December Birth Flower: Narcissus and Holly, and What They Mean

December has two birth flowers: the narcissus, usually the white, fragrant paperwhite, and holly. Both are winter plants, which suits a month when almost nothing blooms outdoors in Canada.

December birthdays also have a well-known problem: they get folded into Christmas. One gift "for both", a card that says Merry Christmas, a bouquet that looks like the hall table. This guide covers what the two December flowers mean, and how to choose birthday flowers that feel like a birthday.

What is the birth flower for December?

The narcissus is the main December birth flower. The paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus), a small, clustered white narcissus forced indoors for winter, is the December variety. Daffodils are narcissus too, but they belong to March. Our narcissus guide covers the whole family.

Holly is December's second birth flower. It's grown for its glossy evergreen leaves and red berries rather than its small white flowers, and it has been part of midwinter celebrations since long before Christmas.

You'll also see the poinsettia listed for December. It isn't an official birth flower, but it's the plant most Canadians think of first in December, and it's a fine choice if you want something that lasts. Our poinsettia care guide explains how to keep one going past New Year's.

Narcissus flower meaning

The narcissus stands for hope, renewal, respect and faithfulness. It blooms in the darkest part of the year, which makes it a natural symbol of good things coming back.

The name comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own reflection and was turned into the flower, so in the Victorian language of flowers the narcissus could also mean vanity or self-regard. Today the hopeful meaning has won out. A white paperwhite says "you're wonderful" more than "you're vain".

In China, the narcissus is a Lunar New Year flower of good fortune, and families force the bulbs to bloom right on the holiday. For more on the springtime branch of the family, see our daffodil flower meaning guide.

Holly meaning

Holly stands for protection, domestic happiness, goodwill and hope. Ancient Romans exchanged holly at Saturnalia as a token of friendship, Celtic households hung it to keep winter spirits out, and Christian tradition later read the prickly leaves and red berries as the crown of thorns.

As a birth flower, holly suits someone steady and loyal, the person everyone else leans on. One practical note: holly berries are toxic to people and pets, so keep sprigs high if there are children, cats or dogs in the house.

Choosing a December birthday bouquet

The trick is to borrow December's colours without sending a Christmas arrangement. A few ideas:

• Go white and green. White roses, lilies or narcissus with fresh greenery feel wintry and elegant, not holiday-themed. The White Rose Bouquet is a simple, classic choice.
• Skip the tartan and the ornaments. Choose a vase or a plain basket, not a festive container.
• Add a balloon or a card that says birthday. It makes the message clear at a glance. Our birthday flowers include balloon add-ons.
• If they love Christmas, lean in. Some December babies love sharing the season. The Winter Wishes Basket or the Christmas collection suits them.

Paperwhites themselves are usually sold as potted bulbs, not cut flowers, and florists rarely put them in mixed bouquets. Narcissus sap shortens the life of other flowers in the same vase, so cut daffodils and narcissus need a few hours on their own before they're arranged. If you want the real December flower, a potted paperwhite from a garden centre makes a lovely add-on to a bouquet.

Growing paperwhites at home

Paperwhites are among the easiest bulbs to force indoors, which makes a bag of bulbs a lovely add-on gift for a December birthday. Set the bulbs pointy end up in a shallow bowl of pebbles or gravel, add water until it just touches the base of the bulbs, and put the bowl somewhere cool and bright. They usually bloom in four to six weeks, so bulbs started in late November flower in time for Christmas or New Year.

Two tips from growers. To keep the stems from flopping, swap the water for a weak solution of about one part clear spirits (vodka or gin) to seven parts water once the shoots are a few centimetres tall; it stunts the stems without hurting the flowers. And be warned that the scent is strong and musky, so not everyone wants paperwhites in a small apartment.

What to write on the card

A line about the flower's meaning turns a December birthday bouquet into something more personal. A few to borrow:

• "Happy birthday! This is your day, not Christmas's."
• "Narcissus for hope and new beginnings, and a whole new year about to start for you."
• "Holly for protection and good cheer. Happy birthday to the person who keeps us all together."
• "A birthday bouquet, not a holiday one, because you deserve your own day."

Sending a December birthday bouquet anywhere in Canada

Flowers on Demand delivers across every province and territory through a network of local florists, who arrange and hand-deliver each order. Delivery is a flat $19.99. For same-day delivery, order before 1:00 PM in the recipient's time zone, Monday to Saturday; there's no Sunday delivery. December is a peak season, so cutoffs can be earlier in the weeks before Christmas: order a day or two ahead if you can.

Start with our birthday flowers, or find the town you're sending to on our delivery cities page. Local florists occasionally swap a stem for one of similar style and value when a flower is short, so if one flower matters most, say so in the card or delivery note.

Other birth month flowers

Before December comes the November birth flower, the chrysanthemum. After it comes the January birth flower: carnations and snowdrops. All twelve are in our birth month flowers guide.