December Birth Flower: Narcissus and Holly, and What to Send Instead

The December birth flower is the narcissus, usually the paperwhite, with holly as the second. They are a lovely pair on paper: one is a white flower that blooms indoors in the darkest weeks of the year, the other is the deep green and red plant that half the city hangs on its front door.

In practice, neither belongs in a birthday bouquet. Below is what they mean, why we don't sell them, how to keep them safe if you have them at home, and what we'd send for a December birthday instead, with real prices from our birthday flowers collection. There's also a section on keeping a birthday from getting lost in Christmas, which anyone born on the 23rd will tell you is the real problem.

What does the December birth flower mean?

Paperwhite narcissus: hope, good wishes and respect

The paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus) is a small, very fragrant white narcissus, a close cousin of the daffodil, native to the Mediterranean. As the December birth flower it stands for hope, good wishes, wealth and respect. The name comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own reflection, so some old flower dictionaries also connect it with vanity. The December meaning is the gentler one, and nobody reading a birthday card will think you're calling them vain.

Paperwhites are mostly grown from bulbs indoors over the winter, in a bowl of gravel or a pot on the windowsill. They need no cold period, which is why they're the bulb people start in November and watch flower in December. That's a big part of their charm: they bloom when nothing outside does, so the meaning of hope in the darkest part of the year isn't much of a stretch.

Holly: protection and good cheer

Holly is December's second birth flower, though strictly it's a shrub grown for its glossy leaves and red berries rather than its small white flowers, which open in late spring. It has long been linked with protection, good luck and domestic happiness, and it was brought indoors in winter well before it became a Christmas decoration.

One thing most people don't know: holly plants are either male or female, and only the females carry berries, and only when a male grows close enough for bees to carry pollen between them. So the berry-covered sprig on a card is, botanically, a fairly lucky sprig.

Why florists rarely use narcissus or holly

There are three good reasons, and one of them is your cat.

1. Both are toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists paperwhites and holly as toxic to cats and dogs. More on that in the next section.
2. Narcissus sap shortens the life of other flowers. A freshly cut narcissus or daffodil releases a slimy sap into the water. In one study, roses sharing a vase with a single daffodil lasted about 3 days instead of 11. Florists condition them on their own for hours before mixing them, and even then the other flowers may fade sooner. That's a poor trade in a bouquet someone paid for.
3. The scent divides people. Paperwhites smell strong, and some people find it musky rather than sweet. In a small room in a closed-up winter house, with the furnace running, that matters more than it would in May.

So we don't sell either, and you won't find them in any of our designs. It's not that we dislike them. They just don't make a bouquet you'd want to receive, and holly in particular is a wreath and garden plant, not a florist's flower in the way roses are.

Are paperwhites and holly safe around pets and children?

No, and December is exactly when they're everywhere.

The ASPCA lists narcissus, paperwhites included, as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The bulb is the most dangerous part. Eating any part can cause vomiting, drooling and diarrhea, and a large amount can cause tremors, low blood pressure and heart rhythm problems. A bowl of bulbs at nose height is the risk, more than the flowers.

Holly is also on the ASPCA's toxic list for cats and dogs. It usually causes vomiting, diarrhea and a sluggish, unhappy pet rather than anything dramatic, and the prickly leaves put most animals off. The red berries are the bigger worry with small children, who are drawn to anything that looks like a sweet. Most holly berry cases cause stomach upset rather than serious harm, but it's not worth the guessing. If a child eats any, call the Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800-268-9017. For a pet, call your vet.

If you'd like the gentlest choice for a house with a cat that chews everything, go all roses. The ASPCA doesn't list roses as toxic. Macaron, Ivory Script and Full Moon, below, are all-rose designs. Lilies are the one flower we'd keep well away from cats, in any amount.

What to send for a December birthday instead

Let colour carry the meaning. The paperwhite gives you white for hope, holly gives you deep red and green. Put them together and you have the classic December palette, and plenty of flowers that look the part without any of the problems above.

Red and white roses

Snowfall Red is 25 premium red roses in white wrap with a topper ($115), and the name says what it is for. Red Promise ($110) is 25 red roses with baby's breath and eucalyptus, which gives you the green of holly without the prickles. Meringue ($230) goes bigger: 50 red roses with a double white wrap and an initial. One honest note: a big red rose bouquet still reads as romance to most people. For a partner, that's the point. For a sister, a friend or a parent, the white wrap and greenery soften it, or go all white below. Every colour is in our roses collection.

All white, for the paperwhite

White roses are the easiest way to point at the paperwhite. They also suit someone whose house is already full of red and green by mid-December, and they look wintry well into January. Macaron has 25 white roses with mixed spray roses in soft colours ($150). Ivory Script is 50 white roses with an initial ($195). And for a birthday that deserves a fuss, Full Moon is 150 white roses ($550), which also clears the $400 mark for free delivery within 35 km of the studio.

Not roses?

Claret and Cream ($150) is red and white peonies in a white wrap, and Claret Tulip ($95) is 12 red roses with 10 white tulips and pearl pins. Both keep the December colours without being one more red rose bouquet. Our rose colour guide explains what each shade says if you want to mention it on the card.

December birthday flowers by budget

Here is how our December-coloured designs line up by price. All of them are in our birthday collection or close to it, all are made the day they go out, and all can be delivered the same day when you order by 1 pm.

Prices are in Canadian dollars before HST and delivery.

When the birthday is close to Christmas

December birthdays have a known problem. People born near the 25th have spent their whole lives getting "this is for your birthday and Christmas" gifts, and they notice.

