Every month has a flower. Which one is yours?
Long before birthstones sparkled, every birth month had its own flower and its own quiet meaning. Tell us the month and we will tell you the flower, the story it carries, the personality it hints at, and the South African bouquet that says it best.
Find my birth flowerRead the full guideBirth Flowers by Month in South Africa
Twenty seconds. One beautiful answer.
Join the Fabulous family and we will send your unique code, your birth flower's full story, and we will quietly remember the month that matters.
Most birth flower guides are written for gardens on the other side of the world. Ours is not. Our florists have hand-tied flowers from our Cape Town studio since 1999, and for every month below you will find both traditional blooms, the story and personality behind them, the matching birthstone and star sign gifts, and the South African bouquet we would actually send, fresh and same-day in Cape Town and Johannesburg, with nationwide gift delivery for everywhere else.
January Birth Flower: Carnation
"Devotion, loyalty and a love that stays."
Legend says carnations first bloomed where Mary's tears fell, and they have meant devotion ever since. The Romans wove them into ceremonial crowns, which is where the name coronation flower comes from, and two thousand years later a carnation still says the same thing: I am not going anywhere. The snowdrop, January's second flower, pushes up through frozen ground before anything else dares to, a small act of courage every winter.
Colour matters with carnations. Blush pink says gratitude, deep red says admiration that has grown serious, and white says pure love and good luck, which is why they slip so easily into birthday flowers. Our Pink Expression bouquet carries that same soft devotion when carnations are resting. They are also famously long-lasting in the vase, often outliving every other stem by a week. January people tend to be the same: steady, loyal, quietly unshakeable.
They share their month with Capricorn and Aquarius, and a garnet birthstone that glows the exact red of a florist's best carnation. If you are writing the card too, our 200+ happy birthday messages do the hard part.
February Birth Flower: Violet
"Loyalty, modesty and faithful love."
Victorians slipped violets to the people they could not openly court, an entire romance folded into a flower smaller than a coin. Napoleon famously promised to return from exile when the violets bloomed, and his followers wore them as a quiet signal. February's second flower, the iris, is named for the Greek goddess who carried messages between gods along a rainbow, which makes both of this month's blooms flowers of things left unsaid.
Violets carry their meaning in their colour too: that deep purple has stood for faithfulness since the Middle Ages, when lovers exchanged them as promises. The full story lives in our guide to flower meanings and symbolism. For February birthdays, the Lush and Lovely bouquet sits in exactly that gentle register.
February belongs to Aquarius and Pisces, with the amethyst as its stone, purple straight through, exactly as this month should be.
March Birth Flower: Daffodil
"New beginnings and unequalled love."
Daffodils are the first trumpet of a northern spring, so beloved that Wales pins them to every coat on St David's Day and Persian families set them on the table for Nowruz, the new year. The jonquil, March's second flower, is the sweetly scented cousin that carries an extra meaning: affection returned.
The old superstition is worth knowing before you send them. A whole bunch of daffodils gifts a year of happiness. A single stem invites misfortune, so a proper armful it is. More stories like that live in our fun facts about flowers. Their gold is the exact colour of starting again, which is why our Bright Sunshine bouquet suits new jobs, new homes and every congratulations in between.
March carries Pisces into Aries, with aquamarine as its stone, the pale blue-green of the sea the month is named for.
April Birth Flower: Daisy
"Innocence, cheer and blissful pleasure."
Daisy means day's eye in old English, because the flower opens with the sun and closes when it sets, a tiny daily ceremony that has charmed people for a thousand years. Sweet peas, April's second bloom, were the Edwardian way of saying thank you for a lovely time, pinned to lapels after every good party.
In the language of flowers the daisy stands for innocence and loyal love, the friendship kind, uncomplicated and bright. That is why gerbera daisies, grown right here, are our first pick for the friend who is sunshine in human form, and why we wrote a whole love letter to the gerbera daisy. Our Joy in a Jar does the same job in vase form, and makes a perfect thank you.
April opens with Aries and settles into Taurus, and its birthstone is the diamond. Understated flower, unbreakable stone. April people contain both.
May Birth Flower: Lily of the Valley
"A return to happiness."
Tiny, fragrant and almost impossibly delicate, lily of the valley has scented royal weddings from Grace Kelly to Kate Middleton. In France, the first of May is La Fête du Muguet, when everyone gifts a sprig for luck. Hawthorn, the month's second flower, was the old countryside signal that summer could finally be trusted.
Its meaning, a return to happiness, makes it the most hopeful flower in the whole calendar, the one for after hard seasons. Fragrance is the point in May, and lily of the valley ranks high in our guide to the world's best smelling flowers. When the moment calls for scale, our White Purity vase arrangement fills a room with the same quiet elegance, and a full lily bouquet does it with drama.
May belongs to Taurus and Gemini, with the emerald as its stone, the exact green of a stem in spring.
