For those born in the second month of the year, the month of February isn’t just about celebrating Valentine’s Day. February is the shortest month of the year with only 28 to 29 days, and that alone makes it all the more special for February birthday celebrants. Sure, there’s something special about receiving flowers in February for Valentine’s Day, but receiving February birthday flowers for your special day in the same month? Here we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Official Birth Flowers for February – the Violet, Iris, and Primrose.

The Official Birth Flower Calendar:
Month: | Birth Flower: | Meanings & Symbolism: |
January: | Carnations & Snowdrop | Pink Carnations (love and appreciation), White Carnations (luck, love, and affection, Red Carnations (love and friendship). Snowdrop (hope and rebirth). |
February: | Violet, Iris, and Primrose | Violets (faithful love, truth, loyalty, humility), Iris (hope, faith, passion, purity, and innocence), Primrose (affection, young love, undying affection) |
March: | Daffodils | Daffodils (new beginnings, faithfulness, luck, prosperity, and hope) |
April: | Daisy & Sweet Pea | Daisy (purity, love, new beginnings, fertility, and motherhood). Sweet Pea (blissful pleasure, gratitude). |
May: | Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn | Lily of the Valley (romance, luck, happiness, purity, humility). Hawthorn (hope, love, beauty, fertility, and supreme happiness). |
June: | Roses & Honeysuckle | Roses (love, passion, romance, purity, gratitude). Honeysuckle (happiness and eternal love). |
July: | Larkspur & Water Lily | Larkspur (happiness, love); Water Lily (enlightenment, resurrection, purity, beauty, creation). |
August: | Gladiolus & Poppy | Gladiolus (integrity, honor, respect); Poppy (remembrance, prosperity, enchantment, sympathy). |
September: | Aster & Morning Glory | Aster (faith, love, achievement, and wisdom); Morning Glory (affection, intimate love, patience). |
October: | Marigolds & Cosmos | Marigolds (devotion, commitment); Cosmos (harmony, love, innocence, beauty, modesty, joy, and balance). |
November: | Chrysanthemum & Peonies | Chrysanthemum (friendship, love); Peonies (romance, prosperity, good fortune, honor, and compassion) |
December: | Narcissus, Poinsettia, and Holly, | Narcissus (innocence and purity); Poinsettia (success, celebration); Holly (happiness and optimism). |
February Birth Flowers: Violet, Iris, and Primrose
While most of us immediately relate red roses with the Month of Love, they aren’t actually the February birth flowers. These are, in fact, violets, irises, and primroses.
Violet – February Birth Flower

Although not as widely popular as roses, violets are impressive flowering plants in their own way. It was named violet or viola in Latin as a reference to the flowers’ traditional violet-colored petals. But do you know that these fragrant and delicate February birth flowers also bloom in white, yellow, cream, and blue?
Violets hold a rich history and many different symbolic meanings. According to a myth, St. Valentine crushed violet flowers to make ink and write notes to his friends during his banishment. A violet flower was also used to make the love potion in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ancient Greeks also use violet flowers in love potions. Because of such, violets symbolize romance, fertility, and love. The sweet-scented violets also represent truth, loyalty, modesty, spiritual wisdom, and humility.
Purple violets symbolize faithful love, while white violets signify innocence, candor, and simplicity.
Iris – February Birth Flower

The elegant Iris flower is one of the birthday flowers for February, which seems really appropriate since it is also the symbolic flower of the Greek goddess and messenger of love, Iris.
This famed ornamental blooms in several colors, including blue, purple, yellow, white, orange, red, pink, brown, and even black. Irises, in general, are a symbol of hope, eloquence, faith, communication, and wisdom.
Purple iris flowers signify wisdom and compliment, while blue irises represent hope and faith. The yellow ones, on the other hand, are a symbol of passion. And much like white flowers in general, white iris flowers signify purity and innocence.
Primrose – February Birth Flower

If you think that primroses are related to roses because of the name, then you’re wrong. Primroses are perennial plants from the Primulaceae family, while roses are from the botanical family of Rosaceae. The early-flowering primroses produce colorful blooms in white, yellow, red, and brown hues.
The name primrose originated from the Latin word primus, which means “first” or “early”.
The origins of primrose being one of the February birth flowers can be tracked down in Norse mythology. Primrose is the sacred flower of the Norse goddess of love, Freya.
Primroses mean, “I can’t live without you”. The flowers symbolize modesty, young love, and undying affection. In particular, lilac primroses represent confidence, and red primroses signify unappreciated merit.
February Flowers Birthday Gift Guide
Celebrating birthdays with Valentine’s Day just right around the corner only means one thing – double celebration! I know, I know… It can get a little confusing, or perhaps even more challenging, to find a unique yet special birthday gift that’s different from your Valentine’s present.
What’s a quick solution to that? February birthday flowers. Certainly, you can never go wrong with gifting fragrant and beautifully presented blooms. They are a personal, thoughtful, and unique gift that you can give to someone special in your life. Please read on below for our quick February birthday flowers gift guide.
For Your Mom
Send Happy Birthday flowers to your mom to let her know how much you care. On her birthday, give your mom (or other moms in your life) a gift that will make her feel special and appreciated.
Much like moms who bring colors in our homes, irises are one of the most vibrant and colorful flowers. So this elegant flower could be the perfect February birthday flower for your loving mom. Express your admiration for her with purple irises like the ‘Amethyst’s Sister’ iris.
For Your Wife or Girlfriend
In the language of flowers, primroses mean “I can’t live without you”. So if you want to make your other half’s birthday extraordinary and more romantic than Valentine’s Day, then veer away from traditional flowers and give her primroses instead. Get a mix of colorful primroses, or opt for the white ones to convey pure love.
Another February birthday flower for your wife or girlfriend is a fragrant and fascinating violet, especially purple varieties that symbolize faithful love. Some examples are the pansy violet, common blue violet, common dog violet, and double blue violet.
For a Grandparent
Trust us, any bouquet of February birth flowers between violets, irises, and primroses or a combination of the three types would surely make any grandparent smile on his/her birthday. Brighten up your grandparents’ day with a bunch of vibrant yellow flowers like the pansy ‘Envy’, the yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), or the oxlip primrose.
For a Friend or Colleague
For friends or colleagues who are celebrating their birthday in February, you have flexible options of which February birthday flowers to give as a gift. Since violets are generally a symbol of loyalty and humility, you can present them with any variety of these beautiful flowers. Some of the most popular violet varieties include ‘Pixie Blue’, ‘Persian Prince’, ‘Lonestar Snowstorm’, and ‘Candy Fountain’.
To Say Thank You or Congratulations
Purple flowers, in general, often signify success and feelings of admiration, which only make them the perfect flowers to say thank you or congratulations on top of wishing someone a happy birthday.
Iris, primrose, and violet, which are February’s official birthday flowers, have their fair share of purple flowers. Examples are ‘Nellie Britton’ violets, ‘Belmont Blue’ violets, ‘Yaquina Blue’ irises, ‘Silverband’ irises, ‘Lilac’ drumstick primroses, and ‘Baldock’s purple’ primroses.
For more, see our in-depth guide to the best birthday messages and quotes to share with friends, family, and loved ones.
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