The December birth flower is a pair: holly (Ilex aquifolium) and narcissus, most often the white paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus). Holly stands for protection and goodwill through the darkest weeks of winter. Paperwhite narcissus stands for renewal and hope, which suits a month that closes one year and opens the next.
One is a prickly evergreen covered in red berries, the other a bulb that fills a room with scent in January. Here's what each December birth month flower means, how to keep both going at home, which to give as a present, and how tattoo artists usually draw them. If you're not sure whether the plant you were given is a real holly or a look-alike, you can check it with the PlantIn flower identifier.
What Is the Birth Flower for December?
The birth flower for December is holly, with narcissus as the second official flower. Most birth flower lists, from florists to jewelry makers, name both.
Holly belongs to the loud, festive part of December. Europeans were hanging its branches indoors centuries before anyone celebrated Christmas. Narcissus is the quieter half: paperwhite bulbs set on pebbles in November open around New Year, when the garden outside has nothing to offer.
Why Does December Have Two Birth Flowers?
December has two birth flowers because the traditions behind birth month flowers come from different regions and periods, and lists rarely agree on a single plant. The same happens in several other months, such as January (carnation and snowdrop) or March (daffodil and jonquil).
The pairing happens to make sense. Holly is the plant that gets through winter unchanged, and narcissus is the one that announces winter is ending.
December Birth Flower Meaning: Holly vs Narcissus
The December birth flower meaning splits between the two plants: holly means protection, joy and goodwill, while narcissus means renewal, hope and purity. Here is how the two compare, from vase life to pet safety.
| Holly | Paperwhite narcissus | |
| Latin name | Ilex aquifolium | Narcissus papyraceus |
| Plant type | Evergreen shrub or small tree | Bulb |
| Main meaning | Protection, joy, goodwill | Renewal, hope, purity |
| Colors | Green leaves, red berries | White flowers |
| When it looks best | Winter, when females carry berries | Midwinter indoors, from forced bulbs |
| Cut life (approx.) | About 2 weeks | About 1 week |
| Safe for pets and kids | No, berries and leaves are toxic | No, all parts are toxic, bulbs most of all |
| Best gift for | Someone who loves the holidays | Someone who likes scent and simple elegance |
Holly: December Birth Flower Meaning and Care
Holly (Ilex aquifolium), also called English or common holly, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to Europe. As a December birth flower, holly stands for protection, joy and goodwill.
Nobody buys holly for its flowers. They're tiny and white, open in late spring, and most people never notice them.
Holly Symbolism and History
Holly was a protective plant long before it became a Christmas decoration. Druids brought it indoors to keep evil spirits away through winter, and Romans decorated with it during Saturnalia, the December festival of Saturn, god of agriculture.
Christianity gave the old symbol new meaning: spiny leaves for the crown of thorns, red berries for Christ's blood. Underneath sat the older idea that a plant still green in January carries life through the dead season. A lighter footnote for Harry Potter fans: Harry's wand is holly, with a phoenix feather core.
Why Your December Birth Flower Holly Has No Berries
Holly plants are either male or female, and only females produce berries. A female shrub also needs a male holly of a compatible species growing nearby so bees can carry pollen between them.
A missing male is the usual reason a garden holly never berries. Nurseries normally label hollies as male or female, so read the tag, and buy a male pollinator along with your female if there's none in the neighborhood.
How Long Does Holly Last Once Cut?
Cut holly usually stays fresh for about two weeks indoors. It lasts longest in a cool room, away from radiators.
- Cut stems with sharp pruners and stand them in water for a few hours before arranging.
- Mist the leaves every couple of days. Holly loses water through its leaves in warm, dry indoor air.
- Keep cut branches out of reach of pets and small children.
Growing Holly at Home
Holly grows best in sun to light shade and moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It needs little pruning; a light trim in late winter or early spring keeps the shape without cutting off next season's berries.
Leave it room. A young English holly looks compact in a nursery pot, but over the decades it becomes a small tree. For shrub identification and a care schedule, a photo in the PlantIn app is enough.
Is Holly Toxic?
Yes. Holly is toxic to cats and dogs and the berries can make children sick, though serious poisoning is uncommon. According to Penn State Extension, the ASPCA lists holly as having low toxicity, with vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy as typical signs in pets.
Narcissus: The Paperwhite December Birth Flower
Paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus) is a fragrant, white-flowered narcissus native to the Mediterranean region. As the second December birth flower, narcissus stands for renewal, hope and purity.
Paperwhites are close cousins of the daffodil with one useful difference: they don't need a cold winter to flower. That's why they're the narcissus sold in holiday gift boxes.
Narcissus Symbolism and History
The name comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own reflection and turned into the flower. In birth flower tradition the meaning is kinder: white petals for purity and early flowering for a fresh start.
In East Asia, a related narcissus is tied to the Lunar New Year. That plant is Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis, the Chinese sacred lily, grown in bowls of water and pebbles as a symbol of good fortune. It's a different variety from the Mediterranean paperwhite, even though the two look alike.
