Introducing Birthflowers®"

January-February-March-April-May-June-July-August-September-October-November-December

Birthflowers® is a registered trademark owned by Linton McKnight, Milledgeville, GA.

What are "Birthflowers®"?

Everyone has a special flower which naturally blooms on their birthday and with which they have a personal connection and share positive personality traits.

• Narcissus - January

  He that has two cakes of bread, let him sell one of them for some flowers of the Narcissus, for bread is food for the body, but Narcissus is food for the soul. -- Mohammed

  
  One of the oldest cultivated flowering plants, the Narcissus was used many centuries ago by the ancient Egyptians for funeral wreaths, and today, 3,000 years later, the preserved remains are still recognizable as once vivid blossoms. Originating in the areas of Spain and Portugal in prehistoric times, the Narcissus eventually spread to the shores of the Mediterranean and into the Middle East. These heralders of early spring were growing eagerly in gardens hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Narcissus is Latin for daffodil, and the two words are interchangeable, with Narcissus being the formal botanical term for the genus of these members of the Amaryllis family. The name Narcissus is derived form the Greek word narke, meaning to benumb, referring to the narcotic quality of the flower's fragrance, which has a soothing influence on the nervous system. Thus it was used in ancient Greece to encourage sleep and to calm those suffering from hysteria. The Greeks, like the Egyptians, also sent loved ones on to the afterlife with the Narcissus, placing the bulbs and flowers in the coffins. Perhaps the most famous story of this flower is the Greek myth of Narcissus, a beautiful boy who, as punishment for rejecting a would-be lover, saw his own image reflected in a stream, fell in love with it, fell in the water, and drowned. In his place a Narcissus flower sprouted on the bank. In 1862 an English gentleman named Peter Barr - known as the King of Daffodils due to his tireless and successful efforts to promote the flower - set up an ambitious syndicate to buy the collections from completely disappearing. This responsible act in a large part made possible today's continually increasing cultivar registrations (which now average a hundred and sixty a year) coming from countries as diverse as the United States, Lativa, Great Britain, Hungary, Canada, Australia, Holland, and New Zealand.

• Forsythia - February

  The forsythia blossoms as a first sign of spring. But its soul still whispers of winter. - Jacqueline Haun

  
  Native to Korea, Forsythia, a flowering shrub popular today in temperate gardens, is named for William Forsyth, a 16th-century gentleman famous in England for his keen intelligence and deep involvement in horticulture. A friendly man who was one of the seven founding members of the Horticulture Society of London (today the Royal Horticultural Society), Forsyth was for thirteen years the Curator of Chelsea Physic Garden as well as gardener to King George III. Before his death in 1804, the famous Director of the Royal Gardens at Kensington Palace left a mixed legacy to his country: IN addition to his contributions to gardening, this intelligent botanist had bluffed Parliament into paying $1500 for his invention of "Forsyth's Plaister" which was supposed to cure tree decay. Whether this mixture of soap and ash actually worked was the crux of a bitter controversy that lasted even after his death, and this independent man's legacy has outlived that of any of the members of the Parliament of this day.

• Azalea - March

  Flowers are lovely; love is flower like. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  
  The first written memoir of Azaleas is found in a Japanese book of poems dated 759 A.A. Even before this, exotic Rhododendron (Azalea is the common name for Rhododendron) has held an imaginative place in Japanese gardens and lore. Having an inborn need for a considerable amount of atmospheric moisture, these plants have thrived for centuries between 2,000 feet and 18,000 feet above sea level in the World's highest mountains, the awesome Himalayas in northern India. In an unwavering drive to find the most beautiful plants, and risking fortune, family, and even life itself, the imaginative explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward crisscrossed these forbidding regions on the backs of elephants in the 1920s and 1930s. Huge leeches living overhead in the humid canopy of dark rhododendron forests dropped indiscriminately on all intruders so that the native guides sometimes refused to enter these woods. This fanciful adventurer related how his bearers found a wild bees' nest and, in an attempt to enliven their monotonous diet, partook freely of the fresh honey, which is in fact poisonous. Soon they were rendered intoxicated a practically unconscious for several days. Kingdon-Ward's journeys were rewarded with the sighting of a 55-foot-high specimen rhododendron with a six-foot diameter trunk that bore more than 800 trusses of glistening scarlet flowers the size of soccer balls. It is through his efforts, spurred on by his intellect and emotion regarding these plants, as well as efforts of like-minded souls, that we can nonchalantly take for granted the outstanding varieties of Azalea that we find so readily available on the market today. This natural, instinctive drive to find something better is indicative of those March-born individuals associated with the Azalea.

