While they might not have the spiritual significance of one’s zodiac sign or birth date numerology, or the same fashion appeal as one’s birthstone, birth month flowers are a lovely seasonal way to brighten up a table or garden space for a birthday celebration. The history of birth month flowers is a bit ambiguous, with some sources proposing that the tradition dates as far back as ancient Rome. Most of the birth month flowers are widely cultivated in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere and are commonly blooming—or at least available to buy—in their respective months. Read on to learn more about the flowers associated with each month of the year.

January

The chilly winter month of January is commonly associated with carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus), a cheery and widely available cut flower that comes in a number of colors and forms. The delicate nodding snowdrop (any of several Galanthus species) is another January birth month flower and can valiantly emerge in the late winter when snow is still on the ground.

February

Spring may still be on the distant horizon in February, but playful primroses (Primula vulgaris) are sure to brighten the dreariest day. Dainty wild violets (various Viola species) are also early bloomers, and the unrelated African violet (Saintpaulia species) is a popular houseplant. Eye-catching irises (Iris species) are also sometimes listed as a birth month flower for February.

March

While most months have two (or more) birth month flowers, March is dedicated to the darling harbinger of spring: the daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus).

April

Springtime is in full bloom in April, and the month is represented by sunny daisies, which come in a variety of colors and sizes. Fragrant sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are another wonderful option for a birthday nosegay.

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May

Both of the birth month flowers for May are elegant and sophisticated. The striking and spiny hawthorn (Crataegus species) forms formidable flower clusters in dramatic whites, pinks, or reds. With a more gentle aspect, the lovely lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) features arching stalks of fragrant, blooming bells.

June

June’s birth month flowers are true classics and include one of the most timeless and symbolic of all flowers, the rose (Rosa species). From the unpretentious beauty of wild roses to the ruffled grandeur of hybrid tea roses, there is truly a rose to suit every taste. Speaking of taste, the month’s other flower, the fragrant honeysuckle (Lonicera species), offers a burst of sweet nectar to intrepid tasters. Like the rose, honeysuckles come in a wide array of forms and color combinations.

July

The sweltering heat of July is tempered by the cool, aloof beauty of the water lily (Nymphaea species), found in wild and garden ponds throughout the world. Refreshing blue hues of larkspur (Delphinium species) also bring reprieve to July’s summer days.

August

August’s birth month flowers come in a dazzling array of colors—perfect for a sizzling celebration. Towering spikes of showy gladioli (Gladiolus species) can set the tone for an August alfresco affair, while the preppy charm of the classic poppy (Papaver species) lends an air of class to any bougie birthday bash.

September

As summer’s last gasp, the birth month flowers for September are a fitting finale to the season. Ephemeral morning glories (Ipomoea species) don’t survive long in a vase but can provide warm birthday wishes for a morning in the garden. Autumnal asters (Aster species and others) usually make excellent cut flowers and come in a myriad of colors and forms.

October

The birth month flowers for October are cousins in the aster family. Cosmos (usually Cosmos bipinnatus) are popular garden flowers with airy blooms in pinks and whites. Other varieties are a bit more moody and come in fall colors such as burgundy and orange. Musky marigolds (namely Tagetes erecta) are perfect for harvest time and have long been associated with spiritual observances across the globe, including Día de los Muertos in Mexico and Central America, and Diwali and weddings in India.

November

As the seasons turn again, the chilly month of November is warmed by the romantic elegance of the classic peony (Paeonia species). Another fall classic, the charismatic chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ×morifolium). A popular garden and potted plant as well as a florist staple, chrysanthemums can be nearly any color and come in button, pompon, daisy, and spider forms.

December

December birthdays are often overshadowed by the holidays, but the month’s two birth flowers are anything but shrinking. Showstopping narcissus (various Narcissus species) is sure to make anyone’s birthday feel special. Although not technically a flower, the flamboyant (and prickly) foliage and merry berries of holly (Ilex species) can be a pointed decoration for those who may grudgingly share the month with a certain famous birthday boy.

Melissa Petruzzello

flower, the characteristic reproductive structure of angiosperms. As popularly used, the term “flower” especially applies when part or all of the reproductive structure is distinctive in colour and form.

In their range of colour, size, form, and anatomical arrangement, flowers present a seemingly endless variety of combinations. They range in size from minute blossoms to giant blooms. In some plants, such as poppy, magnolia, tulip, and petunia, each flower is relatively large and showy and is produced singly, while in other plants, such as aster, snapdragon, and lilac, the individual flowers may be very small and are borne in a distinctive cluster known as an inflorescence. Regardless of their variety, all flowers have a uniform function, the reproduction of the species through the production of seed.

