December birth flowers: narcissus and holly

What is the December birth flower?

The December birth flower is the narcissus, such as the paperwhite, with holly as the month's second flower. That's how The Old Farmer's Almanac lists them.

It's a winter pair. The paperwhite is one of the few flowers in bloom at florists and garden centers in December, and holly is the evergreen that stays bright outside when almost everything else is bare.

What does the narcissus mean?

The narcissus means self-love. Kate Greenaway's 1884 Language of Flowers says “egotism,” and Henrietta Dumont's 1851 dictionary “self-love.” Both come from the Greek myth, told by the Roman poet Ovid: Narcissus, a young man who fell in love with his own reflection, wasted away beside the water and left a flower in his place.

The paperwhite has a kinder meaning in the East. A close relative, the Chinese sacred lily, is a traditional flower of the Lunar New Year, a sign of good fortune for the year ahead, and the Almanac notes that the paperwhite, which also blooms in midwinter, is sometimes linked with it.

The paperwhite's own name is a description: its species name, papyraceus, means papery, after the thin white petals.

What does holly mean?

Holly means foresight. That's Greenaway's word, and the Almanac adds defense and domestic happiness. The defense is easy to see in the spiny leaves; its scientific name, Ilex aquifolium, means “with pointed leaves.”

Most of its meaning is Christmas. In Christian symbolism the spiny leaves stand for the crown of thorns and the red berries for Christ's blood, and the evergreen leaves for life that lasts. The old English carol “The Holly and the Ivy” runs through it all: “The holly bears a blossom, as white as the lily flower.”

In the US, the American holly, a relative of the English holly in our photo, is Delaware's state tree.

Are the March and December birth flowers the same?

They're close relatives, not the same flower. March's daffodil and jonquil and December's paperwhite all belong to the same genus, Narcissus, but they're different species.

The seasons split them: the paperwhite flowers in winter, and daffodils follow in spring. So do the meanings. The Victorians gave the daffodil “regard” and the jonquil “I desire a return of affection,” and kept “egotism” for the narcissus of the myth. A family with March and December birthdays can share a genus and still have two flowers of their own.

Why does December have two birth flowers?

The Almanac gives a primary and a secondary flower for most months because traditions differ and flowers grow in different places. December's pair also covers both kinds of winter flower: the paperwhite, which most Americans buy in bloom, and holly, which grows outside in hedges, parks and woods and needs no flowers at all to be the season's plant.

December birth flower tattoo ideas

Holly is one of the most recognizable plants there is, even as a few lines, and the paperwhite gives it a softer partner.

• A holly sprig. Two spiny leaves and a cluster of berries is a small, classic design for a wrist, ankle or finger.
• A paperwhite cluster. Several small white flowers at the top of a straight stem suit fine line and black and grey.
• Red, green and white. Holly's red and green with white paperwhites is a full winter palette for a color piece.
• March meets December. A daffodil and a paperwhite together, for two family members whose months share the genus.

When and where do they bloom?

The paperwhite comes from the western Mediterranean and flowers from winter into spring. English holly is native to Europe and North Africa; its small white flowers open in late spring, and the leaves stay green all year.

Native ranges come from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants as published by World Flora Online (CC BY 4.0), names and families from Wikidata (CC0), and flowering times from the floras listed under Sources. They describe the wild plant; garden and florist flowers follow their own calendars.

Catch it in PocketPetal

In PocketPetal, the game is to catch plants: snap one and image recognition names it, a rarity is rolled from Common to Mythic, and it goes into your collection. December is full of easy ones.

Holly grows in parks, hedges and front yards, and paperwhites fill florists' windows and garden centers, which count like anywhere else. Our holiday lights walk is a good way to find both after dark.

December catches count toward Winter Wonder in the Northern Hemisphere. From December 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027, the Evergreen Hunt is on. Holly is evergreen but not a conifer, so it doesn't count toward that event's evergreen quest, though any catch counts toward Holiday Haul and 12 Days of Catching. More on rarity and the badges.