Winter–January, February, and March–have the most gorgeous birth month flowers of the year! Find out what these beautiful flowers are and how you can include them in your wedding any time of year!
Hey, Christie!
Craig and I are getting married at Ainsworth House & Gardens. Yeah!!!!
And then this came up: My sister mentioned that I—like everyone else—has a birth month flower. What is the flower for January? What is the meaning? How could I include those flowers at my wedding?
Craig was born in March. I’d like to include his flowers and those of our moms who were born in February.
Could you help us?
Thanks!
–Cassie in Cannon Beach, Oregon
Hey, Cassie!
I’d be happy to help you. BTW–Daffodils to the left are one of two flowers for March.
Flowers and their meanings track back to the Victorians who used flowers (like we use emojis) to communicate. Handing someone a particular flower said if you were interested…or not.
The meanings are assigned to the flowers by people, not the flowers themselves.
Using flowers to send a message occurs still today.
When King Charles III laid a wreath to honor his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the wreath contained rosemary as a sign of remembrance (it is in the image to the right), myrtle (the flower which represents a happy marriage and was taken from her own wedding bouquet), and English oak to symbolize strength.
For the birth month, flowers were selected that were in season for that month. Depending on which book you read, there are one or two flowers for each month.
Here we go with January!
January: Carnation and Snowdrop
- Carnation: The carnation is the state flower of Ohio and the national flower of Spain. This hardy flower blooms in January…and many other months!
Meanings:
- The devoted love of a suitor for his bride,
- fascination.
- Snowdrop: There are over 2,500 varieties of snowdrop! This is one of the earliest flowers that blooms after New Year’s Day. It will often push its way up through snow to share its delicate beauty.
Meaning:
- Hope
- Purity.
February: Primrose and Violet
- Primrose: A British flower, the name is “prima rosa” or first rose in Latin–although it isn’t a rose at all! Strong enough to push their way to sunlight through the snow, primroses bloom bountifully from winter through early spring. Available in almost any color, they are the perky pops of color at your wedding!
Meaning: Innocence.
- Violet: In Victorian times, a bouquet of violets was a declaration to be faithful to that person. Associated with the February birthstone of amethyst because of their similar hues, violets are a delicate addition to any bridal bouquet.
Meanings:
- Everlasting love
- Innocence
- Faithfulness & Loyalty
- Thoughtfulnes.
March: Daffodil and Jonquil
- Daffodil: Narcissus flowers include those blooming from a bulb; the daffodil is one variety of Narcissus. (Several other varieties of Narcissus will bloom on our list including Jonquils in March and Paperwhites in December. When the national flower of Wales blooms, we know that spring is upon us!
Meaning: Happiness
- Jonquil: While daffodils are usually one color such as yellow, jonquils are usually two colors—a yellow center framed by white outer petals. Daffodils have sword-like leaves while jonquils sport slender leaves that are round at the tips.
Meanings:
- A desire for affection
- Creativity
- Success
- Renewal.
If you have questions, reach out to me.
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
Images courtesy of Pixabay.com and Unsplash.com.
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