June Birth Flower: Rose
"Love in every language."
Cleopatra reportedly carpeted a palace room knee-deep in rose petals to win Mark Antony, which tells you everything about June's flower: it has never once been subtle about love. Honeysuckle, the second bloom, stands for the bonds that hold, sweetness that lasts past summer.
Every rose colour writes a different sentence. Red says I love you with the volume up, and our guide to red roses tells you which shade says it best. Pink says admiration, white says I choose you calmly and completely. The Red Rose and Greenery bouquet is the classic done properly, and roses remain the most-sent birthday bouquet in both our cities. For the romantics, June birthdays double beautifully as anniversary rehearsals.
June carries Gemini into Cancer, and claims two birthstones, the pearl and alexandrite, both of which change with the light, like love does.
July Birth Flower: Larkspur
"An open heart and lightness of spirit."
Larkspur's buds look like tiny dolphins, which is how its cousin the delphinium got its Greek name. Victorian gardens grew walls of it for height and drama. The water lily, July's second flower, opens each morning and closes each night, a daily ritual of renewal that made it sacred from Egypt to the Eastern Cape.
Larkspur's meanings run by shade: purple for first love, pink for fickleness (send carefully), white for a happy nature. Tall stems drink hard, so keep our flower care guide close. July people feel everything and hide none of it, and their flowers should match: tall, colourful, unmissable, like our Distinctly Dreamy bouquet.
July belongs to Cancer and Leo, with the ruby as its stone, the boldest gem in the calendar for the month of the open heart.
August Birth Flower: Gladiolus
"Strength of character and remembrance."
Gladiolus takes its name from gladius, the Roman sword, because the leaves rise like blades. Gladiators were showered with them after victories, and the Victorians said a gladiolus could pierce a heart with its beauty. The poppy, August's second flower, carries imagination and remembrance in equal measure.
A gladiolus says you are strong enough, which makes it the right flower for promotions, comebacks and hard-won wins. Its warm spikes of coral and flame sit closest to our orange flowers, and the Brilliantly Happy bouquet, all orange, purple and red, arrives looking like a standing ovation. More inspiration waits in our 100 bouquet ideas. August people are the strong ones, decisive and generous.
August is Leo season easing into Virgo, with peridot, the bright green stone the Egyptians called the gem of the sun.
September Birth Flower: Aster
"Wisdom, patience and enduring devotion."
Aster is simply the Greek word for star, named for petals that radiate like one. The ancients burned aster leaves to ward off trouble and laid them on altars to the gods. Morning glory, September's second flower, blooms brilliantly and briefly each day, a reminder that affection should be renewed every morning.
Asters stand for wisdom and love that does not rush, which suits September people perfectly: the calm friends, the good advice, the ones devoted for decades. Our Harmony flower arrangement was practically named for them, and if you have ever wondered which flower symbolises harmony, we wrote the answer. For a September birthday that deserves more than flowers, add one of our luxury gift boxes.
September carries Virgo into Libra, under the sapphire, the stone of wisdom in the exact blue-purple of an aster at dusk.
October Birth Flower: Marigold
"Warmth, creativity and a fierce inner light."
Marigolds burn so bright that whole festivals are built from them, from Diwali garlands to the marigold rivers of Día de los Muertos, where their glow is said to guide loved ones home. Cosmos, October's second flower, means order and harmony, the calm side of all that fire.
The marigold's amber is the happiest colour we sell, and in South Africa its true heirs are sunflowers, tall and unapologetic. Our Vibrant Rose bouquet brings the same fire in rose form. October people glow the same way: creative, warm, magnetic. When one big gesture is called for, add a birthday hamper, borrow our birthday party planning secrets, and make an afternoon of it.
October balances Libra into Scorpio, with the opal, a stone that holds every colour at once, which for October feels about right.
November Birth Flower: Chrysanthemum
"Joy, honesty and friendship that goes the distance."
Japan loves the chrysanthemum so much its emperors sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne, and a national Festival of Happiness blooms around it every autumn. In China it is one of the Four Gentlemen of art, the flower of a life well lived. One bloom, a whole philosophy: joy is a discipline, not an accident.
Chrysanthemums are also quietly heroic in the vase, lasting up to two weeks and holding their colour to the last day, honest flowers for honest people. Red ones declare love, white ones loyalty, so we mix ours warmly. Not sure? Let the bench decide with a Florist Choice bouquet. And for something proudly local alongside them, read our love letter to the protea, South Africa's own crown.
November runs Scorpio into Sagittarius under topaz and citrine, two stones of warmth for the month friendship built.
December Birth Flower: Narcissus
"Hope, sweetness and being adored exactly as you are."
The paperwhite narcissus blooms in the dead of the northern winter, which made it the season's flower of hope everywhere it grows. Holly guarded homes long before it decorated them, hung over doorways to keep the household lucky. December's flowers are promises: light returns, and you are loved.
