July Birth Flowers: Larkspur and Water Lily

The July birth flowers are larkspur and the water lily. Larkspur is a tall garden plant with feathery leaves and spikes of blue, pink or white flowers. The water lily floats on ponds, with round pads and many-petaled blooms that open by day. By tradition larkspur stands for lightness of heart and the water lily for purity.

What is the birth flower for July?

July has two, and they could not grow in more different places: one in a sunny border, one on still water. The water lily is the older of the pair on American charts. A table of the months printed in 1913 gave July the water lily alone, and larkspur was added on later lists. No official body ever set them. Our guide to birth flowers by month has the full chart.

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

Larkspur: what it looks like and when it blooms

Larkspur belongs to the buttercup family. The name covers two closely related groups of plants.

• Annual larkspur (Consolida ajacis). This is the larkspur of cottage gardens and birthday lists. The Royal Horticultural Society describes it as an annual up to 1 meter high (about 3 feet) with feathery green leaves and summer flowers that are usually deep blue but can be pink or white. It is also sold as rocket larkspur.
• Delphinium. The tall border perennials belong to the genus Delphinium, which has several hundred species. Botanists have moved annual larkspur in and out of that genus, so you may see it labeled Delphinium ajacis.

Each flower has a backward-pointing spur. The Old Farmer's Almanac says the common name came from its likeness to a lark's claw, and "delphinium" comes from the Greek for dolphin, after the shape of the bud.

Larkspur blooms in early summer, before the worst heat, and it is a good cut flower.

Water lily: what it looks like and when it blooms

Water lilies are the genus Nymphaea, about 70 species of water plants found around the world. They are not true lilies; they have a family of their own.

• Leaves. Round, floating pads with a deep notch.
• Flower. A cup of many pointed petals around a yellow center, in white, pink, red, yellow or, in tropical kinds, blue and purple.
• Season. Summer.
• Daily rhythm. The flowers open and close each day. The American white water lily, Nymphaea odorata, usually opens from early morning until about noon, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Nymphaea odorata is native to North America, with fragrant white or pink flowers and pads up to 10 inches across (25 cm). Gardeners divide water lilies into hardy kinds, which survive winter outdoors, and tropical kinds, which are larger and include night bloomers.

The painter Claude Monet made the flower famous. He painted the water lilies in his garden at Giverny, France, more than 200 times. The water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh.

What do the July birth flowers mean?

The meanings come from the Victorian language of flowers, which had no single dictionary. The table sets Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (London, 1884) beside the readings the Almanac gives today.

Purple larkspur shows how far the books can drift apart: haughtiness in 1884, first love on modern lists. The water lily has stayed the same.

Older stories go further back. In Greek myth larkspur sprang from the blood of the warrior Ajax at Troy. In Buddhist and Hindu tradition the water lily stands for rebirth and enlightenment, because a clean flower rises each day out of mud.

These are traditions. They give a July birthday a story and are not a reading of anyone's character.

Is larkspur poisonous?

Yes, and seriously so.

The ASPCA lists larkspur as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The plant contains alkaloids that affect nerves and muscles. Signs include drooling, tremors, stiffness, weakness and convulsions, and severe cases can be fatal. NC State Extension gives the same warning for people: delphiniums are poisonous if eaten and can cause serious illness or death. Flowers, leaves, stems and seeds are all listed.

• Do not grow larkspur where small children or pets play.
• Keep bouquets and seed packets out of reach.
• Never use the flowers on food.
• If any part is eaten, call a doctor, a poison control center or a veterinarian at once.

Larkspur was once used in folk remedies. That is history only and is not safe to copy.

How to give July's birth flowers

• A bouquet. Larkspur's tall spikes add height to summer bunches. Blue with white is the classic mix.
• Seeds. A packet of larkspur seed suits a gardener with no pets or small children at home.
• A water lily for a pond. Smaller kinds grow in tubs and patio containers of still water, so a pond is not required.
• A drawing, print or tattoo design. Larkspur is drawn as an upright spike of small spurred flowers with fine, thread-like leaves. A water lily is drawn from above as a star of pointed petals on a round, notched pad. The water lily is the easier shape for small designs.
• A print or painting. A Monet reproduction is a ready-made July present.
• With the stone. July's birthstone is ruby, and deep pink larkspur picks up its color. See our July birthstone page.

How to grow larkspur and water lilies

Larkspur is grown from seed. The Royal Horticultural Society suggests sowing outside in late spring, or in early fall for the next year. Give it full sun and well-drained soil. For cut flowers, cut the spike when only the lowest buds have opened.

Water lilies grow from thick roots set in mud or in a container under the water. They need still water warmed by the sun; fountains and waterfalls disturb them. Most want full sun, and they feed heavily in summer.

Next in the calendar: August's gladiolus and poppy. Before it: June's rose and honeysuckle.