Form and types

Basically, each flower consists of a floral axis upon which are borne the essential organs of reproduction (stamens and pistils) and usually accessory organs (sepals and petals); the latter may serve to both attract pollinating insects and protect the essential organs. The floral axis is a greatly modified stem; unlike vegetative stems, which bear leaves, it is usually contracted, so that the parts of the flower are crowded together on the stem tip, the receptacle. The flower parts are usually arrayed in whorls (or cycles) but may also be disposed spirally, especially if the axis is elongate. There are commonly four distinct whorls of flower parts: (1) an outer calyx consisting of sepals; within it lies (2) the corolla, consisting of petals; (3) the androecium, or group of stamens; and in the centre is (4) the gynoecium, consisting of the pistils.

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The sepals and petals together make up the perianth, or floral envelope. The sepals are usually greenish and often resemble reduced leaves, while the petals are usually colourful and showy. Sepals and petals that are indistinguishable, as in lilies and tulips, are sometimes referred to as tepals. The androecium, or male parts of the flower, comprise the stamens, each of which consists of a supporting filament and an anther, in which pollen is produced. The gynoecium, or female parts of the flower, comprises one or more pistils, each of which consists of an ovary, with an upright extension, the style, on the top of which rests the stigma, the pollen-receptive surface. The ovary encloses the ovules, or potential seeds. A pistil may be simple, made up of a single carpel, or ovule-bearing modified leaf; or compound, formed from several carpels joined together.

A flower having sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils is complete; lacking one or more of such structures, it is said to be incomplete. Stamens and pistils are not present together in all flowers. When both are present the flower is said to be perfect, or bisexual, regardless of a lack of any other part that renders it incomplete (see photograph). A flower that lacks stamens is pistillate, or female, while one that lacks pistils is said to be staminate, or male. When the same plant bears unisexual flowers of both sexes, it is said to be monoecious (e.g., tuberous begonia, hazel, oak, corn); when the male and female flowers are on different plants, the plant is dioecious (e.g., date, holly, cottonwood, willow); when there are male, female, and bisexual flowers on the same plant, the plant is termed polygamous.

A flower may be radially symmetrical (see photograph), as in roses and petunias, in which case it is termed regular or actinomorphic. A bilaterally symmetrical flower, as in orchids (see photograph) and snapdragons, is irregular or zygomorphic.

Pollination

The stamens and pistils are directly involved with the production of seed. The stamen bears microsporangia (spore cases) in which are developed numerous microspores (potential pollen grains); the pistil bears ovules, each enclosing an egg cell. When a microspore germinates, it is known as a pollen grain. When the pollen sacs in a stamen’s anther are ripe, the anther releases them and the pollen is shed. Fertilization can occur only if the pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma of a pistil, a process known as pollination.

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There are two chief kinds of pollination: (1) self-pollination, the pollination of a stigma by pollen from the same flower or another flower on the same plant; and (2) cross-pollination, the transfer of pollen from the anther of a flower of one plant to the stigma of the flower of another plant of the same species. Self-pollination occurs in many species, but in the others, perhaps the majority, it is prevented by such adaptations as the structure of the flower, self-incompatibility, and the maturation of stamens and pistils of the same flower or plant at different times. Cross-pollination may be brought about by a number of agents, chiefly insects and wind. Wind-pollinated flowers (see photograph) generally can be recognized by their lack of colour, odour, or nectar, while animal-pollinated flowers (see photograph) are conspicuous by virtue of their structure, colour, or the production of scent or nectar.

After a pollen grain has reached the stigma, it germinates, and a pollen tube protrudes from it. This tube, containing two male gametes (sperms), extends into the ovary and reaches the ovule, discharging its gametes so that one fertilizes the egg cell, which becomes an embryo, and the other joins with two polar nuclei to form the endosperm. (Normally many pollen grains fall on a stigma; they all may germinate, but only one pollen tube enters any one ovule.) Following fertilization, the embryo is on its way to becoming a seed, and at this time the ovary itself enlarges to form the fruit.

Cultural significance

Flowers have been symbols of beauty in most civilizations of the world, and flower giving is still among the most popular of social amenities. As gifts, flowers serve as expressions of affection for spouses, other family members, and friends; as decorations at weddings and other ceremonies; as tokens of respect for the deceased; as cheering gifts to the bedridden; and as expressions of thanks or appreciation. Most flowers bought by the public are grown in commercial greenhouses or horticultural fields and then sold through wholesalers to retail florists. See also articles on individual flowers (e.g., carnation; lotus; petunia; rose; tulip).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.