December Birth Flowers: Narcissus and Holly

The December birth flowers are the narcissus and holly. The narcissus here is the paperwhite, a bulb grown indoors in winter for its clusters of small, scented white flowers. Holly is an evergreen tree with glossy, spiny leaves and red berries. By tradition the narcissus carries good wishes, and holly stands for protection and goodwill.

What is the birth flower for December?

December has two. Holly is the older choice on American charts: a table of the months printed in 1913, in George Frederick Kunz's The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, gave December holly. The narcissus was added later. No official body ever set the list. Our guide to birth flowers by month shows all twelve pairs.

Holly is an unusual "flower." Its real flowers are small, white and easy to miss, and they open in spring. What the tradition celebrates is the winter branch with its leaves and berries.

Type a birth date below to see its flowers, its birthstone, its zodiac sign and the day of the week.

Narcissus: what it looks like and when it blooms

Narcissus is the genus that includes daffodils and jonquils, the birth flowers of March. The December narcissus is the paperwhite, which The Old Farmer's Almanac and NC State Extension list as Narcissus tazetta.

• Origin. From the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean east to China and Japan.
• Size. Usually about 18 inches tall (45 cm), with narrow, upright leaves.
• Flower. Clusters of small white flowers, as many as a dozen to a stem, with a strong, sweet, musky scent. The name refers to petals as thin as paper.
• Season. Outdoors, in mild climates, it flowers in early spring. It is tender, so in most of the United States it is "forced" indoors and blooms in the darkest weeks of winter.

That indoor habit is what ties it to December. A bulb set in a bowl flowers in about a month.

Holly: what it looks like and when it blooms

Holly is the genus Ilex. Two species supply most winter decorations.

• English holly (Ilex aquifolium). Native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. An evergreen that can reach 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m), with dark, glossy leaves edged in spines. The species name means "needle-leaved."
• American holly (Ilex opaca). Native to the central and eastern United States, 40 to 60 feet tall (12 to 18 m), with duller leaves. It has been the state tree of Delaware since 1939.

Hollies have separate male and female plants. Only females carry berries, and they need a male nearby to set them. The small white flowers come in spring; the berries follow and last into winter.

What do the December birth flowers mean?

The meanings come from the Victorian language of flowers, in which every dictionary had its own list. For December the old book and the modern charts disagree outright. The table sets Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (London, 1884) beside the readings in use today.

Narcissus. "Egotism" comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, the youth who fell in love with his own reflection. Modern lists drop the myth. The Almanac says that in Victorian times a gift of narcissus told someone they were "the only one," and that a bunch of paperwhites expresses pure, unconditional love. Because it blooms in midwinter, the paperwhite is also linked with Lunar New Year.

Holly. Its modern meaning rests on winter custom.

• The ancient Romans gave holly at Saturnalia, their midwinter festival, and hung it at home against evil spirits.
• The Celts brought evergreens indoors at the winter solstice as a sign that life would return.
• In Christian tradition the spiny leaves came to stand for the crown of thorns and the red berries for blood.

All of this is tradition. It adds a story to a December birthday and says nothing about the person.

Are paperwhites and holly safe around pets and children?

No. Both need care, and both are in the house at the busiest time of year.

• Paperwhites. The ASPCA lists them as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. They contain lycorine and other alkaloids. Signs are vomiting, drooling and diarrhea; large amounts can cause tremors, low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. The bulb is the most poisonous part.
• Holly. The ASPCA lists English and American holly as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with vomiting and diarrhea as the signs. NC State Extension warns that the berries are particularly poisonous to children.

Keep bowls of bulbs off low tables, sweep up fallen berries, and hang holly out of reach. If a child or a pet eats any part of either plant, call a doctor, a poison control center or a veterinarian.

How to give December's birth flowers

• Bulbs to force. A bowl, a bag of pebbles and a few paperwhite bulbs make a present that flowers a month later. Give it in November for a December birthday.
• A pot in bud. Ready-planted paperwhites are sold through the holidays. The scent is strong, so ask first.
• Cut holly. A few berried branches in a vase or a wreath on the door. Choose a spot away from children and pets.
• A holly bush. For a gardener, a young holly is a long-lived gift. A female plant needs a male nearby to produce berries.
• A drawing, print or tattoo design. Holly is one of the easiest plants to recognize in outline: a spiny leaf or two with three round berries. The paperwhite is drawn as a cluster of small six-petaled stars with shallow cups on one straight stem.
• With the stone. December's birthstones are turquoise, tanzanite and zircon. See our December birthstone page.

How to force paperwhites indoors

1. Fill a shallow bowl or glass with pebbles or gravel.
2. Set the bulbs on top, close together, and add a few more stones to hold them steady.
3. Add water up to the base of the bulbs, not over them. The roots grow down to it.
4. Put the bowl on a sunny windowsill and keep the water at the same level.
5. Expect flowers in about a month. Start a new bowl every two weeks for flowers all winter.

Bulbs can also be planted in a pot of moist potting mix with their tips showing.

Next in the calendar: January's carnation and snowdrop. Before it: November's chrysanthemum.