A giraffe in a blue neckerchief bends its long neck to sniff a tall spike of blue larkspur growing in a clay pot

July Birth Flowers

  • Larkspur
  • Water Lily
  • DelphiniumAlso listed

July's birth flowers are the larkspur and the water lily, with the delphinium as the florists' name for the larkspur's close relative.

All three main sources point July toward the same blue flowers, though they disagree on the name. The two almanacs say larkspur; the Society of American Florists says delphinium. The Old Farmer's Almanac explains that larkspur can mean either the annual Consolida or the perennial Delphinium, so the two names overlap heavily and are often swapped. The almanacs then add a second, very different flower: the water lily, a plant of ponds rather than borders.

Larkspur's modern meanings are upbeat. The Old Farmer's Almanac lists positivity, loving bonds, dedication and sincerity, and the Society of American Florists reads larkspur as a beautiful spirit. Greenaway's 1884 book was cooler, giving it lightness and levity. The water lily has a steadier record: purity of heart in Greenaway, purity and innocence in the Old Farmer's Almanac, and purity and quiet majesty in Farmers' Almanac.

The flowers

LarkspurConsolida／Delphinium

Modern American:
Positivity, loving bonds, dedication, and sincerity
Modern American:
Positivity, lightness, swiftness
Modern American:
Beautiful spirit

Larkspur can refer to the annual Consolida or the perennial Delphinium, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Blue is the color most charts show. Farmers' Almanac describes it with positivity, lightness and swiftness, and the Society of American Florists with a beautiful spirit. Victorian books also sorted it by color, reading pink larkspur as fickleness and purple as haughtiness, which is a good reason to stay with blue.

Water LilyNymphaeaceae（睡蓮科）

Modern American:
Purity, innocence, and chastity
Modern American:
Purity and quiet majesty
Victorian:
Purity of heart

Water lily is Nymphaea, in the family Nymphaeaceae, usually shown in white. It is easy to mix up with the lotus, Nelumbo, which is a separate plant; one Japanese garden site even names the lotus as Japan's July flower. Greenaway's 1884 book reads the water lily as purity of heart, and the Old Farmer's Almanac as purity, innocence and chastity.

DelphiniumDelphiniumAlso listed

Modern American:
Boldness

Delphinium is the name the Society of American Florists uses for July. It is a close relative of larkspur, and the two names are often used interchangeably. The florists' guide reads delphinium as boldness, a stronger word than anything the almanacs attach to larkspur. Blue delphiniums are the classic choice for the month.

FAQ

Is larkspur the same as delphinium?

Close, but not always. The Old Farmer's Almanac says larkspur can mean either the annual Consolida or the perennial Delphinium. The Society of American Florists names delphinium for July, while the almanacs say larkspur.

Is the water lily the same as a lotus?

No. The July water lily is Nymphaea, and the lotus is Nelumbo, a separate genus. Some Japanese charts give July to the lotus, which differs from the flower on American lists.

Birth flowers and flower meanings are cultural traditions. Month lists follow The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Farmers’ Almanac and the Society of American Florists; the daily calendar is from William Hone’s The Every-Day Book (1825).