January Birth Flowers: Carnation and Snowdrop

The January birth flowers are the carnation and the snowdrop. The carnation is the ruffled, clove-scented flower that florists sell in almost every color; the snowdrop is a small white bulb that blooms while snow is still on the ground. By tradition the carnation stands for love and admiration and the snowdrop for hope. Both readings are custom, not rule.

What is the birth flower for January?

January has two, and neither outranks the other. No society or trade body ever fixed a list of birth flowers, so charts grew out of older books that did not always agree. Our guide to birth flowers by month explains how the custom began and lists all twelve pairs.

The two January flowers could hardly be less alike. One is a tall cut flower with a spicy scent; the other is a woodland bulb a few inches high, more at home in a garden than in a vase. That makes the choice easy: carnations for a bouquet, snowdrops for a garden.

To check any other date, type it in below. The tool shows the flowers along with the birthstone, the zodiac sign and the day of the week.

Carnation: what it looks like and when it blooms

The carnation is Dianthus caryophyllus, a member of the pink family. According to NC State Extension, it comes from the Mediterranean, though its exact wild range is no longer known.

• Size. Plants stand 1 to 4 feet tall (30 to 120 cm). The tallest kinds are the ones grown for the florist trade.
• Flower. Fringed petals packed into a ruffled head, with a spicy scent. In Elizabethan England carnations were used to flavor wine and ale in place of costly cloves.
• Colors. Pink, red, white, yellow, orange, purple and striped or edged mixes.
• Season. In a garden carnations bloom in midsummer and dislike high heat. The link with January is tradition, not a flowering date.

The Old Farmer's Almanac notes that carnations reached the United States in the 1850s and that the carnation is the state flower of Ohio. In Europe the flower was once used against fevers. That is history, not medicine.

Snowdrop: what it looks like and when it blooms

The common snowdrop is Galanthus nivalis, a bulb in the amaryllis family from Europe and southwestern Asia that now also grows wild in parts of the United States. The genus name joins the Greek words for "milk" and "flower."

• Size. Just 4 to 10 inches tall (10 to 25 cm).
• Flower. A single nodding white bell on each stem, marked with green on the inner segments.
• Season. Late winter to early spring, often while snow is still lying. It is among the first garden flowers of the year, which is how it earned both its name and its place at the start of the calendar.

What do the January birth flowers mean?

The meanings come from the nineteenth-century "language of flowers," in which each bloom carried a message. There was never one dictionary, so readings differ from book to book. The table sets Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers, printed in London in 1884, beside the meanings The Old Farmer's Almanac gives today.

Two things stand out. The snowdrop has kept one meaning for well over a century. The carnation depends on its color: pink, red and white are safe choices, while yellow and striped flowers carried a snub in the Victorian code.

Folklore adds a darker note. A single snowdrop carried indoors was once thought unlucky, because the flower often grew in churchyards. Today it is read simply as a sign that winter is ending.

Treat all of this lightly. A birth flower says something kind about a date; it does not describe the person born on it.

Are carnations and snowdrops safe around pets and children?

Not entirely, so place them with care.

• Carnations. The ASPCA lists them as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The signs are mild: stomach upset and mild skin irritation.
• Snowdrops. NC State Extension rates them as low in toxicity, but eating the plant in quantity can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and the bulbs are toxic.

Keep bouquets and bulbs out of reach of pets and small children, and do not use either flower as a garnish. If a pet chews the plant, call a veterinarian; for a child, call a doctor or a poison control center.

How to give January's birth flowers

• A bouquet. Carnations are the practical choice. Pick the color for its message: pink for a mother, deep red for a partner, white for remembrance.
• A plant. Snowdrops are best given as bulbs or as a small pot to plant out later. They come back each year and slowly spread.
• A drawing, print or tattoo design. The two shapes work well side by side: the full, fringed head of a carnation against the single drooping bell of a snowdrop. Both read clearly as simple line art.
• Jewelry or a keepsake. A pressed snowdrop in a frame or an engraved carnation suits someone who would rather not have cut flowers.
• With the stone. January's birthstone is garnet, and deep red carnations echo its color. Details are on our January birthstone page.

How to keep carnations fresh and grow snowdrops

Carnations are among the longest-lasting cut flowers. University of Illinois Extension says they can stay fresh for one to two weeks with basic care:

1. Cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) off each stem with a clean, sharp knife or shears. Household scissors crush the stem.
2. Strip any leaves that would sit below the water line.
3. Use a clean vase, warm water and the packet of flower food, mixed as directed.
4. Change the water every two to three days and trim the stems again.
5. Keep the vase away from radiators, appliances and direct sun. Most cut flowers do best at 65 to 72°F (18 to 22°C).

Snowdrops are easy once planted. Set the bulbs in early fall in rich, well-drained soil, in groups, under deciduous trees or along a path. Let the leaves die back naturally after flowering. In spring the clumps spread by seed and by new bulbs.

Next in the calendar: February's violet and primrose. Before it: December's narcissus and holly.