What is your Birth Flower for March?

Last month we asked if you knew about your birth flower?

The idea that birth flowers have meanings was introduced in the early 18th century by members of the literary community. Each month was assigned a flower, and it was thought that the characteristics of those would be inherited by those born in that month.

And the birth flower for March is…

The Daffodil!

The Daffodil, is a perennial plant also known as Narcissus. They come in a variety of shapes, colours, and scents. By far the most common colour in the UK is the bright yellow bloom, recognisable throughout both cities and countryside in early spring.

Scented varieties tend to be more delicate, with paler petals and orange centres.

Interested in planting some daffodils in your garden? Chances are you already have some. They tend to pop up in lawns, large flower beds, and in hedgerows. But if you're looking to grow some more, Longfields Gardens has a handy guide here to tell you all you need to know.

Symbolic meaning of the Daffodil

The Daffodil is probably most famous in the UK for being the National Flower for Wales.

Often sported on a lapel for St. David's Day on the 1st March, it is synonymous with Welsh pride and tradition.

But as well as being a national symbol, the daffodil has inspired some of the greats in literature, art, and poetry.

Daffodils were used as far back as decoration on Egyptian tombs, and are even mentioned in the King James Bible. But most notably, the narcissus is named for the hunter Narcissus in Greek mythology, who fell in love with his reflection and was subsequently turned into a flower.

Attributes associated with the daffodil:

Fresh Beginnings

Happiness

Luck

Bunch of daffodils, the birth flower for March

What about the daffodil in popular culture?

The most famous account of the daffodil in literature, is surely from the poem by William Wordsworth:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

Message bottle with the birth flower for March, the daffodil

And it's easy to spot the daffodil in many great pieces of art, from Van Gogh's Undergrowth with Two Figures, to paintings by David Hockney, and even Andy Warhol.

And if you want to know even more about the Birth Flower for March, or indeed any month, the LolaFlora blog has a huge amount of information and interesting facts!