Aster & Morning Glory: The Birth Flowers for September, Explained
September is one of those months when it starts to feel like the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The days can still be warm, gardens are still on full display, but you start to see signs of autumn everywhere.
September is also an especially pretty month for flowers, as it has two traditional birth flowers: Aster and Morning Glory.
At Apple Blossom Flowers, we love the idea of picking a birthday bouquet that's not just colourful but meaningful too. If you know someone's birth month, you already have a small clue as to where to start. From there, you can design something around their personality, favourite colours, or the flowers they already love.
And if you're ordering flowers for someone in the Oshawa, Whitby or Bowmanville area, you don't have to figure it out alone. A simple chat with a florist can go a long way toward turning an idea into a bouquet that feels right.
Where Did Birth Flowers Come From?
The idea is older than most people expect. It traces back to ancient Rome, where flowers were already tied to birthdays, festivals and the turning of the seasons, long before anyone thought to assign a specific bloom to each month.
The version we recognize today, one flower (or two, in September's case) per month, took shape much later, during the Victorian era's fascination with floriography, or the "language of flowers." Historians often trace the trend back to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who brought home the idea of selam, a Turkish practice of using objects and flowers to carry hidden messages, after travelling to Istanbul with her diplomat husband in the early 1700s. From there, a string of flower dictionaries, published by writers including Joseph Hammer-Purgstall, Madame Charlotte de la Tour and Robert Tyas, built out an entire vocabulary of flower meanings through the early and mid-1800s.
By the 1860s, a twelve-month list of birth flowers had more or less settled into place, and American florists helped cement the pairings most of us still use today over the following decades.
One thing worth knowing: no single person or organization ever made it official. Unlike birthstones, which were formally standardized in 1912, birth flowers grew out of shared tradition rather than one governing decision. That's part of why you'll still find slightly different lists depending on where you look, and part of why September ended up with two birth flowers instead of one.
Are You an A or an M?
Once you know what to look for, Asters have a look that's easy to recognize. The flowers have a slightly starry appearance, with many slender petals surrounding a central disc. They come in various colours, including purples, pinks and whites. They are also fantastic supporting flowers.
By that, we mean they can sit alongside larger flowers without competing for attention. Combine roses with Asters, for instance, and the Asters complement them with a different texture. They can give a bouquet a fuller, more natural look without making it too formal.
Morning Glory is another matter. The flowers are trumpet-shaped and known for opening in the morning. Their colours can be truly rich, with blues and purples being especially beautiful, though pink and white varieties exist too. They have a much more delicate, almost whimsical look than Asters.
So if someone has a September birthday and you're choosing between the two, there really isn't a bad option. The better question is probably, "Which one feels more like them?"
What Does the Aster Really Mean?
Flower meanings can get a little confusing, because different traditions ascribe different meanings to the same flower. The most common answer to what the aster flower symbolizes is love, patience, wisdom and faith, with elegance and thoughtfulness sometimes included too. We think that meaning is especially well suited to a birthday, since it doesn't lock you into any one type of relationship.
You can give Asters to your mum. Your sister. A close friend. Your partner. Even a co-worker you know well enough to wish a happy birthday. The flower doesn't automatically send a romantic message the way a bouquet of red roses might. That flexibility is one of the things we enjoy about them.
But What About Morning Glory?
The same is not true of Morning Glory, which has a somewhat more interesting history.
The flowers open in the morning and close in the evening, making them a symbol of love, rejuvenation and mortality. Depending on which tradition you follow, the meaning of the Morning Glory can be interpreted in a number of different ways.
When it comes to a birthday, we'd like to go with the more literal definition: embrace the joy in the moment. Birthdays are a wonderful opportunity to take a moment to honour someone. You don't necessarily need a huge celebration or an elaborate gift. Occasionally, a flower delivered to the door can make an ordinary Tuesday feel considerably less ordinary.
You Don't Have to Build the Whole Bouquet Around the Birth Flower
This is probably the most useful thing to remember. A birth flower doesn't have to be the sole star of the show.
Suppose your sister's birthday falls in September and her favourite flower is a rose. Roses can be the main flower, with Asters used as an accent. Or maybe she loves bright colours. You could use the purple and blue tones of September's flowers to build a more colourful seasonal display.
The September birth flower is just a starting point, not the whole recipe. Some of our favourite arrangements are the ones where we take a traditional idea and combine it with something personal.
A Few September Bouquet Ideas
If you're staring at your screen thinking, "Okay, but what should I actually order?" Here are a few directions we would consider.
- Soft and classic: white and pink flowers with Asters and plenty of greenery.
- Purple garden look: purple Asters mixed with complementary blooms in softer pinks and whites.
- Bright and cheerful: colourful seasonal flowers with Asters tucked throughout for texture.
- Something more unusual: Morning Glory's blue and purple tones as your starting point, with the rest of the arrangement built around those colours.
And if you know the recipient's favourite flower, start there. We would much rather create a bouquet that makes someone say, "They know me so well," than one that technically follows every birth-flower rule but doesn't suit the person at all.
What If You're Ordering Flowers for a September Wedding?
Asters can be surprisingly versatile in wedding work.
They can add texture to a bridal bouquet, fill out centrepieces or work nicely in smaller arrangements around the venue. Their different colour options also make them easy to pair with wedding palettes ranging from soft and romantic to deeper late-summer colours.
If you are searching for a wedding florist near me because you're planning a September wedding, bring along your colour ideas, dress inspiration or even a few photos of flowers you already like.
A Little Meaning Makes Flowers Even Better
The birth flower for September gives you a simple reason to choose something a little more personal. Asters bring their associations with love, patience and wisdom. Morning Glory brings its own ideas of affection and renewal. From there, you can make the bouquet your own.
That's really the best part of flowers. There are traditions, meanings and rules if you want them, but there's also plenty of room to ignore the rules and choose something because you know the person will love it.
At Apple Blossom Flowers, that's how we like to approach birthday flowers: start with the occasion, think about the person, then find the flowers that bring the two together. That's the difference between flowers and a gift: knowing they were picked with someone specific in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the birth flower for September?
The traditional flowers associated with September are Aster and Morning Glory. Both offer distinctive colours, shapes, and meanings, making them excellent choices for birthday bouquets.
2. What does the aster flower symbolize?
Asters are commonly associated with love, wisdom, patience, faith, and elegance. Their delicate star-like appearance also gives them a cheerful and graceful quality.
3. Can I give a birth-flower bouquet for any birthday, not just a milestone one?
Absolutely. A birth-flower bouquet works for any birthday. In fact, choosing flowers based on someone's birth month can make even a simple birthday gift feel more thoughtful and personal.
