Flower of the Month: November Floriography

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Barn owl above Chrysanthemums by Teagan via Night Cafe

Hi, everyone and happy November.  I hope November will stick around longer than October, or September, or August, or…  You get it — time flies.   In fact, time flew so fast that I forgot to do an October floriography post.  Now it’s November…   Maybe time flew for a reason — owls and migratory birds are often associated with this month.  Although the wolf is widely considered the “spirit animal” for the month of November.

Wolf lady holding peonies in pink Chrysanthemum garden by Teagan via Night Cafe

The tradition of birth month flowers is not new.  It has roots (pun sort of intended) in ancient Rome where birthdays were celebrated with flowers.  The practice of birth-month flowers evolved through various other cultures and became more defined in the Victorian era with the “language of flowers” (or floriography).  Later, in 1912, the American National Retail Florist Association created the official birth flower list for each month, which is the one commonly used today. 

When I started working with the topic this spring, I didn’t realize that there were two birth month flowers for each month.  Heck, I was barely aware that there was one.  Somewhere along the line, a second flower was added for each month.  Reportedly that was done to provide more variety, flexibility, and options based on factors like blooming season, regional availability, and symbolic meaning.

Flowers of the Month: Chrysanthemum and Peony

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums signify the message of long life.  They make another excellent friendship gift. They send the message that “you’re a wonderful friend.”

Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemum (Class 1) Wikimedia

When I was a little girl, I admired the “big kids” who were in high school.  One next door was a majorette, and on special football game days she (and the other majorettes and cheerleaders, and some others) wore a corsage made of a single big “pompom” chrysanthemum (as we called the type you see in the Wikimedia Commons photo above).  To this day, that’s what I think of when I hear the flower name.  However, there are many kinds of chrysanthemum.  Here’s an article about the various varieties.

Assorted mum types

The image above by the University of Minnesota shows only a handful of the different varieties.

Peony

YouTube short video below is a time-lapse of a blooming purple peony.

The secondary flower for November is the peony, which signifies love, good fortune, and a happy marriage.  It also sends the secret message of bashful, or a happy life.  So, if you gave someone a peony bouquet, you might also be sending the floriography message, “I admire you, but I’m too shy to tell you how much.”   

Although, and I don’t think it’s widespread or well known, in some groups it means shame, so proceed with caution when gifting someone a peony flower. 

Personally, I think peonies are lovely, a wonderful combination of delicate and bold.  Mandy Henderson shared the photo below of a peony from her garden in New Zealand, as the petals eventually fell away.

Peony petals by Mandy Henderson 2025

Peony petals photo above by Mandy Henderson 2025

I appreciate you stopping here to smell the… chrysanthemums and peonies.  Thanks to my fabulous feathered and furry models that I created with Night Cafe.  Friendly comments are welcome.   Hugs!

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Of course, I must include the obligatory shameless self-promotion.

Speak Flowers and Fans: a Dictionary of Floriography and Fanology

Universal Purchase Links

E-book:  relinks.me/B0FK3ZGNQT

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0FK3RH7LY

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Copyright © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

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65 thoughts on “Flower of the Month: November Floriography”

    1. Peonies are rather exotic looking to me, probably because I was never around them. Chrysanthemums, however, are very common all around the country here. Even so, they are wonderfully showy and colorful. Thanks for visiting. Hugs.

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    1. I agree, Dave. Better than any holiday display. Happy autumn to you too. It finally feels like it here… Well, in the early mornings anyway. We’re having a heat wave, so highs feel more like September. Or like September felt five years ago. Okay… I’m confusing myself with the weather. LOL. Hugs.

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  6. Thank you, Teagan!

    I’m loving the flowers of time and their cultural meanings, as they pass.

    The blooming peony is lovely. What a grand flower!

    I have drawn flowers, studied them to a small degree. My hat is tipped to artists who study them and draw them as a passion. They are as intricate as the universe.

