January Birth Flowers: Carnation and Snowdrop

What is the January birth flower?

Birth flower lists vary by source and country, but most give January two flowers. The carnation is sold by florists year-round and is the usual pick for January birthday bouquets. The snowdrop is one of the first garden flowers to bloom each year in the Northern Hemisphere, a natural match for midwinter birthdays.

Both names have Greek roots. Dianthus is usually translated as "flower of the gods," from dios and anthos. Galanthus means "milk flower," from gala (milk) and anthos (flower), and the common snowdrop's species name, nivalis, means "of the snow."

The flowers pair with January's other traditional symbols: garnet, the January birthstone, and Capricorn and Aquarius, the January zodiac signs.

Carnation color meanings

Carnation colors carry meanings from the Victorian "language of flowers," when bouquets were used to send coded messages. Meanings differ between sources, so treat them as tradition rather than rules.

In the same tradition, a solid-colored carnation could signal "yes" and a striped one "no."

Carnation facts and history

• Ohio's state flower: Ohio adopted the scarlet carnation in 1904 in honor of President William McKinley, who often wore a red carnation in his lapel and was assassinated in 1901. McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio, on January 29, 1843.
• Mother's Day: Anna Jarvis sent white carnations, her mother's favorite flower, to the first official Mother's Day service in Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908. A later custom has people wear a red or pink carnation for a living mother and a white one to honor a mother who has died.
• Portugal's Carnation Revolution: the nearly bloodless coup of April 25, 1974, takes its name from the red carnations people placed in soldiers' rifles.
• Oxford exams: University of Oxford students traditionally wear a white carnation to their first exam, pink to those in between and red to the last.
• Long vase life: cut carnations stay fresh longer than many other flowers, one reason they are a florist staple.

Snowdrop meaning and facts

The snowdrop's nodding white flowers appear in late winter, usually from January to March in the Northern Hemisphere, and often push up through snow. Each flower has three long outer tepals and three short inner ones marked with green.

Because it blooms when little else does, the snowdrop has long stood for hope, renewal and consolation. In England it is tied to Candlemas on February 2, and old folk names include "Candlemas bells" and "fair maids of February." Victorian folklore also held that bringing a single snowdrop indoors was unlucky.

Snowdrops are toxic if eaten. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids, most concentrated in the bulb, and swallowing them can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, so keep bulbs away from children and pets.

The plant has also contributed to medicine. Galantamine, a prescription drug used to treat symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, was first isolated from snowdrops and is now also produced from other plants and by synthesis.

Snowdrops have devoted collectors, known as galanthophiles, who seek out rare named varieties. International trade in wild snowdrop bulbs is regulated under CITES, the treaty on trade in endangered species.

How to grow carnations and snowdrops

Carnations

• Plant in full sun, ideally six or more hours a day.
• Use light, well-drained soil; carnations prefer neutral to slightly alkaline conditions and dislike wet roots.
• Water at the base and let the top of the soil dry out between waterings.
• Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms, and stake tall varieties.

Snowdrops

• Plant dry bulbs in early autumn, 2 to 3 inches (5–8 cm) deep, pointed end up.
• Or plant "in the green": buy or divide clumps just after flowering, while the leaves are still green. Many gardeners find these establish more reliably than dry bulbs, which can dry out in storage.
• Choose partial shade and moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, such as the ground under deciduous trees.
• Let the leaves die back naturally so the bulbs can store energy for the next year.
• Expect poor results in hot, frost-free climates; snowdrops need a cold winter.
• Buy from nurseries that sell cultivated stock rather than bulbs collected from the wild.

January birth flower gift ideas

Carnations are easy to find in January and last well in a vase; use the color table above to match the message, such as pink for thanks or red for love. For gardeners, potted snowdrops sold in late winter can be planted out after flowering, and a bag of dry bulbs bought in autumn gives flowers the following January or February. A garnet piece adds the January birthstone to the gift, and the January facts page covers the month's other traditions.

Related

• Birthstone: garnet
• Zodiac signs
• January facts
• January 29
• Days of January
• January 2027 calendar