The February birth flowers are the violet and the primrose. Both are small woodland plants that bloom at the cold end of the year: the violet with purple-blue flowers over heart-shaped leaves, the primrose with pale yellow flowers in a rosette of wrinkled leaves. By tradition the violet stands for modesty and faithfulness, and the primrose for youth and young love.
What is the birth flower for February?
February has two, the violet and the primrose, and you can use either. Nobody ever issued an official list of birth flowers, and older charts did not agree with each other. A table printed in the United States in 1913, in George Frederick Kunz's The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, gave February the primrose and put the violet under March. Today's charts keep both flowers for February. The full story is in our guide to birth flowers by month.
The rose, the flower of Valentine's Day, belongs to June.
Enter a birth date below to see its flowers together with the birthstone, the zodiac sign and the day of the week.
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Violet: what it looks like and when it blooms
"Violet" covers a whole genus, Viola, with several hundred species. Two matter most for a birthday.
- Sweet violet (Viola odorata). The scented violet of European gardens, native to Europe and western Asia. It grows 4 to 6 inches tall (10 to 15 cm) and flowers in spring. NC State Extension notes that bunches were once sold on the streets of London and that the scent is still used in perfume.
- Common blue violet (Viola sororia). The wild violet of eastern and central North America, 6 to 10 inches tall (15 to 25 cm), found in woods and lawns in early spring.
Both have heart-shaped leaves and flowers with five uneven petals. Colors run from violet and blue to white, with yellow in some species. The violet is the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Pansies belong to the same genus, but they are large-flowered garden hybrids, not the wild flower of the birthday lists.
Primrose: what it looks like and when it blooms
The common primrose is Primula vulgaris, a perennial from western Europe that forms a low rosette of wrinkled, dark green leaves.
- Size. Between 4 and 12 inches tall (10 to 30 cm).
- Flower. Fragrant and pale yellow in the wild plant. Garden forms come in white, pink, red and violet, nearly always with a yellow center.
- Season. Late winter into early spring. The genus name comes from the Latin primus, "first."
Despite the name, the primrose is not related to roses. The evening primrose is a different plant again, and Victorian dictionaries gave it a separate meaning.
In England, April 19 is Primrose Day, kept in memory of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. Shakespeare gave the language "the primrose path," an easy road that ends badly.
What do the February birth flowers mean?
The meanings come from the nineteenth-century language of flowers, which never had one agreed dictionary. The table compares Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (London, 1884) with the readings The Old Farmer's Almanac gives now.
| Flower | In Greenaway, 1884 | Common reading today |
|---|---|---|
| Violet, blue | "Faithfulness" | Faithfulness, devotion |
| Violet, sweet | "Modesty" | Modesty, humility |
| Violet, purple | (not listed) | Truth and loyalty |
| Violet, white | (not listed) | Innocence |
| Violet, yellow | "Rural happiness" | High worth |
| Primrose | "Early youth" | Young love |
| Evening primrose | "Inconstancy" | (a different plant) |
The violet has been steady: modesty and faithfulness in 1884, and the same two words today. In Victorian times a gift of violets was a promise to be true, and in religious painting the flower stood for humility.
The primrose shifted a little, from "early youth" to "young love." Folklore gave it other roles. Large patches of primroses were said to mark a gateway to the fairy world.
These are traditions, and they disagree in places. A birth flower is a pleasant thing to say about a date. It is not a description of the person.
Are primroses safe around pets?
The ASPCA lists the common primrose as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, with mild vomiting as the sign. Keep potted primroses out of reach of pets and small children, and call a veterinarian if an animal eats part of one.
Old herbals used both violets and primroses as remedies. That is history only. Do not eat either flower or give it to anyone as food or medicine.
How to give February's birth flowers
- A potted primrose. This is the easiest February gift. The plants are sold in bloom in late winter and like a cool, bright spot indoors.
- A pot of violets. Sweet violets grow well in containers and can go into the garden later.
- A small posy. Violets have short stems, so they suit a tiny hand-tied bunch better than a tall vase. Use it at a place setting or on a gift.
- A drawing, print or tattoo design. Both flowers are simple, five-petaled shapes. The violet is usually drawn with its heart-shaped leaf, the primrose as a cluster of flat flowers in a ring of leaves.
- Pressed flowers or jewelry. A pressed violet in a frame or a card suits someone who keeps mementos.
- With the stone. February's birthstone is amethyst, and purple violets match it closely. See our February birthstone page.
How to grow violets and primroses
A living plant is the natural present for February. Both flowers want the same conditions: cool air, shade from hot afternoon sun and soil that stays moist.
- Violets. Plant in early spring in partial shade or dappled sun, in rich, moist, well-drained soil. They are tough in cold but dislike heat and drought, so mulch them and water in dry spells.
- Primroses. Keep them cool and evenly moist, in soil with plenty of organic matter. Do not bury the crown of the plant, or it will rot. A gift primrose kept indoors over winter can be planted outside after the last hard frost.
- Both. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits them best.
Next in the calendar: March's daffodil and jonquil. Before it: January's carnation and snowdrop.