers mostly follow the Northern Hemisphere growing year, so each season’s birth months share flowers with a similar bloom pattern. The tables below group the 12 months by meteorological season.
Each row links to that month’s full page.
Winter birth flowers: December, January, February
Winter birth flowers include plants that bloom in late winter or are forced indoors. Snowdrops flower in late winter, and paperwhite narcissus is commonly grown indoors from bulbs in December.
| Month | Birth flowers | What the month page covers |
|---|---|---|
| December birth flower | Narcissus, holly | Paperwhite forcing, holly symbolism, poinsettia as a third option |
| January birth flower | Carnation, snowdrop | Carnation colors and meanings, snowdrop folklore |
| February birth flower | Violet, primrose | Violet in the Victorian language of flowers, the iris alternative |
Spring birth flowers: March, April, May
Spring birth flowers are among the most familiar garden flowers in the list. March’s daffodil and jonquil both belong to the genus Narcissus.
| Month | Birth flowers | What the month page covers |
|---|---|---|
| March birth flower | Daffodil, jonquil | The difference between a daffodil and a jonquil |
| April birth flower | Daisy, sweet pea | Daisy and sweet pea meanings |
| May birth flower | Lily of the valley, hawthorn | Hawthorn’s May traditions, lily of the valley toxicity |
Summer birth flowers: June, July, August
Summer birth flowers include the rose, the most widely recognized flower on the list.
| Month | Birth flowers | What the month page covers |
|---|---|---|
| June birth flower | Rose, honeysuckle | Rose color meanings, honeysuckle symbolism |
| July birth flower | Larkspur, water lily | Larkspur colors, larkspur and delphinium naming |
| August birth flower | Gladiolus, poppy | Gladiolus name origin, poppy as a symbol of remembrance |
Fall birth flowers: September, October, November
Fall birth flowers bloom late in the growing season. Asters, marigolds, cosmos, and chrysanthemums are common in autumn gardens and florist displays.
| Month | Birth flowers | What the month page covers |
|---|---|---|
| September birth flower | Aster, morning glory | Aster name origin, morning glory meanings |
| October birth flower | Marigold, cosmos | Tagetes vs. Calendula, DÃa de los Muertos marigolds |
| November birth flower | Chrysanthemum | Why November has one flower, chrysanthemum colors |
US and UK birth flower lists: where they differ
American and British birth flower lists agree on 10 of 12 months and differ on February and December. The table compares the US list from The Old Farmer’s Almanac with lists published by two UK florists, Flying Flowers and Appleyard London.
| Month | US list (Old Farmer’s Almanac) | Flying Flowers (UK) | Appleyard London (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | Violet, primrose | Iris, violet | Violet, primrose |
| December | Narcissus, holly | Holly, paperwhite narcissus | Holly, poinsettia, paperwhite narcissus |
| All other months | Same flowers | Same flowers | Same flowers |
Because no organization governs birth flowers, any of these flowers is a correct answer for its month. When two lists disagree, the violet for February and the narcissus for December appear in every source above.
Where the birth flower tradition comes from
Birth flowers are a folk tradition, not a standard set by a governing body, which is why different sources list different flowers. The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains that the flowers are “usually tied to the season when it blooms” and that several months have two flowers because “not all cultures agree on which flowers correspond to which months.”
Appleyard London connects the popularity of flower symbolism to the Victorian “language of flowers,” when specific blooms carried specific messages.
Birthstones followed a different path. According to Jewelers of America, the American National Retail Jewelers Association, now Jewelers of America, standardized the modern birthstone list in 1912. Birth flowers have never had an equivalent official list.
Birth flowers vs. birthstones
The table compares the two traditions.
| Attribute | Birth flowers | Birthstones |
|---|---|---|
| Official list | None | Standardized in 1912 by the American National Retail Jewelers Association |
| Items per month | One or two, sometimes three | One to three |
| Months with the most options | December (up to three flowers) | June and December (three stones each) |
| Basis for selection | Bloom season, folklore, and symbolism | Trade standardization and tradition |
| Regional variation | US and UK lists differ in February and December | Traditional and modern lists differ |
Birth flowers that belong to the same plant family
Three of the 23 birth flowers are members of one genus, Narcissus: the March daffodil, the March jonquil, and the December paperwhite.