    The old saying – “Stop and smell the roses” is as relevant as ever. Well, maybe I can’t smell them here, but I am sure reminded to.

    It’s a brilliant series that I’m enjoying immensely! Bouquet of Hugs!

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    1. Hi, Resa. I’m happy you enjoyed this. Haha — the flowers that I draw only grow inside my head, and they’re never very good either. I agree about floral artists. “as intricate as the universe” is a wonderful description! Hugs winging back to you.

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  10. I love peonies, but mums are the blooms that are rampant around here in November. It’s the flower I think of most as representing this time of year, decorating the fronts of buildings beside pumpkins and gourds. I didn’t realize there were two flowers for each month either. But the florists need to make a living! (K)

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  13. I didn’t know that peonies are a flower associated with my birth month. Last year, I purchased a peony plant that was on sale for $5 at the end of the season. I planted it. During the first snowfall, the bunnies ate it down to the roots. Apparently, they aren’t bashful 🙂

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      1. There are some plants/flowers that the bunnies really like. Some of our tulips get eaten down to the dirt before they even have a chance to bloom. If the bunnies weren’t so darn cute, we’d be more upset. November is a good birth month, at least in my opinion.

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  14. A delightful post to start my November; it delights my senses but also delights my brain with new and interesting information. The time lapse video is gorgeous and captures exactly what I see ( in slower motion ) when I bring a peony inside and pop it in a vase and watch it open and eventually fall apart. I love your feathered and furry models surrounded by sumptuous flowers. I have some chrysanthemums in my garden but they are not in flower yet. Thank you for including my peony photo in your post. My peonies and I feel very honoured.

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    1. Mandy, thank you again for letting me use your photo. It made this post so much more personable and relatable to have a real-world photo. Sometimes doing a post that is all regular illustrations feels really sterile.

      The Victorians were very big on dressing animals as humans. So, I like making the Victorian-inspired animal designs for these floriography posts. I appreciate you reading and commenting. Hugs.

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  17. What a beautiful post, Teagan! You know how much I love owls, but both images are great, and I didn’t know there were as many different types of chrysanthemum, and the time lapse video of the peony is gorgeous. Thanks, big hugs, and love to Daphne and Velma! ♥

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  20. Chrysanthemums are my favorite flower, and my birth month flower. I like all of them, all the colors and sizes large or small. I carried mint green ones for my wedding bouquet, and my mom grew several kinds in her flower beds. Cool post, as I didn’t know about the peony being included. I liked the blooming video 🙂

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    1. It makes me happy that you enjoyed this post, John. Some people hate them, but I love seeing time lapse videos. Louie Schwartzberg did some fantastic ones in his Moving Art television series several years ago, as well as the Wings of Life film narrated by Meryl Streep, and the Fantastic Fungi film too. Hugs.

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    1. The flowers at your place always amaze me, Tim. We had frost warnings two nights, but I don’t think the temperature ever got to freezing. I haven’t used the heater yet because the house retains the afternoon heat. Fine in the winter, but not the summer. LOL. Hugs.

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  25. I had two large peony bushes in my back yard in Medicine Hat, Alberta. They were gorgeous and smelled so nice. Chrysanthemums grow very well here in Spain and I have some in my garden. Perfect flowers for November. Happy 1st of November, Teagan.

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      1. Peonies don’t grow everywhere. They only bloomed in the late spring, early summer if I recall. They would never grow here. It’s too hot. But mums are very hardy and seem to handle all kinds of weather. I have a cactus garden too, and a palm tree!! I’m so lucky.

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  26. Happy November, Teagan! I am looking forward to sharing this amazing month with you. I always learn something new from your posts. The way you weave history, symbolism, and storytelling together makes floriography come alive. I LOVE my Speak Flowers/Fan book! It will keep me company through the winter months!!!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Rebecca — especially about the book. Although I expect that good things “bloom” around you (at least metaphorically) even during winter snows, I hope the flowers and fans help keep a spot of beauty in your mind. Hugs on the wing.

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