Twelve-month reference

Birth symbols chart
made to use

Compare primary and alternative flowers, recognized gemstone choices, and the two conventional Western signs that overlap each month.

Primary and alternative monthly birth flowers and stones, plus conventional Western zodiac signs.
Month	Birth flowers	Birthstones (modern)	Birthstones (traditional)	Western signs
January	CarnationAlternative: Snowdrop	GarnetPrimary GIA listing	GarnetSame as the modern list	CapricornDecember 21/December 22 start AquariusJanuary 19/January 20 start
February	VioletAlternative: Primrose	AmethystPrimary GIA listing	AmethystSame as the modern list	AquariusJanuary 19/January 20 start PiscesFebruary 18/February 19 start
March	DaffodilAlternative: Jonquil	AquamarineAlso recognized: Bloodstone	BloodstoneDifferent from the modern list	AriesMarch 20/March 21 start PiscesFebruary 18/February 19 start
April	DaisyAlternative: Sweet Pea	DiamondPrimary GIA listing	DiamondSame as the modern list	AriesMarch 20/March 21 start TaurusApril 19/April 20 start
May	Lily of the ValleyAlternative: Hawthorn	EmeraldPrimary GIA listing	EmeraldSame as the modern list	TaurusApril 19/April 20 start GeminiMay 20/May 21 start
June	RoseAlternative: Honeysuckle	PearlAlso recognized: Alexandrite, Moonstone	PearlModern list adds more options	GeminiMay 20/May 21 start CancerJune 20/June 21 start
July	LarkspurAlternative: Water Lily	RubyPrimary GIA listing	RubySame as the modern list	CancerJune 20/June 21 start LeoJuly 22/July 23 start
August	GladiolusAlternative: Poppy	PeridotAlso recognized: Spinel, Sardonyx	SardonyxDifferent from the modern list	LeoJuly 22/July 23 start VirgoAugust 22/August 23 start
September	AsterAlternative: Morning Glory	SapphirePrimary GIA listing	SapphireSame as the modern list	VirgoAugust 22/August 23 start LibraSeptember 22/September 23 start
October	MarigoldAlternative: Cosmos	OpalAlso recognized: Tourmaline	OpalModern list adds more options	LibraSeptember 22/September 23 start ScorpioOctober 22/October 23 start
November	ChrysanthemumAlternative: Not specified	TopazAlso recognized: Citrine	TopazModern list adds more options	ScorpioOctober 22/October 23 start SagittariusNovember 21/November 22 start
December	NarcissusAlternative: Holly	TanzaniteAlso recognized: Turquoise, Zircon	Turquoise, Lapis lazuliDifferent from the modern list	SagittariusNovember 21/November 22 start CapricornDecember 21/December 22 start

January

Birth flowers: CarnationSnowdrop is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): GarnetNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): GarnetSame as the modern list
Western signs: Capricorn starts December 21 or December 22 Aquarius starts January 19 or January 20

February

Birth flowers: VioletPrimrose is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): AmethystNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): AmethystSame as the modern list
Western signs: Aquarius starts January 19 or January 20 Pisces starts February 18 or February 19

March

Birth flowers: DaffodilJonquil is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): AquamarineBloodstone
Birthstones (traditional): BloodstoneDifferent from the modern list
Western signs: Aries starts March 20 or March 21 Pisces starts February 18 or February 19

April

Birth flowers: DaisySweet Pea is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): DiamondNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): DiamondSame as the modern list
Western signs: Aries starts March 20 or March 21 Taurus starts April 19 or April 20

May

Birth flowers: Lily of the ValleyHawthorn is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): EmeraldNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): EmeraldSame as the modern list
Western signs: Taurus starts April 19 or April 20 Gemini starts May 20 or May 21

June

Birth flowers: RoseHoneysuckle is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): PearlAlexandrite, Moonstone
Birthstones (traditional): PearlModern list adds more options
Western signs: Gemini starts May 20 or May 21 Cancer starts June 20 or June 21

July

Birth flowers: LarkspurWater Lily is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): RubyNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): RubySame as the modern list
Western signs: Cancer starts June 20 or June 21 Leo starts July 22 or July 23

August

Birth flowers: GladiolusPoppy is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): PeridotSpinel, Sardonyx
Birthstones (traditional): SardonyxDifferent from the modern list
Western signs: Leo starts July 22 or July 23 Virgo starts August 22 or August 23

September

Birth flowers: AsterMorning Glory is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): SapphireNo additional GIA listing
Birthstones (traditional): SapphireSame as the modern list
Western signs: Virgo starts August 22 or August 23 Libra starts September 22 or September 23

October

Birth flowers: MarigoldCosmos is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): OpalTourmaline
Birthstones (traditional): OpalModern list adds more options
Western signs: Libra starts September 22 or September 23 Scorpio starts October 22 or October 23

November

Birth flowers: ChrysanthemumNot specified is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): TopazCitrine
Birthstones (traditional): TopazModern list adds more options
Western signs: Scorpio starts October 22 or October 23 Sagittarius starts November 21 or November 22

December

Birth flowers: NarcissusHolly is a recognized alternative
Birthstones (modern): TanzaniteTurquoise, Zircon
Birthstones (traditional): Turquoise, Lapis lazuliDifferent from the modern list
Western signs: Sagittarius starts November 21 or November 22 Capricorn starts December 21 or December 22

How to read it

Three different kinds of mapping

Flowers: Birth-flower lists are editorial traditions rather than a single international standard. The primary and alternative shown here follow the maintained flower reference and are labeled on each month page.

Stones: The modern column follows the Gemological Institute of America’s monthly birthstone guides, descended from the list the National Association of Jewelers standardised in 1912 and revised in 1952, 2002 and 2016. The traditional column is the older list that preceded it. Six months name the same single stone on both lists, three (March, August, December) lead with a different stone on each, and three (June, October, November) kept the traditional stone while the modern list added options. A source quoting only one list can therefore legitimately disagree with another.

Western zodiac: The chart shows both days on which each sign can begin. A sign starts the moment the Sun reaches its point on the ecliptic, and that moment drifts by up to about a day across the leap-year cycle, so a fixed start date is only ever correct for some years. A birthday on a boundary day needs the birth year — strictly the birth time and time zone — and this chart does not compute the Sun’s position.

Chinese zodiac: A month-only chart cannot assign an animal. Use the birthday calculator with a year so the Chinese New Year boundary can be checked.

Source legend

References behind the chart

GIA BirthstonesGemological reference and monthly alternatives
The Old Farmer’s Almanac birth flowersMonthly flower mappings and alternatives
International Gem Society: History of BirthstonesTraditional list and the dated revisions to the modern one
Encyclopaedia Britannica: ZodiacReference context for the zodiac system
EarthSky: Dates of the Sun’s entry into each zodiac signWhy sign boundary dates move between years

Read the full editorial methodology or report a correction concern.

Birth symbols by month

Three different kinds of mapping

References behind the chart