| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Month | May |
| Birth flower | Lily of the valley |
| Secondary flower | Hawthorn |
| Core meaning | Sweetness, humility, and a return of happiness |
The May birth flower is the lily of the valley, with the hawthorn as the common secondary flower. In the documented flower-meaning tradition it stands for sweetness, humility, and a return of happiness. The associations below follow the standard English-language birth-flower list and the Victorian language of flowers, not personal or spiritual interpretation.
What is the May birth flower?
The May birth flower is the lily of the valley, and the hawthorn is the commonly listed secondary flower for the month. This follows the widely used English-language birth-flower list maintained by florist associations and almanac references.
Symbolism and history
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is the standard birth flower for May, with hawthorn as the common secondary flower.
Lily of the valley blooms in late spring and carries a strong scent from small, bell-shaped white flowers. The Victorian language of flowers assigned it sweetness, humility, and “a return of happiness.” In France it is given on the first of May as a token of good fortune, a custom that ties the plant firmly to the month. The whole plant is poisonous, a detail worth noting against its gentle floral meaning.
Hawthorn, which flowers in May in much of Europe, gave the month one of its old country names, the May tree. It carried mixed folk associations of hope and of caution, and its blossom marked the seasonal shift the May lists build on.
As a tattoo
As a tattoo, lily of the valley suits delicate fine-line and single-needle work, with its row of small bells running along a stem. People choose it for a May birthday and for its meaning of renewed happiness. Where a dedicated lily page exists, the broader lily family is covered there; lily of the valley is a distinct plant despite the shared common name.
Sources
- Society of American Florists: birth flower by month reference list.
- Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routledge and Sons, 1884. Source for the Victorian flower-meaning assignments cited here.
- Old Farmer’s Almanac: birth flowers of the months reference.
- Royal Horticultural Society plant profiles: botanical names, flowering seasons, and toxicity notes for the species named here.