Flowers for the Month You Were Born

By Southern Living
August 11, 2016
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Each birth month comes with a host of symbolic connections. Two of the most popular are birth flowers and birthstones, which are supposed to symbolize the month of your birth and carry with them symbolic meaning. We are partial to flowers in the South, and we have heard that some Southerners even take to the yard to celebrate, gardening and replanting their birth flowers each year. To honor this tradition, we found each birth flower in The New Southern Living Garden Book, our go-to resource and unfailing guide for all things plant-related in the South, so that you can try your hand at planting the flowers that symbolize your birth month. When you see their blossoms bursting and blooming brightly in your garden, it will be just as sweet as a slice of birthday cake.
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January Birth Flower: Carnation

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(Dianthus caryophyllus) Very popular border plants, these flowers can be grown in mild winter areas, and they bloom in many different colors, including white, pink, red, orange, purple, and yellow.

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February Birth Flower: Iris

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(Iris sp.) These showy flowers grow in three categories: bearded, beardless, and crested, which can be identified by the fall: fall with adornment, smooth fall, and fall with comblike ridge, respectively.

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March Birth Flower: Daffodil

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(Narcissus sp.) These are some of the loveliest spring bulbs in the South, offering a thrilling panoply of form and color when they bloom. The colors range from yellow to white, orange, and peach, sometimes even red.

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April Birth Flower: Daisy

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(Bellis perennis) Fresh-faced and lively, the daisy is a favorite of gardens everywhere. Their rosettes range from pink and red to shades of white. This cool-weather annual will bloom in winter or spring in the South.

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May Birth Flower: Lily-of-the-Valley

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(Convallaria majalis) These sweetly scented blooms look like dainty white bells dripping down the side of its stems. The flowers are fleeting—they only last a few weeks—but the lush greenery of the plant is beautiful during the entire season.

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June Birth Flower: Rose

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(Rosa sp.) A rose by any other name is still gorgeous in your garden. Roses are a stunning staple in the South, offering sweet scents and a rainbow of dazzling colors in dramatic, lush, and vibrant hues.

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July Birth Flower: Larkspur

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(Consolida ajacis) Perfectly content in sultry Southern summers, these tall, whimsical steeples rise above lush gardens, offering punches of purple, deep blue, lilac, mauve, and white. In preparation for future gardening, collect the seeds once these disappear for the season.

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August Birth Flower: Gladiolus

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(Gladolius sp.) A traditional bloom, these flowers are well-known for their unique form and array of colors. Ideal for arrangements, once they begin to blossom in your garden, they’ll be ready for a vase in your dining room.

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September Birth Flower: Aster

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(Aster sp.) Asters generally bloom in later summer and early fall, offering clusters of color in shades as diverse as white, blue, red, pink, purple, and lavender, often with centers of bright, cheerful yellow.

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October Birth Flower: Marigold

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(Calendula officinalis) This vibrant flower is a beloved pop of lively color in many gardens throughout the South. It is a reliable bloom for bright, punchy orange and yellow hues. Throughout history, it was used as a culinary herb. Today, its petals are still used in salads and to add color to saffron rice.

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November Birth Flower: Chrysanthemum

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(Chrysanthemum sp.) The New Southern Living Garden Book identifies this flower as “the most useful of all autumn-blooming perennials for borders, containers, and cutting.” With so much to recommend it, we think it’s a gorgeous addition to your garden this year.

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December Birth Flower: Poinsettia

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(Euphorbia pulcherrima) The most well-known form of this plant is the bright red blooming plant seen on every neighborhood stoop at Christmastime. To achieve peak blooms in these potted plants, The New Southern Living Garden Book recommends placing the plants in a closet with no light each night for 10 weeks.

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