Earth Stone Guide crystal markEarth Stone Guide

Month by month

Birth Flowers by Month

Every month has a flower as well as a stone. Here are both, side by side, with the meaning each bloom carried in the Victorian language of flowers — and a link to the matching birthstone by month.

Where birth flowers come from

Romans marked birthdays with garlands, but the fixed month-by-month list is Victorian. Floriography turned each bloom into a message, and gift books printed one flower per month so a bouquet could say something specific. The stones followed a similar path — the whole story is on the history of birthstones page.

Pairing the flower with the stone

The two lists are the reason so many birthday gifts combine them: a bouquet of the month's flower with a birthstone necklace in 18K gold is the classic version, and an engraved birthstone ring works when you want something that lasts past the flowers.

Birth flowers and birthstones by month

Birth flower questions

More answers in the birthstone questions and answers guide.

What are birth flowers?
Birth flowers are blooms traditionally assigned to each calendar month, in the same way birthstones are. Most of the modern list comes from Victorian floriography, the language of flowers.
Does every month have two birth flowers?
Most months have a primary flower and a secondary one. The primary is the flower usually named in gift guides; the secondary is often a regional or older alternative.
Can you combine a birth flower and a birthstone in a gift?
Yes, and it is one of the most popular pairings — a birthstone necklace given with the month's flower, or a pendant engraved with a flower motif and set with the birthstone.
Are birth flowers older than birthstones?
The birthstone tradition is older in its roots, but the month-by-month flower list as we know it dates to the 1800s, while the standardized birthstone list dates to 1912.