Say Hello To Your Birth Month Biennial – And The Meaning Behind Each One

Ever wondered which birth month biennial is yours? They are the forgotten stalwarts of the flower bed, but they truly truly tap into that idea that there are few things in gardening more satisfying than doing a little work now and knowing you'll be rewarded for it months later.

Sow biennials in late summer, give them time to establish, let them settle through winter and, when the timing is right, they'll come back ready to flower. It's a slightly unusual arrangement, true, especially for gardeners accustomed to instant gratification. Annuals give us all flowers in a matter of weeks; perennials promise to return year after year. Biennials? They occupy that wonderfully patient middle ground – they're here now, but they're really making plans for later.

Now, as I've become slightly obsessed with matching everything in nature to our personalities, this spoke to me. After all, we have birth month flowers, birth month trees, birth month birds and even birth month animals – and I've happily fallen down rabbit holes about birth month bugs, vines, groundcovers and all sorts of other wonderfully specific natural-world pairings. So why not birth month biennials?

All 12 Birth Month Biennials

Some biennials are flamboyant and impossible to ignore, sending towering flower spikes above the garden. Others are quiet and understated, spending their first season building roots and foliage before suddenly bursting into bloom. And some self-seed with wild enthusiasm, while others reward patience with an almost ridiculously beautiful display.

So, if you're planning what to sow this summer – or simply enjoy discovering what your birth month says about you – these are the biennials I'd pair with each month of the year. Just remember to check your local growing conditions and seed-packet instructions before you sow!

January – Foxglove

Foxgloves don't need to shout to make an impression; give these birth month biennials time and they eventually send tall flower spikes soaring above the border, each stem lined with spotted, bell-shaped blooms that seem almost too delicate for such a substantial plant.

That quiet determination is very January. After all, babes born in this month are often described as ambitious, independent and natural leaders – people who don't necessarily need constant attention to know where they're going. Foxglove has much the same energy, taking its time to patiently build itself up, before arriving the following year and making everyone look up.

Just remember that foxgloves are highly toxic if eaten, so they're best admired rather than sampled. Go for something like the Dalmatian Purple Foxglove from Walmart if you want vivid purple blooms.

Shop Foxgloves:

February – Dianthus

Ah, dianthus! The showy flowers of this birth month biennial arrive in dense little clusters, often in wonderfully rich shades of pink, red, white and purple, with markings that make every bloom look slightly different from the next.

It feels ever so unique and creative, which suits the personality of imaginative and original-thinking February babies everywhere. After all, people born in this month rarely seem content with doing things exactly the way everyone else does them, right?

Dianthus has the same cheerful refusal to be boring – and, fortunately, you don't need to wait until next year to appreciate the reason gardeners have loved it for generations. Try something like the Firewitch Dianthus from Nature Hills for fringed petals with a spicy fragrance, stat!

March – Forget-Me-Not

Some flowers seem to carry a story with them, and forget-me-nots are one of them. Their tiny blue flowers appear almost impossibly delicate, but once established they can create an enchanting haze of color through a spring garden.

The name alone gives away some of their personality. March-born people are often described as compassionate, intuitive and deeply imaginative, with a tendency to notice feelings and details that other people overlook. It makes sense, then, that their birth month biennial feels like the botanical equivalent of keeping an old photograph in a drawer because you simply can't bear to throw it away.

Quiet, sentimental and a little bit magical? Well worth the price of a packet of Forget Me Not Seeds from Amazon, I say!

April – Hollyhock

If there is one thing hollyhocks have never learned, it's how to be subtle. These birth month biennials can tower above a garden, covering their tall stems with enormous flowers in shades of pink, red, yellow, white and purple. Plant one against a fence or wall and suddenly you have a floral skyscraper... and, honestly, April couldn't have asked for a better match.

Bold, energetic, brave and charismatic, April babies aren't exactly built for blending into the background. Hollyhocks aren't either. Remember that when you plant them, OK? They deserve the spotlight!

May – Canterbury Bells

Canterbury bells have an old-fashioned charm that I never seem to get tired of. Their cup-shaped flowers rise above the foliage in clusters, creating that quintessential cottage garden look with ease.

They're cheerful, dependable and surprisingly versatile – the kind of flower that works almost anywhere you put it. And that makes them the ideal birth month biennial for May, quite frankly! Because when something needs doing, a happy-go-lucky May baby is usually already halfway through it.

Celebrate the May-borns in your life, then, with a packet of Canterbury Bells Double Mix from Amazon.