• Send flowers on the birthday itself, not on Christmas Day. It makes the day feel like theirs.
• Skip the Christmas look if the birthday is late in the month. A red and green bouquet on December 23 reads as a holiday gift. Pink, peach or lavender reads as a birthday.
• Say it on the card. "This is a birthday present. Your Christmas present is separate." It costs nothing and gets a laugh.
• Book early. The days before Christmas are some of the busiest of the year for any florist. Choose the date at checkout as soon as you know it, up to 60 days ahead, and check the available delivery dates around December 24 to 26 at checkout or call us.

For a late-December birthday that should look nothing like the season, these are the ones we'd reach for. Blush and Pearls is 25 pale pink roses in white wrap ($110), Apricot Sherbet mixes pink and peach roses with stock and ranunculus ($175), and Lilac and Linen is 50 lavender and white roses ($185).

What to write on a December birthday card

The card does a lot of work in December, because it's the thing that tells the person this isn't a holiday gift. Mention the birth flower and the meaning lands even when the flowers are roses. A few lines we like:

• "Your birth flower is the paperwhite, which means hope. Here's to a year that lives up to it."
• "December's flowers stand for good wishes and good cheer. You get both. Happy birthday."
• "Holly is meant to protect the house it's in. Since we couldn't send you a holly bush, roses will have to do."
• "Strictly a birthday present. Do not put it under the tree."

If you'd like a second hook, the December birthstones are turquoise, tanzanite and zircon, all blue. Blue doesn't show up in many of our designs, but Blue Lullaby ($165) has blue hydrangeas with roses and scabiosa, and it suits a December birthday that has had enough red. Type the message at checkout and we tuck it in with the flowers. There are no prices in the box.

If you're growing paperwhites at home

Plenty of people pot up paperwhite bulbs as a December gift for themselves. They're easy: set the bulbs in a bowl of washed gravel or pebbles, add water to just below the base of the bulbs, and most flower in about four to six weeks. Keep the water at that level, since bulbs sitting in water rot.

The common complaint is that they grow tall and flop over. Cornell University's flower bulb research found a fix that sounds like a joke and isn't: once the shoots are a few centimetres tall, swap the water for a weak alcohol solution, about one part 40 percent vodka or gin to seven parts water. It keeps the stems a third to a half shorter without changing the flowers. Don't use beer or wine, and don't go stronger, which harms the bulbs.

• Keep the bowl well out of reach of pets and small children, especially the bulbs.
• Wash your hands after handling them, since the sap can irritate skin.
• If you cut a few for a vase, keep them in a vase of their own rather than mixing them with your bouquet.

Ordering December birthday flowers from us

Every design here is made by hand in our studio in Oak Ridges, at the north end of Richmond Hill. Order by 1 pm for same-day delivery to most postal codes in York Region and Toronto, seven days a week, including Aurora, Vaughan and Toronto. Pick a morning window (9:30 to 1) if the flowers should be there before a lunch, or the afternoon (1 to 6:30) if they're getting home from work.

The delivery fee depends on how far we drive from the studio, and the exact amount shows at checkout before you pay. This chart shows the current bands:

December gets crowded. Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown on Friday, December 4 to Saturday, December 12, and we've written separately about Hanukkah flowers and timing. If you're throwing a December birthday party rather than sending a bouquet, our celebrations page is the place to start, and office parties go through holiday events. Not sure what fits? Text or call us at (437) 291-5605 with a budget and the date, and we'll suggest something. Texts work from Canadian numbers.

The other months are in our guide to birth flowers by month, and November, the month before, has its own post on the chrysanthemum.

Frequently asked questions

What is the December birth flower?

The December birth flower is the narcissus, usually the paperwhite, which stands for hope, good wishes and respect. Holly is the second and stands for protection and good cheer. Neither is commonly used in bouquets, so most people send red and white flowers for a December birthday instead.

What does the paperwhite narcissus symbolize?

The paperwhite narcissus symbolizes hope, good wishes, wealth and respect. Its name comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, so some old flower dictionaries also tie it to vanity, but as a December birth flower the meaning is hope and renewal in the darkest part of winter.

Are paperwhites and holly poisonous to pets?

Yes. The ASPCA lists paperwhite narcissus and holly as toxic to cats and dogs. Paperwhite bulbs are the most dangerous part and can cause vomiting, drooling and, in large amounts, heart rhythm problems. Holly usually causes stomach upset. If a pet eats either, call your vet.

What flowers should I send for a December birthday?

Red and white flowers echo the December birth flowers: white for the paperwhite, red and green for holly. Red roses in white wrap, all-white roses, or red and white peonies all work. For a birthday close to Christmas, pink, peach or lavender keeps it from looking like a holiday gift.

Can you put narcissus in a vase with other flowers?

It's better not to. A freshly cut narcissus releases sap that can shorten the vase life of other flowers, tulips and roses especially. If you want to mix them, stand the narcissus in water on its own for several hours first and don't recut the stems afterwards, since a fresh cut releases more sap.

Is holly a flower?

Holly does flower, with small white blossoms in late spring, but it's grown and used for its evergreen leaves and red berries. Only female holly plants carry berries. That's why it's listed as a December birth flower even though you'll rarely see it in a bouquet.

Can I book December birthday flowers in advance?

Yes. You can choose any delivery date up to 60 days ahead at checkout, and we make the flowers by hand on the day they go out. For birthdays near Christmas, booking early is wise, and you can check which dates around December 24 to 26 are open at checkout.