snowdrop, january birth flower, helen olivia flowers

January Birth Flower: The Snowdrop

January 3, 2022 2:18 pm Published by

January is a month of new beginnings, and what better way to start the year than with a beautiful flower? We’ve got the best flower delivery in Arlington, VA here at Helen Olivia Flowers.

But this month the snowdrop steals the show! This lovely Flower has been around for centuries, and it has roots in ancient Greece. The gorgeous winter bloom is also the birth flower for those born in January. Oh, how romantic, and poetic this bloom looks as it drifts towards its lover through calm waters.

If you’re like us here at Helen Olivia Flowers, you don’t just celebrate the day — welcome to your birthday month! In today’s post, we’re sharing everything we know about snowdrop flowers and how you can use them to celebrate a special January birthday.

Snowdrop Lore

While it’s considered one of the most beautiful winter flowers, the snowdrop is not just a pretty face! Delicate tiny flowers, the Galanthus nivalis are known for their medicinal properties. Their bulbs contain Galantamine, a potent compound used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. We’ve heard rumors that snowdrops are considered an aphrodisiac. Such helpful little flowers! In Russia, snowdrop flowers get their own day to celebrate. According to legend, snowdrops are the tears of winter’s snow. They bloom on one day – Snowdrop Day – and the only way to see them is to venture into the forest at sunrise. In the flower world, snowdrops symbolize hope. It makes sense that we’ve adopted them as the flower for the month that brings hope in the gift of new beginnings.

Whether you come upon them poking their shy heads from the snowy ground, or you discover their delicate blossoms in one of our signature arrangements, we promise you’ll feel the anticipation of spring!

Winter Magic Through a Flower’s Eyes

Usually, Mother Nature has pulled the covers up over the landscape by January. Her snow blanket hides the colors of fall and creates the backdrop for winter’s hidden buzz of activity. Now, doesn’t that sound more pleasant (and hopeful) than talking about gloomy skies and chilly winds?

It’s easy to assume not much happens under the snow during the colder months. Don’t be fooled! Just ask these tiny, bell-shaped flowers. They likely have a few stories to tell.

Bring the magic of January’s birth flower inside by displaying a few snowdrops in a glass bowl combined with ivy or other small-leaved evergreens.

A snowy bloom is a rare sight to behold and even more of a rarity to see in January! The delicate, white blossoms of the snowdrop are intriguing. So much so that you might find yourself gazing at one of our unique winter arrangements instead of focusing on the birthday festivities.

 

Snowdrops: A Fragrant Snowflake

Unlike carnations, roses, and gardenias, snowdrops don’t have a strong scent. Instead, these flowers have a light, fresh fragrance with a green floral note.

The common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, isn’t overly fragrant. However, your florist can often source snowdrops that smell like honey. Make sure to ask if any more strongly scented snowdrops are available when you order your January birth flower gift.

When shopping for a unique birthday gift, you simply cannot go wrong when you include birth flowers. For the cognoscenti in your life, an arrangement including snowdrops is a gift they won’t soon forget. Not only will the scent linger on in the recipient’s memory, but so will the optimistic, funny nature of the perfect little winter flowers.

Snowdrop Fun Facts for Your Birthday Month

Snowdrops are part of the Amaryllidaceae family. Their relatives include alliums, amaryllis, and daffodils.

Unlike New York-style cheesecake, Chicago-style pizza, and a certain laptop computer brand, snowdrop flowers are not native to the United States. As early as the 4th Century, Greek botanist/philosopher Theophrastus wrote about winter’s fragile, frosty flowers.

According to the language of flowers, the snowdrop represents the return of happiness, the beginning of love, innocence, purity, and hope.

It’s no wonder these plants are so fascinating. They’re able to generate their own heat. No scientific evidence of this, but it’s still a fun fact.

There is one more fun tidbit we want to share about this lovely winter bloom. In Victorian England, you would not have gifted a friend with a snowdrop bouquet. Snowdrop flowers were considered bad luck!

Snowdrop Flowers Are Not Only for Birthdays

We know – we said this post would be about birth flowers, specifically, the January birth flower. But we couldn’t resist another celebration where you should find snowdrop flowers.

A winter wedding!

Can you just imagine the oohing and aahing of wedding guests as the bride arrives? It’s not only the posh dress. Oh, the stir made by a bouquet of lush roses accompanied by a few shy and humble snowdrop flowers!

Okay, now we’ll go back to our regular programming and talk about birthdays.

Remember the Birth Flower for January!

Unless you have an abundance of snowdrops growing in your yard, you may have trouble creating a floral gift for your January birthday best friend. That is if you want the January birth flower to play a starring role (and why wouldn’t you?)

While it’s tempting to run out and pull up a few of winter’s only flowers from your or your neighbor’s outdoor space, don’t do it! Let your florist here at Helen Olivia Flowers find the freshest, most unique selection of snowdrops and other types of flowers to use in your gift.

Did we just say a unique selection of snowdrops? Yes, because despite the trademark white flowers that resemble drops of melting snow, all snowdrop flowers do not look identical. For example, we may use the common snowdrop, giant snowdrop, or pleated snowdrop, to name just a few.

Whatever species we include in your gift, we promise to make it unique, luxurious, and memorable.

The Perfect Florist for January Birth Celebrations

When contemplating a gift for someone born in January, you won’t go wrong when you include the snowdrop flower in the mix. The unpretentious yet sassy white flower speaks the language of love and hope. What better way to celebrate someone special and unique?

Here at Helen Olivia Flowers, we’re all about the unique. Do yourself a favor Queen, and get same-day flower delivery in Arlington, VA. Step into a new realm of flower arrangements. Contact us today, or stop in and visit our shop.

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This post was written by Charles Gang

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