June – Honesty

Also known as lunaria and money plants, honesty is one of those plants that makes you look twice – for good reason! First come the pretty flowers, usually in shades of purple, pink or white. Then the seed pods appear as translucent discs that catch the light and almost look like little silver coins hanging from the stems.

And just like that, this birth month biennial makes itself a perfect match for the endlessly charming, witty and open-minded people born in June – all of whom seem to have an absolute gift for communication.

A plant that gives you one beautiful display and then reveals an entirely different one once the flowers are gone? Whatever month you're born in, bag yourself some Money Plant Lunaria Seeds from Burpee(the seed pods are arguably the best part).

July – Evening Primrose

There is something wonderfully romantic about a flower that saves its best performance for the evening, right? And evening primrose does just that, opening its yellow blooms toward the end of the day, when many other flowers are beginning to close up for the night.

It's a small reminder that not every beautiful thing needs to happen in broad daylight, and that makes this birth month biennial feel particularly suited to July personalities.

Caring, empathetic and deeply protective, July-born people are often the ones who notice when somebody needs a little extra attention. Like evening primrose, their appeal isn't necessarily loud or immediate. Give them time and you'll see it (especially if you plant something like the Fireworks Evening Primrose from Nature Hills!).

August – Black-Eyed Susan

If August were a flower, I'd struggle to think of anything more cheerful than a black-eyed Susan, as they are basically sunshine with roots!

Honestly, those golden-yellow petals surrounding dark centers have an almost ridiculous ability to make a garden look happier. They're also wonderfully hardworking, flowering through summer while attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

August personalities have a similar warmth to their birth month biennials. Confident and ambitious but also generous, they're the people who bring energy into a room and somehow convince everyone else to have a good time too. All hail those lovely summer babies!

Shop Black-Eyed Susans:

September – Caraway

Caraway isn't the obvious choice for a birth month biennial, true, but hat's precisely why I like it. This herb spends its first year quietly building a rosette of foliage before sending up delicate flower heads in its second.

It is pretty in a very understated way, true, but it is also useful – and once you know what those seeds can do in the kitchen, its charm becomes much easier to appreciate. And all of this ties in well to the meticulous and oh-so-ambitious nature of September personalities, who are rarely interested in doing something simply for show. They want it done properly (and, ideally, they want to know exactly how it works too).

Time to buy some Caraway Herb Seeds from Isla’s Garden Seeds, I say!

October – Stock

Stock might just be one of the most underrated flowers for anyone who loves fragrance. Because, sure, its blooms can be beautifully ruffled and romantic, but it's the scent that really makes it memorable.

Plant it somewhere you pass regularly and you'll find yourself stopping simply because the air smells so good. And that easy charm feels very October (and I should know, folks; this is my month!).

Yes, balanced, diplomatic and naturally friendly, October babies are said to have a way of making people feel comfortable around them. Stock doesn't demand your attention either; it simply gives you another reason to stop and linger. Try something like Evening (Night) Scented Stock Seeds by Matthiola Bicornis, then, and you are in for a treat.

November – Wallflower

The clue is in the name with this birth month biennial! Sure, wallflowers have a reputation for growing in the cracks and crevices where you might not expect much to thrive, producing beautifully fragrant flowers despite their rather unassuming appearance.

They're also a lot more interesting than they first appear. And, while November personalities are often described as passionate, determined and strong-willed, there's usually a private side to them, too. Wallflower feels like the perfect match – a plant that doesn't necessarily reveal everything at first glance, but rewards you handsomely with that magnificent scent once you take a closer look.

Go for something like these Siberian Wallflower Seeds if you want beautiful cut flowers.

December – Sweet Rocket

Sweet rocket asks for a leap of faith; sow it one summer and, for months, it seems content to do very little at all. Then the following year it erupts into fragrant spires of lavender, white or pink flowers that perfume the evening air and draw in bees and butterflies by the dozen.

That delayed reward? Well, it means it feels a wonderfully fitting birth month biennial for the generous and optimistic souls born in December. After all, they have a knack for looking ahead rather than dwelling on what's already behind them. Sweet rocket is a gentle reminder that not every reward arrives straight away – and that some of the most beautiful things in the garden are those that make you wait.

Bag yourself some Sweet Rocket Seeds from the Tomorrow Seeds Store, then, and plant yourself a treat to discover in years to come.

I know that biennials get a bad rep, largely because you sow them now without getting an immediate payoff. All that patience, though? It more than pays off when they finally reveal what they've been working toward all along... and reward our patience in a very big way!

And if you're sowing this August, there's an even better reason to plant your birth month biennial; doing so means that the garden you're planning for next year has already begun. What could be better?