# May Birth Flower: Lily of the Valley and Hawthorn Meaning > May's birth flowers are lily of the valley and hawthorn. What they mean, why florists rarely deliver either, and what to send for a May birthday instead. Canonical: https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/may-birth-flower Last updated: 2026-10-27 May has two birth flowers: **lily of the valley** and **hawthorn**. One is a low woodland plant with tiny, scented white bells. The other is a thorny tree that covers itself in white or pink blossom in late spring. Both are white, both bloom in May, and both carry hopeful meanings. They have one more thing in common: neither travels well as a cut flower. This guide covers what the May birth flowers mean, why your florist probably won't have them, and how to build a May birthday bouquet that captures them anyway. ## What is the birth flower for May? Lily of the valley, *Convallaria majalis*, is May's main birth flower. Despite the name, it isn't a true lily. The species name *majalis* means "of May", which says a lot about how closely the flower and the month are tied. Hawthorn, *Crataegus*, is May's second birth flower. In England it's so linked to the month that it's often simply called "may" or "may blossom". Canada has many native hawthorn species, and their blossom shows up in hedgerows and parks in late spring. May's birthstone is the emerald, and green and white is May's natural palette. ## May birth flower meaning: lily of the valley Lily of the valley stands for **the return of happiness, sweetness, humility and purity**. In the Victorian language of flowers, it was said to mean "you've made my life complete". Our full [lily of the valley meaning](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/lily-of-the-valley-meaning) guide covers its history and symbolism in more depth. A few of the traditions behind it: - **In France**, people give sprigs of *muguet* to friends and family on May 1 for good luck, and it's sold on street corners all over the country that day. - **At weddings**, it's a classic bridal flower. Grace Kelly carried it in 1956, and it was in the Duchess of Cambridge's bouquet in 2011. - **In Christian legend**, the flowers are said to have sprung from the Virgin Mary's tears, which is where the old name "Our Lady's tears" comes from. ## Hawthorn flower meaning Hawthorn stands for **hope and supreme happiness**. It has a long place in European spring festivals: hawthorn branches were traditionally used to decorate for May Day, and the tree is tied to old customs of love, fertility and the start of summer. Folklore has a darker side too. In parts of Britain and Ireland, it's said to be bad luck to bring hawthorn blossom indoors, and solitary hawthorns were thought to belong to the fairies. One Canadian footnote: Nova Scotia's provincial flower, the mayflower, isn't hawthorn at all but trailing arbutus, a small, fragrant woodland plant adopted in 1901. ## Can a florist send lily of the valley? Rarely, and here's why. Lily of the valley is a short-stemmed, short-lived flower that's grown as a cut flower only by specialist growers, mostly for weddings, and it's one of the most expensive stems a florist can order. Most local florists don't stock it for everyday bouquets. Hawthorn isn't used in florist arrangements at all: the branches are thorny and the blossom drops quickly once cut. What a florist can do is capture the look and the scent. Ask for small white flowers and fragrance: - **White stock**, for a strong, sweet scent. Our [stock guide](https://flowersondemand.ca/flowers/learn/stock) lists arrangements that use it. - **White spray roses**, for clusters of small blooms. See our [spray rose guide](https://flowersondemand.ca/flowers/learn/spray-rose). - **Waxflower**, for tiny star-shaped flowers that echo lily of the valley's delicacy. Our [waxflower guide](https://flowersondemand.ca/flowers/learn/waxflower) has more. ## Choosing a May birthday bouquet White and soft pink are the colours of May. A few ready-made options: - [Isle of White](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/isle-of-white-t55-3a), with crème roses, white Asiatic lilies and fragrant stock, is the closest in spirit to a lily of the valley bouquet. - [The White Rose Bouquet](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/the-white-rose-bouquet-e8-4812) keeps things simple and classic. - [Pink and White Vase Arrangement](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/pink-and-white-vase-arrangement-f1-359), with roses, snapdragons and stargazer lilies, nods to pink hawthorn blossom. ## May birthdays and Mother's Day Mother's Day falls in May, on Sunday, May 9, in 2027. It's one of the busiest weeks of the year for florists, and cutoffs can be earlier than usual. There's no Sunday delivery, so plan for Friday or Saturday. If your mom's birthday falls near Mother's Day, consider two smaller deliveries, or one generous bouquet with a card that clearly covers both. Our [Mother's Day flowers in Canada](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/mothers-day-flowers-canada) guide covers timing and what to send, and the [Mother's Day collection](https://flowersondemand.ca/flowers/mothers-day) opens each spring. ## A note on pets Real lily of the valley is highly toxic to cats, dogs and people. The ASPCA lists it as toxic because it contains cardiac glycosides, which affect the heart. If you're gifting a potted plant or grow it in the garden, keep it well away from pets and small children. The florist substitutes above are much safer choices; see our [flowers safe for cats](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/flowers-safe-for-cats) list before you order for a pet owner. ## What to write on the card A line about the flower's meaning turns a May birthday bouquet into something more personal. A few to borrow: - *"Happy birthday! Lily of the valley means the return of happiness. Here's to lots of it this year."* - *"Your birth flower says "you've made my life complete". Happy birthday, Mom."* - *"Hawthorn for hope and happiness, and both for you."* - *"A little white for May, and a lot of love. Happy birthday!"* ## Sending a May 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. Start with our [birthday flowers](https://flowersondemand.ca/flowers/birthday), or find the town you're sending to on our [delivery cities](https://flowersondemand.ca/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 May follows the [April birth flower](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/april-birth-flower) (daisy and sweet pea) and comes before the [June birth flower](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/june-birth-flower) (rose and honeysuckle). See all twelve in our [birth month flowers](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/birth-month-flowers) guide. ## Questions ### What is the May birth flower? May has two: lily of the valley and hawthorn. Lily of the valley is the better known of the pair. ### What does lily of the valley mean? The return of happiness, sweetness, humility and purity. In the Victorian language of flowers it was said to mean "you've made my life complete". ### What does hawthorn symbolize? Hope and supreme happiness. It's long been part of European May Day customs, though folklore also warns against bringing the blossom indoors. ### Can I get lily of the valley delivered? Rarely. It's a short-lived, costly cut flower that most local florists don't stock. White stock, spray roses and waxflower give a similar delicate, fragrant look. ### Is lily of the valley poisonous? Yes. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs, and it's poisonous to people too. Keep the plant away from pets and children. ## Arrangements to send - [The Tranquil Bouquet](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/the-tranquil-bouquet-b20-4970): $89.95 CAD - [Pretty in Pink Basket](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/pretty-in-pink-basket-faa-312): $104.95 CAD - [Pretty Passion](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/pretty-passion-faa-115): $149.95 CAD - [Pink Pursuits Bouquet](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/pink-pursuits-bouquet-c15c-4972): $89.95 CAD - [Never Let Go](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/never-let-go-t65-1a): $159.95 CAD - [Best Day Bouquet](https://flowersondemand.ca/products/best-day-bouquet-b07): $94.95 CAD ## Related - [Flower Meanings](https://flowersondemand.ca/blog/category/flower-meanings)