How to Grow Paperwhites Indoors
Paperwhites flower indoors without soil or chilling, which makes them one of the easiest winter bulbs. Iowa State University Extension recommends this method:
- Fill a shallow bowl without drainage holes with washed gravel or pebbles.
- Set the bulbs on the gravel, pointed tips up, and add more gravel around them so the tips stay exposed.
- Add water until it just touches the base of the bulbs. Keep it at that level.
- Keep the bowl somewhere cool and dark, at 45–50°F (7–10°C), for 2 to 3 weeks while roots form.
- When shoots reach about 3 inches, move the bowl to a sunny window at 60–70°F (16–21°C).
- Once flowers open, move it out of direct sun to make them last longer.
Paperwhites grown this way usually can't be forced again, so Iowa State University Extension suggests discarding the bulbs after flowering. Outdoors they survive only in mild climates, roughly USDA zone 8 and warmer.
How Long Does Narcissus Last Once Cut?
Cut paperwhites last about a week in a vase. A cool room and fresh water every two days stretch that a little.
Narcissus stems release a slimy sap that shortens the life of other cut flowers, roses and tulips in particular. Florists stand narcissus stems alone in water for 12 to 24 hours before mixing them into a bouquet.
Is Narcissus Toxic?
Yes. All parts of the paperwhite are toxic to cats and dogs, and the bulbs carry the highest dose of lycorine and related alkaloids. Keep bulbs, bowls and cut stems where pets can't reach them, and call a veterinarian if a pet chews a bulb.
December Birth Flower Tattoo Ideas
A December birth flower tattoo usually shows holly, narcissus or both, and the two shapes are different enough to read clearly even at small sizes. Holly gives you sharp leaf edges and round berries. Narcissus gives you a star of six petals around a small cup.
Five designs that hold up well over the years:
- Single holly sprig. Two or three leaves with a cluster of berries. Works in fine line on the wrist or ankle, and red berries add one point of color.
- Paperwhite cluster. Several small star-shaped flowers on one stem. A clean choice for a narcissus December birth flower tattoo along the forearm or collarbone.
- Holly and narcissus together. A narcissus stem wrapped with a holly sprig. This December birth month flower tattoo keeps both flowers in one compact design.
- Outline or line drawing. A December birth flower drawing in single-weight line, no shading. Line work like this is a frequent choice for a December birth flower tattoo for women, often placed along the spine or ribs.
- Two months in one. Families often combine birth flowers. A March and December birth flower tattoo pairs a yellow daffodil with a white paperwhite, two flowers from the same genus. An August and December birth flower tattoo mixes gladiolus or poppy with holly berries.
Bring your artist a photo of the real plant. A real holly leaf has a wavy, spiny edge that stock clip art tends to flatten out.
If ink isn't for you, the same motifs turn up in jewelry. A December birth flower necklace with an enamel holly berry or a pressed paperwhite pendant is a common birthday gift.
December Birth Flower Bouquet: What Goes With Holly and Narcissus
A December birth flower bouquet pairs well with evergreens such as pine, cedar or eucalyptus, plus white roses or red carnations for color. Holly brings the red; paperwhites bring the white and the scent.
- Stand cut narcissus stems alone in water for 12 to 24 hours first, so their sap doesn't shorten the life of the other flowers.
- Strip holly leaves below the waterline. Holly leaves rot quickly when submerged.
- Keep the vase in a cool room and top up the water daily.
Holly or Narcissus: Which December Birth Flower to Give?
Give holly to someone who loves the holidays and wants something that lasts, and narcissus to someone who likes fragrance and simple white flowers. Paperwhite scent is strong, and some people find it too heavy for a small room.
Bulbs in a bowl beat cut stems as a present, because the recipient gets weeks of watching roots, then shoots, then flowers. Whatever you pick, mention that both plants are toxic to pets, more so if there's a cat in the house. A care schedule in the PlantIn gardening app helps the plant survive past the birthday.
December Birth Flower FAQ
Is the December birth flower a poinsettia or narcissus?
The December birth flowers are holly and narcissus, not poinsettia. Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the best-selling holiday plant in December, so people often assume it's the birth flower, but traditional lists don't include it. If you received one, here's how to care for poinsettias indoors and year round.
Is holly a flower?
Holly is a flowering shrub, but it's grown and gifted for its leaves and berries. It does produce small white, four-petaled flowers in late spring. Only female plants turn those flowers into red berries, and only when a male holly grows nearby to pollinate them.
What is the birth flower of December 21?
The birth flower of December 21, like every other day of the month, is holly or narcissus. Birth flowers are assigned by month, not by day. Some websites list a separate flower for each date, but those day-by-day lists aren't a shared tradition and vary from site to site.
Can I plant narcissus in December?
Yes, indoors. Paperwhite bulbs planted in December on pebbles and water usually flower in January. Outdoors, narcissus bulbs are planted in fall; in mild climates (around USDA zone 8 and warmer) December planting still works if the ground isn't frozen.
What is December's birth symbol?
December's birth symbols are the zodiac signs Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 to January 19). The birth flowers are holly and paperwhite narcissus, and the birthstones are turquoise, tanzanite and zircon.