• Iris - April

  Is there such a thing as an ugly Iris? Less pretty ones there may be, but uglies - perish the thought! There are irises for every soil and situation too - Spanish Irises and English for sunny borders, and German Irises for everywhere, even London, and Ochreleuca Irises for the bog, Cristata Irises for the rock bed and - Oncocyclus Irises for the Kingdom of Heaven! - Reginald Farrer

  
  The Iris has been traced back as far as 2000 B.C., during the Minoan period, on the Greek island of Crete, where stylized artwork depicting it has been found. The Iris has been symbolic since the times of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, for whom it represented the gods and regality, respectively, and was s strong emblem in the Middle Ages, when it represented chivalry. In fact, a popular design element today - the fleur-de-lis, Flower of Kings - originated in the twelfth century when King of the Franks, Clovis I, adopted the Iris as his emblem when he embraced Christianity. Legend has it that Clovis's army, retreating from the Goths and about to cross the Rhine, saw Irises growing far out into the water. Deciding that the water was shallow in that direction, they were able to ford the river successfully. The strong character of this flower has captured the imagination of painters for centuries, having been depicted often by lauded artists such as the Dutch and Italian Masters, and in the twentieth century, Van Gogh and Monet. Because of the wide range of diverse and exciting colors found in the blooms, the genus was named for the rainbow goddess, Iris. The broad range of artistic uses of this dynamic and popular flower include its frequent portrayal in embroidery, paintings, cloisonne, lacquer, and carved crystal in both oriental and Persian art. In addition to its prolific presence in the arts, the physical attributes of the Iris are used enthusiastically in cooking and commerce. The tubers are a favorite food in the Mediterranean, and the seeds are used in Alaska and Europe to concoct a robust coffee. Its rhizomes, the bulbous roots, have been hung in barrels of stouthearted beer or wine to keep the contents fresh. Several Old World species are used in perfumery, and some yield medicinal products. Besides being an inspiration to artisans, the flower's petals can be crushed into a lively pigment for paint.

• Rose - May

  Go, lovely rose! Tell her that wastes her time and me. That now she knows, when I resemble her to thee, how sweet and fair she seems to be. - Edmund Waller

  
  The Rose has been around for more than thirty million years. Fossilized remains that were discovered by anthropologists have been directly connected to present-day Rose species. The first people to cultivate this plant were the Chinese, who grew it for more than 2,000 years before Europe had its first introduction to Chinese Roses in the mid-eighteenth century. Almost every American modern Rose can literally trace its roots to one of those Roses imported from China. The heart of European Rose cultivation, however, began in Persia and Mesopotamia, where a flourishing trade of perfume grew out of the fragrant oil, attar that was distilled from the Rose petal. The ancient Romans and Greeks each had their own thriving Rose industry as well, producing immense gardens, medicine, perfumes, decorations, and religious garlands and ornamentation. The depiction of the Rose goes back to the oldest known picture of true Roses, the sixteenth-century B.C. House of Frescoes at Knossos, on the Greek island of Crete. The island of Rhodes in Greece (whose name itself is from "Rose") portrayed flowering Roses on its coins in 4000 B.C. And the Rose has had a prominent place in literature, having been mentioned by writers from Confucius to Horace to Shakespeare to contemporary scribes. One of the World's most valuable oils, attar of Roses, is valued as the base of most perfumes. Bulgaria is the main center of production of this precious liquid and makes three quarters of the World's supply. More than 200,000 workers tend the bushes, gather the petals and distill the oil. A ton of petals yields a mere pound of active attar, most of which is shipped to France to be further refined.

• Hydrangea - June

  Show me your garden, provided it be your own, and I will tell you what you are like. - Alfred Austin

  
  Due to Japan's isolationism in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, the Hydrangea, while a popular garden flower in Japan, was not shared with the rest of the world. The Hydrangea did not make an appearance in the Western world until the early 17000s, when in 739 Sir Joseph Banks introduced in Britain the Hydrangea Maritima, a specimen from a Chinese garden. At the same time, the name Hydrangea, from the Greek words hydro (water) and angeion (vase), began to appear in Western botanical literature: The first use was by Jan Frederik Gronovius, a Swedish botanist who established the binomial nomenclature system, to describe the plant in his Flora Virginica in 1739. The more famous Carolus Linnaeus also named the same plant in his Species Planetarium in 1753. The Hydrangea flourished as an ornamental plant in gardens throughout Europe and England. Because the Hydrangea is very responsive to soil composition and sensitive to the amount of aluminum it absorbs, the environment of the plant itself determines whether its blooms are pink or blue. However, there are some white blooming Hydrangeas that will produce only white flowers. In addition, a shortage of iron in the soil can cause the plants leaves to become yellow, with green near the veins. Also, the leaves will usually show a sensitivity to dry conditions by wilting and drooping. Versatile and expressive, the Hydrangea grows in many forms, depending on the species. Some grow to be trees as high as 25 feet. Others grow as vines that run horizontally over the ground, making a shade-loving ground cover.

