July Birth Flower
Larkspur and Water Lily

July Birth Flower: Larkspur

Symbolism: Leadership, Power, Magic, Protection

Zodiac Signs: Cancer and Leo

The dramatic and wild Larkspur is the first July birth flower we will explore. Larkspurs spectacular blooms come in a variety of gorgeous colours, from blues and purples to yellows reds and whites. You can find Larkspurs growing across the northern hemisphere and also in high altitude parts of tropical Africa.

Dolphin Flower

The scientific name for Larkspurs is Delphinium, a name that comes from the Greek word “δελφίνιον" or Delphinus. In ancient greek legend Delphinus was a sea god that Poseidon appointed “leader of the dolphins” (how can I apply for this job please?!). Delphiniums probably got their name due to their beautiful blooms which curl elegantly as they unfurl, a bit like a dolphin jumping though the waves…

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Larkspurs are poisonous to humans and cattle, especially the younger plants. Due to this many farmers will delay moving their cows to fields with Larkspur until the plants are older and less harmful. Larkspurs are not poisonous however to moths, the larvae of the Dot Moth in particular is know to munch on them.

Larkspur's Artistic Legacy

Artist, writer and social activist William Morris created one of his most beautiful and distinctive wallpaper designs using larkspur as inspiration, despite being first printed in 1874 this wallpaper continues to be very popular today. Morris was an important figure in the "Arts and Crafts" movement, an artistic school of thought that emerged in Britain during the second half of the 1800s. He championed traditional crafts and combined them with his love of nature and medieval subjects as well as an interest in socialism and social issues. He is famous for the quote: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

Crafty Things

The petals of larkspur contain juices which when expressed and mixed with the chemical compound alum make a beautiful blue ink. Like daisies, you can also use larkspur for flower printing if your pound their petals onto fabric.

Folk Tales and Superstitions

The toxicity of larkspurs has been woven into many folk beliefs. In medieval Italy there was a belief that the beautiful but deadly flowers were made from dragons venom. The legend goes that three swordsmen defeated a terrible dragon and wiped their swords on the grass around them after the battle. Blue flowers appeared at their feet made from the slain dragons blood.

Larkspurs magical connections and was often used by witches in protection spells across medieval Europe and also used in folk remedies such as treating wounds and colic. In parts of Transylvania (modern day Romania) people dried Larkspur and kept it hanging in their stables to guard their livestock against curses. An old folk remedy recommended drinking the seeds of Larkspur if your were stung by a scorpion (please don’t try this at home!)

July Birth Flower: Water Lily

Symbolism: Hope, Enlightenment, Strength, Rebirth

Zodiac Signs: Cancer and Leo

“There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh

The stunning Water lily or lotus is another beautiful birth flower for those born in the month of July. For a long time water lilies and lotuses were considered part of the same genus, and it’s common for their names to be used interchangeably. However, nowadays scientists have split them into into two genuses: Nelumbonaceae, the official waterlily family, and Nymphaeaceae, also know as the lotus. I’m going to discuss the two as they are both beautiful flowers with rich cultural significances and lovely blooms to have as your birth flower!

Water Lily in Art

Probably the most celebrated examples of the water lily in art the iconic paintings created by French artist Claude Monet featuring water lilies as the subject. Monet had water lilies growing in his garden pond in Giverny, France, which he used an inspiration for the over 200 paintings of waterlilies that he created during his lifetime. When asked why he loved the flowers so much he is quoted as saying: “Water lilies are an extension of my life. Without the water the lilies cannot live, as I am without art…”

Water Lilies in Medicine

Water lilies have been used in herbal medicines for centuries. In medieval Europe, the leaves of water lilies would be made into poultices to treat skin conditions, while the root would be used as a painkiller and sedative.

There are records of monks and nuns crushing the roots of water lilies and mixing them together with wine to make an anaphrodisiac to reduce sexual desire... which sounds like possibly the worst cocktail in the world!

Sacred Lotuses

The Lotus is particularly important to Buddhist and Hindu religions and is seen as a sacred symbol in many asian countries, from Bangladesh and India to China and Korea. Lotuses can often be seen growing out of mud and provide an important symbol of hope, rebirth, beauty. The way this flower blooms despite its conditions can be seen as a representation of faith, enlightenment and triumph over adversity.

Star Lotus

In Sri Lanka, the Star Lotus (Nymphaea Nouchali) can be found blooming in wetlands and ponds where buffalo bathe. This blue flowering beauty has been the source of much inspiration for writers and poets for thousands of years, you can find Sanskrit, Pali, and Sinhala literary works which talk of the lotuses symbolism, of purity, discipline and holiness. There is a lovely belief amongst Sri Lankan Buddhists that when the Buddha passed away, lotus flowers bloomed in every place he had walked during his lifetime.

Flower of the Pharaohs

The blue Egyptian water lily and the white water lily held special significance in ancient Egypt. The blue lily's flowers open in the daytime, while the white open at night. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians found this opening and closing symbolic of the divide between life and death and the separation of the gods from the mortal world. Archeologists even discovered pharaohs such as Rameses II were buried with these water lilies in their tombs.

Wonder of the World

In 2022, scientists at Kew gardens in London identified what is now considered to be the largest water lily in the world , with leaves that grow up to 3 metres wide that are capable of supporting the weight an adult human! The "Victoria Boliviana" waterlily is native to Llanos de Moxos in Bolivia, one of the biggest wetlands on earth, which is also home to the endangered blue-throated macaw as well as the Bolivian river dolphin. This waterlily produces many beautiful prickly flowers in succession, each opens one at a time and turns white to pink over the course of two nights.

Strength and Longjevity

In Chinese culture Lotuses are seen of as representing longevity, this is partly due to the fact that their seeds can remain dormant but viable for many, (many!) years. The most extreme example of this is a 1300 year old lotus seed that germinated in 1994.

July Birth Flower Tattoo Ideas: Larkspur

July Birth Flower Tattoo Ideas: Water Lily