When Aries season rolls around, the symbolic ram pushes out the winter cold to make way for spring flowers. Daffodils and tulips poke out from the ground, trees like maples and dogwoods send out flowers, and the air becomes filled with the sweet scent of honeysuckle. And as it turns out, honeysuckle is the Aries birth flower!
Whether you’re looking for an appropriate floral gift for the Aries in your life or want to learn a bit more about this flower, stick with us. We’ll cover all you need to know about this sweet-smelling flower and its relation to the ram sign.
The Aries Birth Flower: Honeysuckle
You may know honeysuckle for nectar that attracts bees and butterflies and fills the air with sweetness. But other characteristics does this Aries zodiac flower offer?
First, recognize that honeysuckle is the generic term for about 180 species of plants in the Lonicera genus. All of these plants are either shrubs or vines and native to regions in the northern hemisphere including North America, Europe, and Asia.
The plants are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves each fall and regrow them the following spring. Depending on the species, shrubs may remain under five feet tall or grow larger than 20 feet! Vining honeysuckle plants can quickly climb up arbors and fences and take over nearby vegetation.
All types of honeysuckle plants produce beautiful, tubular flowers filled with sweet nectar. Depending on the species, the flowers may be white, yellow, pink, red, or orange. As you might expect, these alluring flowers attract pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These flowers give way to small, round fruits which serve as tasty treats for many types of songbirds.
Honeysuckle Symbolism and Meaning
If you’ve ever walked through a garden or field filled with honeysuckle, you know the unmistakable fragrance the plants emit. When you breathe in the sweet, honey-like scent, it’s hard not to smile! Therefore, it’s no surprise that honeysuckle symbolizes pure happiness. With this in mind, these plants serve as great gifts if someone you know needs a little bit of joy in their life.
Honeysuckle also symbolizes sweet love and affection. This is especially true for plants with pink or red flowers. Pink flowers tell someone you have a sweet, innocent love for them, while red flowers relate more to passionate romance.
This sweet plant also plays a prominent role in the Greek myth of Daphnis and Chloe. These two long-distance lovers could only visit each other when the honeysuckle bloomed, so the two were apart for the majority of the year. In an attempt to see his love more often, Daphis pleaded to the Eros, the God of Love. Eros answered his pleas and made the honeysuckle plants bloom from spring through fall. This is one reason the plants are seen as symbols of sweet love.
Types of Honeysuckle
As mentioned above, the honeysuckle genus contains over a hundred species. While all of these plants have a few characteristics in common, each species offers unique looks and traits. Here are some of the most noteworthy honeysuckle plants to look out for.
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) has gained a notorious reputation throughout much of the United States. Although this vining plant produces beautiful and fragrant flowers, it can quickly overtake an area and choke out native vegetation. Therefore, you should avoid planting Japanese honeysuckle in your garden.
Coral Honeysuckle
Also known as trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), this plant is one of the most popular honeysuckle species native to the United States. It’s native to most of the Eastern US, where it grows as a trailing vine in woody areas. The plants produce beautiful dark pink or red tubular flowers that attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Try planting one of these honeysuckles near an arbor or fence and watch it beautify the area with green and pink.
American Honeysuckle
Although it’s known as American honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis), this honeysuckle native s native to much of Canada as well as the Northeast and Midwest US. It grows as a small to medium shrub and produces white bell-shaped flowers. Since it won’t overtake native vegetation, it’s a great alternative to non-native bush honeysuckle species.
Amur Honeysuckle
Native to East Asia, amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) made its way to the United States as an ornamental plant. Before long, the plant got out of control and became an invasive species throughout much of the Northeast and Midwest. The plant produces lots of bright red berries and grows back when it’s cut down, so it’s difficult to completely remove it from an area.
A Bonus Aries Birth Flower: Thistle
While honeysuckle is the main Aries zodiac flower, thistle is next in line! This plant is beautiful and alluring, but it can also be a little thorny, much like the zodiac sign it represents. Aeries are known for being vibrant and passionate, but they sometimes let their impatient and aggressive nature get the best of them.
There are many different thistle species, but all of the plants have spiky prickles along their leaves. Most types of thistle also produce beautiful pink or purple pom-pom flowers in the warmer months. While these plants are gorgeous, they have a reputation for being difficult to remove weeds in gardens and farm fields. Not only do the prickles make them difficult to take out, but their long tap root puts out new growth unless it’s entirely removed.
Since the plants are so prickly, they don’t make the best cut flowers. However, the thistle look-alike known as sea holly is a wonderful addition to many bouquets.
Learn More About Zodiac Flowers
Now you no longer have to wonder, “What is the Aries birth flower?” However, you may still have some questions about other birth flowers! Maybe you’re curious about March birth flowers or wondering about Pisces birth flowers. Well, we have good news! We’ve written about flowers for every zodiac sign, so you can learn what blooms correspond to all the signs.
After learning a bit about the flowers for Leo, Aquarius, and every sign in between, you’ll be better suited to pick out flowers for all the special people in your life. Whether you’re looking for a floral pick-me-up or a birthday flower delivery, we’ve got you covered. Not only do we offer beautiful blooms, but we also sustainably source our flowers from partner farms so you can feel good about ordering.
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