September Birth Flowers: Aster and Morning Glory
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September is a time of transition, as summer fades into fall and the colors of the landscape begin to change. It’s also a month that is symbolized by two beautiful flowers: the aster and the morning glory.
The aster, with its delicate petals and vibrant colors, represents love and patience, while the morning glory, with its delicate beauty and cheerful colors, represents affection and nostalgia.
In this article, we’ll delve into the history and meaning of these September birth flowers, as well as explore different ways to incorporate them into your life. From gardening tips to gift ideas, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and discover the beauty of the aster and morning glory!
Birth Flower Gift Ideas for September Babies
There are many gift ideas for September babies, as the month is associated with the birth flower aster which symbolizes love, patience, and daintiness. Some gift ideas include:
Aster Pendant Necklace
An aster pendant necklace symbolizes love, patience and daintiness, making it a thoughtful and appropriate gift for someone born in the month of September. Additionally, a necklace is a classic, versatile gift that can be worn on various occasions and can be paired with different outfits, making it a practical and useful gift. A pendant necklace with an aster design is a beautiful and meaningful way to commemorate a September birthday.
Matching Aster Rings
Matching Aster rings are a symbol of love, commitment and connection, making them a great gift for a parent and child or for two people in a romantic relationship. They can wear the rings as a reminder of their special bond and shared birth month. Rings are a classic and timeless pieces of jewelry that can be worn daily, making them a practical and useful gift for the September baby.
Aster-Themed Home Decor
There are various home decor options available, such as an aster-themed throw pillow, vase, or wall art. These items can be a great way to incorporate the birth flower into the home and add a touch of September’s birth flower.
Home decor items can make a great gift because they are something that the person can use and enjoy in their daily life. It can also be a great conversation starter, and the September born will be reminded of the special connection to their birth month every time they see it.
Aster or Morning Glory Scented Candles
Scented candles can be a great way to incorporate the birth flower’s scent and imagery into a person’s daily life and create a relaxing atmosphere in their home. Candles can make a great gift because they are something that the person can use and enjoy on a regular basis. It can also be a great conversation starter, and the receiver will be reminded of the special connection to their birth month every time they light the candle.
Aster or Morning Glory Bouquet
Giving a bouquet of birth flowers is a traditional and thoughtful gift for September babies. Flower bouquets are a popular gift for many occasions because they are beautiful, fragrant, and can convey a wide range of emotions. They can be given to express love, congratulations, sympathy, or simply to brighten someone’s day. Flowers have been used for centuries to express emotions and have a language of their own.
Aster or Morning Glory Seeds
Giving a packet of Aster or Morning Glory seeds is a thoughtful way to give a gift that lasts and can be enjoyed for years to come. Seeds are a thoughtful and unique gift because they symbolize growth and potential, are sustainable, versatile, personalized, and are relatively inexpensive.
They can be planted in a garden, in a window box, in pots, or even indoors and can be enjoyed year-round. They can be a great way to introduce someone to gardening or to help an experienced gardener expand their collection.
Aster or Morning Glory Themed Clothing or Accessories
Clothing or accessories such as t-shirts, scarves, or bags with an aster or morning glory print can be a fun and unique gift for September babies. It’s a way for them to wear their birth flower, and it will be a nice reminder of their special connection to their birth month.
Aster/Morning Glory Earrings
Wearing aster or morning glory earrings can be a way for the person to show off their birth month and also display the meaning behind the flowers. Earrings are thoughtful gifts because they are a classic way to show appreciation, affection, and style. They’re versatile, easy to wear, and can be personalized to suit the recipient’s taste and style. Giving aster or morning glory earrings as a gift is a classic way of showing appreciation and affection, making it a perfect gift for a loved one or a friend.
Aster – What You Need to Know
Asters are members of the Asteraceae family which also houses daisies, sunflowers, dahlias, and marigolds. Closely resembling their family members, these gorgeous blooms have thin petals that ray from a disc floret that can either be yellow or white. These flowers come in lilac, blue, pink, yellow, purple, or red.
Aster Facts
- Asters get their name from the Greeks, who named them so because of their resemblance to stars.
- Ancient Greeks believed that the first bloom asters blossomed from the tears of the goddess Astraea after she wept wishing to dispel a dark cloud and brighten the night.
- Asters are edible and often used in teas and tinctures.
- Extracts from Asters have for centuries been known to have medicinal properties. Some of the ailments these flowers have been known to treat include headaches, hangovers, epilepsy, and respiratory issues.
Aster Meaning and Symbolism
Aster flowers are often associated with several meanings and symbolism. They’re traditionally considered to symbolize love and patience. This is because their name comes from the Greek word “aster,” meaning “star,” and it’s said that they bring good luck and positive energy to those who possess them.
Additionally, asters are also considered to symbolize elegance and daintiness, making them a popular choice for use in wedding bouquets and floral arrangements. They are also seen as a symbol of powerful love and devotion and are sometimes given as gifts to express these feelings.
In Victorian times, it was also believed that the aster flower symbolizes patience and daintiness, and the gift of an aster was seen as a way to express one’s admiration and respect for a lady.
Aster as a Tattoo Design
An aster flower tattoo design is a great choice for those looking for a unique and meaningful tattoo. The aster flower symbolizes patience, love, and daintiness, making it an ideal choice for a romantic tattoo. The intricate petals and delicate design make this a beautiful and elegant choice for a tattoo design. This design can be inked in a variety of colors and sizes and can be placed in different parts of the body.
Uses of Aster
- Ornamental use: Asters are popular in gardening and landscaping, due to their vibrant colors and showy flowers. They’re often used as bedding plants, border plants, and cut flowers.
- Medicinal use: Asters have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. They’re believed to have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and diuretic properties.