The narcissus asks one thing, that you stay exactly as you are, which is the most December sentiment there is. Its crisp white belongs in our Pure Snow rose bouquet, and December flowers deserve keeping: how to dry flowers shows you how to hold onto them. For the December people who share their birthday with the season itself, a birthday gift box keeps their day from disappearing into the holidays.
December closes the year with Sagittarius and Capricorn, under tanzanite, the one birthstone the world mines almost nowhere but Africa.
| Month | Birth flowers | Meaning | Birthstone | Star signs | The SA bouquet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Carnation & Snowdrop | Devotion, loyalty and a love that stays. | Garnet | Capricorn · Aquarius | Carnations |
| February | Violet & Iris | Loyalty, modesty and faithful love. | Amethyst | Aquarius · Pisces | Lilac Flowers |
| March | Daffodil & Jonquil | New beginnings and unequalled love. | Aquamarine | Pisces · Aries | Yellow Flowers |
| April | Daisy & Sweet Pea | Innocence, cheer and blissful pleasure. | Diamond | Aries · Taurus | Gerbera Daisies |
| May | Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn | A return to happiness. | Emerald | Taurus · Gemini | St Joseph Lilies |
| June | Rose & Honeysuckle | Love in every language. | Pearl · Alexandrite | Gemini · Cancer | Roses |
| July | Larkspur & Water Lily | An open heart and lightness of spirit. | Ruby | Cancer · Leo | Purple Flowers |
| August | Gladiolus & Poppy | Strength of character and remembrance. | Peridot | Leo · Virgo | Orange Flowers |
| September | Aster & Morning Glory | Wisdom, patience and enduring devotion. | Sapphire | Virgo · Libra | Orchids |
| October | Marigold & Cosmos | Warmth, creativity and a fierce inner light. | Opal · Tourmaline | Libra · Scorpio | Sunflowers |
| November | Chrysanthemum | Joy, honesty and friendship that goes the distance. | Topaz · Citrine | Scorpio · Sagittarius | Chrysanthemums |
| December | Narcissus & Holly | Hope, sweetness and being adored exactly as you are. | Turquoise · Tanzanite | Sagittarius · Capricorn | White Flowers |
Browse every stem we grow and stock in flowers by type, ready to send today.
The tradition grew in layers. The Victorians, who used flowers to say what they were too polite to speak aloud, assigned the first set. American florists added a second bloom to most months in the early 1900s so there would always be something in season. Two flowers, twice the meaning, and twice the excuse to send some.
You know their birth month. Now you know their flower. We will hand-tie it in Cape Town or Johannesburg and have it at their door the same day, while you watch them open it on FaceTime. Pay in pounds, dollars or rand.
Send their birth flowers homeFrequently Asked Questions
What is my birth flower?
Your birth flower is set by your birth month: 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 and December narcissus. Use the finder above for the story behind yours.
What are the two birth flowers for each month?
Most months carry a primary and a secondary bloom, for example June has the rose and the honeysuckle, and December has the narcissus and holly. Every month section above covers both.
Are birth flowers different in South Africa?
The tradition is the same worldwide, but the seasons behind it are flipped for us. That is why our florists pair each month with a locally available South African bloom that carries the same meaning.
What is the rarest birth flower?
Lily of the valley, May's flower, is among the hardest to source and is rarely grown commercially in South Africa. We recommend fragrant St Joseph lilies in its place.
Can I send birth flowers the same day in South Africa?
Yes. Order before 12pm and our florists hand-deliver same-day across Cape Town and Johannesburg. Nationwide gift boxes reach most cities in 2 to 4 business days.
What do birth flowers mean?
Each bloom carries a Victorian-era meaning: carnations for devotion, daisies for innocence, roses for love, chrysanthemums for friendship. Every month section above tells the full story.
What is the difference between a birth flower and a birthstone?
Birthstones assign a gem to each month; birth flowers assign a bloom. Both run centuries deep, but only one can be hand-tied and at their door by this afternoon. The chart above pairs them for every month.
Can I order birth flowers from overseas for delivery in South Africa?
Yes. Thousands of South Africans abroad order through us from the UK, Australia, the USA, Canada and New Zealand. Pay in your own currency and we deliver same-day in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Which birth flower matches my star sign?
Star signs straddle two months, so you can claim both blooms. A Gemini born in June gets the rose; a Gemini born in May gets lily of the valley. Our zodiac collections cover all twelve signs.
Are birth flowers edible?
Some are. Violets, daisies and marigolds have long culinary histories, though shop bouquets are grown for the vase, not the plate. Our edible flowers guide covers the blooms chefs actually use.
Do birth flower colours change the meaning?
Yes. A red carnation speaks of deep admiration while white means pure love, and yellow roses mean friendship rather than romance. Each month section above covers the shades worth knowing before you send.
