Chrysanthemums are November’s flower. First cultivated in China in the 15th century BC, they were so prized by nobility that commoners weren’t even allowed to grow them. They believed the petals held the power of life & so placed them in their glasses of wine to promote longevity. Confucius revered them as objects of meditation & in the Ayurvedic tradition they’re believed to activate the heart chakra. The orderly unfolding of their petals was a symbol of perfection to the Japanese. As a birth month flower, chrysanthemums represent a many-layered soul as well as positivity, cheerfulness & friendship.

“Floriography”: the language of flowers

Thousands of years of folklore, mythology & religious tradition have contributed to the meanings we ascribe to flowers today. Floriography peaked in popularity during the Victorian era when, armed with floral dictionaries, gentlemen would send cryptic messages to ladies with specific nosegays or tussie mussies called “talking bouquets”. 

Still today we have a tradition of birth month flowers, the meanings of which are rooted in floriography. Similar to zodiac signs or birthstones, it is believed you inherit the characteristics of the flower assigned to your birth month.