- Culinary use: The young leaves of some aster species can be used in salads or as a cooked green.
- Dyeing: Aster petals are used to make a yellow dye.
- Bee forage: Asters provide nectar and pollen late in the season when other flowers are scarce, making them a valuable food source for bees and other pollinators.
- Pest control: Some species of asters are used as companion plants to repel pests and attract beneficial insects.
Growing Aster
Growing asters is relatively easy and can be done in a variety of settings, including gardens, pots, and cut flower gardens. Asters typically prefer well-drained, moist soil and full sun to partial shade. They can be planted in the spring or fall and will bloom from late summer to fall.
Asters are generally hardy and disease resistant but can be susceptible to powdery mildew and other fungal infections if the foliage stays wet for prolonged periods. To prevent this, it’s important to provide good air circulation and avoid overhead watering.
Asters are also drought tolerant, so you don’t have to worry much about watering, however, they still require consistent moisture to maintain healthy growth. Once established, asters will come back year after year, providing a beautiful display of color in your garden.
Morning Glory – What You Need to Know
The morning glory is a member of the Ipomoea family which also houses the sweet potato. As such they are fast-growing vines whose leaves are heart-shaped, creating large foliage. Although the most common morning glory is blue and purple, some are pink, red, or white.
These flowers get their name (morning glory) from their tendency to open their petals with the touch of the morning sun and close them at the dusk.
Morning Glory Facts
- Morning glories are in the same plant family as sweet potatoes.
- The flowers of some species of morning glories close up in the afternoon, while others stay open all day.
- Some species of morning glories are considered invasive in certain areas because they can grow quickly and outcompete native plants.
- The seeds of morning glories contain a compound called LSA, which is chemically similar to LSD and can cause hallucinations if consumed in large quantities.
- The ancient Aztecs used morning glory seeds in religious ceremonies and to treat various ailments.
- The morning glory vine can grow up to 20 ft. long and produces large, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white.
- Morning glory is also called “bindweed” as it tends to wrap around other plants, sometimes choking them.
- Some species of morning glories are used as a food source, particularly in Asia where the young shoots and leaves are often stir-fried or added to soups.
Morning Glory Meaning and Symbolism
Morning glories have been used symbolically in various cultures throughout history. In Chinese culture, the morning glory is often used as a symbol of unrequited love because it blooms early in the morning and dies in the afternoon, just like a love that is not meant to be.
In Japan, the morning glory is known as “Asagao” (meaning “morning face”) and symbolizes humility, love, and devotion.
In the Victorian language of flowers, the morning glory is often used to represent affection or a love that is fleeting or hard to hold on to.
The different colors of morning glories can have different meanings in different cultures. However, in general, the colors of morning glories can be associated with certain symbolic meanings:
- Blue morning glories are said to symbolize loyalty and faithfulness.
- Purple morning glories are said to symbolize spiritual attainment or a longing for spiritual growth.
- Pink morning glories are said to symbolize love and affection.
- White morning glories are said to symbolize purity and innocence.
Morning Glory as a Tattoo Design
A morning glory flower tattoo design is a beautiful and symbolic choice. The delicate and intricate design of the flower, along with its vibrant colors, make it a popular choice for a tattoo. Like the aster flower, the morning glory can be inked in a variety of colors and sizes and can be placed in different parts of the body, such as on the wrist, ankle, or behind the ear.
Morning Glory Uses
- Ornamental use: Morning glories are popular in gardening and landscaping due to their vibrant colors and showy flowers. They can be used in hanging baskets, trellises, and fences.
- Medicinal use: In traditional medicine, morning glory is used for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties.
- Culinary use: The young leaves, shoots, and tendrils of morning glory are edible and can be consumed raw or cooked.
- Psychedelic use: Certain species of morning glory contain psychoactive compounds, such as Lysergic acid amide (LSA), and have been used for ritual and spiritual purposes by indigenous cultures. The seeds of these species are consumed in small amounts to produce mild psychedelic effects. However, it’s also illegal in some countries and states.
- Industrial use: The root of the morning glory plant is a source of starch called Ipomoea, which is used in the production of various industrial products such as adhesives, paper, and textiles.
- Companion plant: Some species of morning glories are used as companion plants, they are known to deter pests and improve the growth and yield of some vegetable crops.
Growing Morning Glory
Morning glories are fast-growing, flowering vines that can be planted in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. They can be grown from seeds, which should be sown directly in the ground after the last frost, or from seedlings, which should be planted after the last frost. They can also be grown in containers.
Morning glories need regular watering, especially during dry spells. They will climb any structure such as a trellis, fence, or wall. They will flower in the morning and will close in the afternoon. They will bloom throughout the summer and fall. Deadheading the spent blooms will encourage more blooms.
September Birth Flowers FAQs
No, morning glory and aster are not the same. They are two different plants from different families. Morning glory belongs to the Convolvulaceae family, while aster belongs to the Asteraceae family.
Aster is one of the flowers associated with the astrological sign of Virgo. It’s known for its symbolisms of patience, love, and daintiness, which aligns with the characteristics of Virgo. It’s also the birth flower of September which is the time when Virgo is on the Sun.
Another name for the morning glory flower is bindweed, which refers to the plant’s twining habit and its ability to bind and twine around other plants.
Asters are symbols of patience, love, and daintiness, they are also the 20th wedding anniversary flower.
Morning glories typically bloom during late spring to early fall, depending on the climate and the variety of plants. In most regions, they bloom in June, July, August, and September.
Wrapping Up
Asters and Morning Glories are both beautiful and meaningful birth flowers for September. They symbolize patience, daintiness, and affection, making them perfect gifts to express your love and appreciation for a September-born. And with a wide variety of ways to incorporate these flowers into gifts, like bouquets, earrings, and even seeds, there’s something for everyone.
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