• Crape Myrtle - July

  And where a little terrace from its bowers Of blooming myrtle... Scatters its sense-dissolving fragrance o'er The liquid marble of the windless lake. - Percy Bysshe Shelley

  
  The most common association people have with the Crape Myrtle is as an old-fashioned plant found in the elegant gardens of the Deep South. But in the last thirty years, the emergence of a New South, with its prominent artistic, social, and civic presence, has had as its companion the clever transformation of the common Crape Myrtle into a popular and versatile plant in contemporary gardens and lawns. These improvements have taken shape in the unusual and inventive breeding and selecting of new cultivars, which have expanded the size and colors of the wonderful Crape Myrtle. More than fifty years ago the first of these unusual Crape Myrtles were introduced from Asia to southern American landscapes, where responsive Southern gardeners quickly recognized the plant's constant ornamental qualities. But it was due to the imaginative and clever efforts of Dr. Donald R. Egolf of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., that hybrid cultivars of Crape Myrtle that were resistant to mildew were developed. He Americanized them further by loyally naming those cultivars after Native American tribes. Inventive growers and breeders have developed a wide range of cultivars, from dwarf Crape Myrtles that rise just a few inches above the ground (excellent when used as a ground cover in sunny spots) to small trees that can shoot up to more than twenty feet high. Dwarf cultivars of Crape Myrtle are the earliest blooming, some beginning as early as late spring, and some of the taller varieties continue blooming into late fall. With the right mix of cultivars, you can have this loyal tree/shrub dotting your property with color for the better part of the year.

• Phlox - August

  It does give a sumptuous glowing show, especially if you can plant it in a half-shady bed where its colours will curiously change with the sinking sun and will deepen with twilight into colours you never thought it possessed. - Vita Sackville-West, on Phlox

  
  Nearly all Phlox are native to North America, with only slight representations of the colorful plant in South America, Europe, and northern Asia. Persistent British hybridists are mostly responsible for transforming these demure individuals into the splendid outstanding cultivars of today. And what a masterful job they have done! Today the Phlox is an especially popular member of both rock and border gardens - with its loose clusters of flowers in an amazing array of strong, clean colors, its long blooming season, and its steady, successful performance as a border garden flower. Unlike the adventurous world explorers of the eighteenth century, the obstacles facing the U.S. nurserymen when exporting these graceful alluring beauties lies not in the danger of actually shipping them, but within our country's bureaucracy. Florida has been allowed to export the tender, gentle Phlox in sterile media to Europe for less than twenty years. Hawaii only received permission from the U.S. government to do this in 1994. To share the charming Phlox with the rest of the world is, at the present time, a bit challenging.

• Canna - September

  And God has taken a flower of gold And broken it, and used therefrom The mystic link to bind and hold Spirit to matter til death come. - Robert Frost

  
  Originating in the marshy areas of tropical and subtropical America, many Cannas have made their way across the world and have become naturalized in parts of Africa and Asia. Their fleshy roots provide a stable food to the natives of Ecuador and Colombia. In addition, some of these natives use the leaves of the plants for thatching their homes and also to wrap newborn children. Many other cultures also use the leaves to wrap food, and make use of the plant's hard black seeds in jewelry and ornamentation. In 1846, M. Annee, a gifted French diplomat at Valparaiso in Chile, brought with him to Paris a collection of Cannas from South America. Wildly successful in hybridizing the species, he deserves credit for efficiently and systematically laying the foundation for the hot and vivid colors we seem to take for granted today. Cannas possess an abundance of attractive cultivation qualities: quick to establish, easy to maintain, low in cost. In addition, spectacular flowers and lush foliage, coupled with a long blooming season, may make the productive and efficient Canna the best buy your local garden center has to offer. They are large, effective, and impressive plants that bloom from July to the first frost and are proficiently showy during the September birth month.

• Daylily - October

  All the wars of the world, all the Caesars, have not the staying power of a lily in a cottage border. - Reginald Farrer

