September’s Birthday Flowers

September, one of my favorite months, has finally arrived, bringing cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and football! The flowers associated with birthdays in September are two of my favorite flowers – aster and morning glory.  

The aster (from the Greek word, asteri, which means “star”) resembles a star-like or daisy-like flower that comes in deep, vibrant colors of purple, pink, white, and blue. In the language of flowers, the aster represents Love, faith, wisdom, courage, thoughtfulness, optimism, and patience. But each color of the aster can convey a different meaning.  If you give a bouquet of purple asters, it signifies royalty, dignity and deep respect. If you give a bouquet of pink asters, you are sending the message of love and affection. White asters are often seen at weddings, and convey purity, innocence and new beginnings. Red asters embody passion and deep emotions, and blue asters suggest serenity, peace and calmness.  

Asters are favorite flowers to grow in Georgia. You can sow seeds directly into a sunny, garden bed in spring, after the last frost.  By late summer, you will be rewarded colorful flowers that the butterflies, bees and other pollinators love.

The Georgia aster (Symphyotrichum georgianum) is our native wildflower, treasured for its deep violet to bluish-purple flowers that bloom from October until frost, providing late-season color and nectar for pollinators. Unfortunately the Georgia aster has become rare, and is currently listed as “threatened” in Georgia. You can sometimes locate a Georgia aster to purchase (check with native plant societies) and this endangered perennial will do well in a native plant garden bed.

The morning glory is the other birth flower for September. Morning glories are fast-growing, flowering vines that you may remember from your grandmother’s garden. These old-fashioned vines are considered “pass-along” plants – plants that are easy to grow and are passed along (through seeds or seedlings) to friends and family.  The blooms are trumpet-shaped and open in the morning and close in the afternoon.  These annuals, when planted in the spring, will quickly spread across an arbor or other vertical structure throughout the summer. They can reach up to 15 feet in one growing season! Morning glories come in a wide variety of colors and convey affection, innocence and simple joy, warm-heartedness and a child’s curiosity.

Other September blooms to plant and enjoy are chrysanthemums (signifying joy and optimism), sunflowers (warmth and adoration) and zinnias (friendship and affection).