7 Aquarius Zodiac and Birth Flowers (and How to Grow Each One)

A small white flower appears while the rest of the garden still looks asleep. In cold climates, snowdrops bloom from late January through March, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Snowdrop is a January birth flower, listed by FTD. For your garden, NC State Extension lists full sun to part shade. Its plant profile calls for less than 12 inches of planting space. Check with your local extension service for a planting date.

We couldn’t find an ASPCA pet-safety listing for snowdrop. If an animal eats garden plants, check the exact plant name with the ASPCA before bringing snowdrops home.

Best for: A January birthday and a garden where you want an early bloom.

Suppose the birthday falls in February, and the best planting spot gets afternoon shade. Violet fits both. The Society of American Florists names it as a February birth flower. Penn State Extension says most native violets prefer moist, partly shaded sites.

Check the plant label before treating every “violet” as the same choice. Penn State says common blue violet also tolerates full sun and clay.

For a pet household, match the label to *Viola tricolor* var. *hortensis*. The ASPCA identifies that plant as non-toxic to pets.

Best for: A February Aquarius birthday and a partly shaded spot; choose the ASPCA-listed *Viola* for a pet household.

Carnation is the other January choice. The Society of American Florists names it for the month. Cut carnations make a birth-month bouquet for a January Aquarius birthday.

Growing *Dianthus caryophyllus*? Give it full sun. NC State Extension says it tolerates some shade. For a planting date or a way to start your own, ask your county extension service about your area.

Check the household before taking that bouquet to the register. The ASPCA lists carnation as toxic to cats and dogs, with generally mild stomach or skin irritation.

Best for: A January birthday bouquet in a home without cats or dogs.

Iris appears on Aquarius flower lists from ProFlowers and Teleflora. Teleflora also lists it as a February birth flower. If you’d rather grow one than choose cut stems, bearded iris gives you a specific garden project.

Start with the light. Clemson Cooperative Extension calls for at least 6 hours of full sun each day. Plant in late summer to early fall. Leave about 16 to 18 inches between plants so air circulates.

Think twice if pets dig in that bed. The ASPCA lists iris as toxic to cats and dogs, with the highest concentration in its rhizomes.

Best for: A sunny garden bed away from pets.

If you like carrying flowers in from the garden, gladiolus earns its place. Cafe Astrology and ProFlowers both name it for Aquarius, and its tall spikes suit a vase.

The planting starts with corms, rather than seeds. After frost, choose a spot in full sun. Clemson Cooperative Extension says to plant corms 3 to 6 inches deep and 2 to 3 inches apart.

Want stems to cut across the summer? Plant another group each week, as Clemson advises, instead of putting every corm in the ground at once.

Keep that planting bed away from curious diggers. The ASPCA lists gladiolus as toxic to cats and dogs; the corms are the most potent part.

Best for: A cut-flower garden without pets digging among the corms.

Bird of paradise makes a striking Aquarius gift. 1-800-Flowers calls it a go-to flower for the sign. For a grower, the question is whether winter frost reaches the planting spot.

Outdoors, UF/IFAS Extension places it in USDA zones 10 and 11. Give plants part sun to part shade and 24 to 36 inches of space.

Farther north, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions recommends a container you move indoors to avoid frost. Before sending one to someone else’s house, ask about pets.

The ASPCA lists bird of paradise as toxic to cats and dogs, especially its fruit and seeds.

Best for: A warm-climate garden or a container grower with room indoors and no pets.

Here’s the flower for Aquarius when you want the sign itself on the gift card: orchid. The National Garden Bureau pairs it with Aquarius, as do Cafe Astrology and several major florists. Orchid is the clearest zodiac-flower answer.

For an indoor plant, look for a *Phalaenopsis* orchid. Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends bright, filtered light and a coarse, airy growing medium rather than ordinary soil. Place it near a bright window, out of direct sun.

Smithsonian Gardens puts its thriving indoor temperature range at about 70 to 90°F. Don’t leave the growing medium soggy.

Check the label for *Phalaenopsis*, especially if animals live there: the ASPCA lists that orchid as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Best for: An Aquarius gift overall, including a home with cats or dogs.