  
  Daylilies have been cultivated in China for thousands of years and for many reasons other than ornamental. As a food product their blooms and buds are tasty and nutricious, and their roots and crowns are used in medicine. The juice of the root is an effective antidotes for arsenic poisoning as well as an antidepressant, often referred to as a "dispeller of woe" by ancient apothecaries. The tough, dried foliage can be woven into a cord and then used for making footwear. The 15th through 18th centuries were a great era of exploration in which vigorous and hardy men set out to map and measure the world. These expeditions included geographers, geologists, botanists, and even individual pacesetters striking out on their own with the sole intention of discovering new plants to bring back to Europe. Daylilies made their way to points beyond China by trade routes established by such explorers. The first printed description of Daylilies appeared in 1629, and claimed that these flowers were most happy in boggy areas found in what is now Germany. The Daylily then made the journey across the Atlantic to North America with settlers leaving Europe and Great Britain. It wasn't until 1934 when an American botanist, scholar, and plant breeder, Dr. Arlow B. Scott, published his book, Daylilies, that the way was paved for future breeders. It is from his hybrids that the genetic base of modern hybrids stems. And it is from his classification of the species that many botanists believe a revision of the classification or Daylily from genera of the Lily family (Lilaceae) to a new family of its own (Hemerocallidaeae) should be made today. The sturdy Daylily can be seen flowering in the frigid Arctic Lapland, and this spirited plant thrives in the scorching tropics as well. Daylilies are bred in Europe, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia with some cultivars being more fragile than others. Since glossy garden catalogs often do not tell you which varieties will flourish vigorously and flower abundantly in your part of the world, it is wise to visit gardens in your area to see for yourself. There you may see sprightly Daylilies that bloom from the last spring frost until the first fall freeze, and you will be able to select a hardy variety that produces lush blooms on your birthday every year.

• Chrysanthemum - November

  The white chrysanthemum Even when lifted to the eye Remained immaculate. - Kyoriaso Hyokai

  
  The Chrysanthemum - commonly called mum - was first introduced into Britain in the 1790s, where hybridists increased the size, varied the shape, and enhanced the color range to produce the magnificent mums we have today. Deriving its name from the Greek words chryos (gold) and anthos (flower), the Chrysanthemum is one of the world's most popular, intriguing, and adaptable plants. Its size ranges from the enormous Japanese cushion mum blooms, which can measure up to 12 inches in diameter, to the intense daisy-like potted plants capable of bearing several hundred small flowers in a single pot. About 500 B.C. the Chinese philosopher Confucius wrote the first recorded reference to the Chrysanthemum, and for centuries the flower was cultivated in China for both medicinal purposes and its outstanding beauty. (Even today certain Chrysanthemums are used in salads in the Orient.) Records show that a Chrysanthemum Show was held in 900 A.D. in Japan and, in fact, the "rising sun" in the Japanese flag is not the sun but rather a Chrysanthemum represented by a central disc and 16 radiating petals. In 1798, three plants were imported to France from China by M. Blanchard, and enthusiastic French merchant. The following year, plants arrived in England, leading to the first exhibition of a British seedling in December, 1832. Soon the hearts of thousands of enthusiastic amateur gardeners were captured by this versatile plant. Even today it is the amateur gardener who is taking over the breeding of new cultivars from professional nurserymen in the search for the visionary, ideal, and perfect mum. Most of the Chrysanthemums sold by supermarkets and garden centers have been raised by professional nurserymen and are properly named, but unfortunately the clerks at these stores are unable to give the customer any advice on the mature color, type, or eventual height of the plant. This kind of plant buying can result in the buyer unnecessarily growing plants that are inappropriate for his site or purpose. Plants from these sources may be cheaper, but there is always the risk that they were supplied from and amateur local grower who may have stock that is not pure or true. Therefore an astute buyer, after making a selection from a catalog, will purchase Chrysanthemums from a specialized nursery. When in doubt, use two resources that are closer than you might think: a friend's garden and, if certain Chrysanthemums thrive in their garden, chances are these same type of plants will grow for you as well. Or call the nursery and ask for their advice on the plant you require. That was you can feel confident about your purchase and probably can find one that flowers on your birthday every year.

• Camellia - December

  If we have no mountains to boast of, we have the sea, which is ever enjoyable, and we have Camellias. - Queen Victoria, 1845

  
  China is the home of the Camellia, as are the neighboring lands of India, Burma, Korea, Formosa, and Japan. The native habitat of this vibrant plant is the picturesque world of misty valleys and gently sloping hillsides with sparse forests. In such places confident Camellias grow to become moss-covered trees reaching over 30 feet high with smooth, gray trunks more than a foot thick. These aristocrats of the garden were so sacred to the Chinese that it was forbidden to gather seeds or even take a single cutting. The genus Camellia is named for a Jesuit priest, George Kamel (1661-1706), who traveled throughout China and the Philippines collecting plants. It is unclear whether Kamel brought seeds of the Camellia to Europe, but we do know that the first plants in England bloomed in Lord Petre's garden at Thornden Hall in Essex in 1739. Unfortunately, the Camellia soon disappeared from England, probably due to general ignorance in how to care for it. In 1792, however, John Slater of the famed East India Company brought four Camellias to England and successfully reintroduced the beautiful flower to that country. The plant's dislike of lime, it's love of fog, and it's requirements of shade, shelter, and a well-drained site are indicative if the precise needs of the Camellia. Maybe it is these requirements that have always made them more expensive than many other plants, more cherished and pampered as a garden plant, and surrounded with a more sophisticated and confident aura in the southeastern United States and on the Pacific coast, especially. Camellias are popular as ornamental outdoor shrubs.