A jonquil is a species of Narcissus with several small, fragrant flowers on each stem, and the paperwhite is a Narcissus commonly grown indoors in winter. People born in March and December therefore share a birth flower family.
Other connections in the list are looser. The July larkspur is closely related to the delphinium, and many florists sell the two under either name.
The October marigold can refer to Tagetes or Calendula, which belong to the same plant family, the daisy family (Asteraceae), but not the same genus.
The April daisy, the September aster, the October cosmos, and the November chrysanthemum also belong to Asteraceae, making it the most common plant family among the 12 months.
| Plant family | Birth flowers in the family | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Asteraceae (daisy family) | Daisy, aster, marigold, cosmos, chrysanthemum | April, September, October, November |
| Amaryllidaceae | Daffodil, jonquil, paperwhite narcissus | March, December |
| Rosaceae | Hawthorn, rose | May, June |
How to use birth flowers
Common uses for birth flowers include birthday bouquets, jewelry, tattoos, and gifts for newborns. Each use below depends on the month’s flowers.
- Birthday bouquets. Check whether the flower is in season. Roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums are available from florists year-round, while snowdrops, hawthorn, and lily of the valley are seasonal and harder to source.
- Combined bouquets. For a gift that marks two birthdays, such as a couple or siblings, combine each person’s primary birth flower.
- Birth flower tattoos. Many designs pair the two flowers for one month, or combine the flowers of several family members’ birth months.
- Jewelry. Pair the birth flower with the month’s birthstone from the chart above, such as a daffodil pendant set with aquamarine for March.
- Gardens. Plant each family member’s birth flower. Check the plant’s hardiness for your area first, because several birth flowers, including snowdrops and lily of the valley, need a cold winter.
Several birth flowers are toxic to pets. Lily of the valley, daffodils, and chrysanthemums are among the plants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs. Check the ASPCA database before bringing a birth flower bouquet into a home with pets.
What birth flowers are not
Birth flowers are not zodiac flowers. Zodiac flower lists follow star sign dates, which cross month boundaries, so a person born on April 25 has the April birth flower but a Taurus zodiac flower.
Birth flowers are also not state flowers or national flowers, which are chosen by governments. Finally, birth flowers are not fixed by any law or standards body, so no list is the single official version.
Frequently asked questions
What is my birth flower?
Your birth flower depends on your birth month. January is carnation and snowdrop, February violet and primrose, March daffodil, April daisy and sweet pea, May lily of the valley and hawthorn, June rose and honeysuckle, July larkspur and water lily, August gladiolus and poppy, September aster and morning glory, October marigold and cosmos, November chrysanthemum, and December narcissus and holly.
Why do most months have two birth flowers?
Most months have two birth flowers because different regions and traditions matched different flowers to the same month. The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that not all cultures agree on the pairings and that some flowers are not available in every region. Listing two flowers per month keeps both traditions.
Which month has only one birth flower?
November is the only month with a single birth flower in the standard US list: the chrysanthemum. Every other month has two flowers, and December can have three when the poinsettia is included alongside the narcissus and holly in some UK florist lists.
Are birth flowers different in the UK?
UK birth flower lists match US lists for 10 of 12 months. Some UK florists list the iris instead of the primrose for February, and some add the poinsettia to December’s narcissus and holly. The violet for February and the narcissus for December appear in both countries’ lists.
What is the September birth flower?
The September birth flowers are the aster and the morning glory. The aster’s name comes from the Greek word for star, which describes the shape of its flower head. Asters bloom in late summer and fall, so they are in flower during September in most of the United States.
Is there an official birth flower list?
No organization publishes an official birth flower list. Birth flowers are a folk tradition, and almanacs and florists publish their own versions. Birthstones differ: Jewelers of America traces the modern birthstone list to a 1912 standard set by the American National Retail Jewelers Association.
Do birth flowers and birthstones match?
Birth flowers and birthstones follow separate traditions and were not chosen to match. Some pairs share a color by coincidence, such as the purple February violet and the purple February amethyst. The chart on this page lists both for every month.
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