May Birth Flower Gift Guide
Updated: Jul. 25, 2023
Celebrate May birthdays with the unmistakable scent and beauty of lily of the valley—the May birth flower.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
May is one of the best months of the year! The sun is out, flowers are blooming and summer is just around the corner. Celebrate all the wonderful things May has to offer with lily of the valley. This fantastically fragrant flower is also the official birthday flower for those born in the month of May.
Here’s everything you need to know about the May birth flower. And if your loved ones have May birthdays, we found the best May floral-inspired gifts to help them celebrate. (Don’t miss our January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November and December birth flower gift guides too!)
What is May’s Birth Flower?
May’s birth flower is the lily of the valley. The delicate blossoms of the May birth flower resemble tiny white bells hanging from green stems. Lily of the valley flowers are small, but mighty. They have one of the loveliest scents you can imagine—making it a popular choice for fresh cut bouquets, perfumes and more. Their fragrant scent also attracts pollinators to your garden, like bumblebees and butterflies.
These perennials also provide excellent ground cover in a garden’s shady spots. But before you decide to plant them, know that they require a control border to keep them from spreading too aggressively.
What Are the Meanings of May’s Birth Flower?
With its sweet scent, it comes as no surprise that one of the most popular meanings of May’s birth flower is sweetness. Lily of the valley also symbolizes hope, purity and humility. The May birth month flower has a long history and many different meanings across cultures. In Greek mythology, Apollo grew lily of the valley in the woods to protect the feet of his muses. In German mythology, lily of the valley is associated with Ostara, the virgin goddess of spring. Lily of the valley is also mentioned more than a dozen times in the Christian Bible.
Do hummingbird sightings have special meaning?
More May Birth Flowers
May has another birth flower—the hawthorn, which blooms with flowers in the spring and produces small, edible fruits in the fall that last nearly all winter. Hawthorn shrubs provide food and a protective area for birds to nest. For those with May birthdays, the hawthorn is thought to represent hope and happiness. These backyard birds will enjoy snacking on hawthorn berries.
Now that you know more about May’s birth flowers, we’ve got the perfect lily of the valley-inspired gifts for everyone on your May birthday list—from jewelry and notepads to art prints and everything in between.
May Birth Flower Gift Guide
Lily of the Valley Shower Steamers
No bathtub, no problem. Lily of the valley scented shower steamers are designed to release floral fragrance into the shower, scenting the entire bathroom with May’s favorite flower. This set of four steamers includes birthday-inspired packaging handmade in Austin, Texas.
Enamel Keychain
May birthdays are celebrated all year long and every time they leave the house with this lily of the valley enamel keychain. Make this gift extra special by adding a brass tag engraved the name or initials of your loved one.
Lily of the Valley Birth Flower Candle
Sit back, relax and enjoy the sweet scent of this May birth flower candle. Available in two sizes (a reusable rocks glass or a large tin), this hand-poured candle also includes a reminder of all the beautiful things the May birth flower represents.
Lily of the Valley Linen Napkins
A set of four linen napkins embroidered with different lily of the valley motifs is an elegant gift to pair with a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers. The set can also be used for coasters.
Birth Month Flower Glass
Make a toast to May birthdays with this memorable birth month flower glass. To make them, beautiful lily of the valley blooms were carefully pressed and turned into digital prints to adorn the sides of curved glass tumblers. Birthday cheers!
Lily of the Valley Art Print
What’s not to like about this gorgeous giclee print of an original watercolor painting? Available in three sizes, this piece of art looks stunning wherever you hang it. Note that it doesn’t arrive framed.
Hawthorn Seeds
Give the gift of Hawthorn seeds to the May born gardener in your life. This May birth flower is able to grow in a variety of conditions and the results are wonderful: gorgeous flowers in the spring and small, edible fruits that attract birds throughout the winter. A packet of seeds is the perfect addition to a bird greeting card.
Lily of the Valley Notepad
This pretty notepad is perfect for writing weekly to-do tasks, shopping lists or a handwritten letter. Each notepad comes with 50 sheets of paper printed with the artists’ original, hand-painted lily of the valley illustration.
Lily of the Valley Perfume
This roll-on perfume lets you enjoy the scent of May’s birth flower—without the flowers! Handcrafted in small batches, this perfume smells just like fresh lily of the valley. What a delight!
May Birth Flower Necklaces
Celebrate your loved one’s special day with this thoughtful heart-shaped necklace featuring a hawthorn flower. Customize in gold or silver, and the text of your choice on the back. The same necklace is available with lily of the valley flowers instead.
Lily of the Valley Plants
Add elegance to the garden with these bare root Lily of the Valley plants. This classic blooms with fragrant flowers in the spring, which last for several weeks. Each order includes 20 bulbs for the birthday boy or girl. Check out the best websites for buying flower bulbs online.
Lily of the Valley Enamel Pin
Known as a symbol of good luck and happiness, this lily of the valley pin is a thoughtful gift. The polished, gold-plated hard enamel pin is a lovely reminder of how much you care.
May Birthday Mug
This personalized birthday mug features an illustration of lilies of the valley, along with the name and date of your choice. The design is featured on both sides, so it can be enjoyed any way you look at it!
Originally Published: March 02, 2022
