June Birth Flowers:
Rose and Honeysuckle

What are the birth flowers for June?

June's birth flowers, Rose and Honeysuckle, are both beautiful and fascinating in thier own right. Both of these flowers have folkloric connections and cultural uses that span the world, read on to find out more about their interesting histories.

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Rose, Honeysuckle, June Birth Flower Tattoo Ideas

June Birth Flower: Rose

Symbolism: Love, Passion, Romance, Humanity, Gratitude, Peace

Zodiac Sign: Gemini and Cancer

How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being.
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened”
― Hafez

We start our look into the birth flowers of June with one of the most culturally significant flowers of them all: the Rose (Rosaceae). Roses are so important to countless cultures and time periods, it would be impossible for me to sum up all their rich historical connections and folklore in one book, let alone this page! However here are some historical facts, folk beliefs and myths surrounding roses for you to ponder over…

Uses of Roses

Rose water and oil is used across the middle east, in medicines, religious rituals, perfumes, teas and sweet dishes such as baklava, Turkish (or Greek) Delight and Muhalabieh, yum!

In ancient Persia, people celebrated summer by picking roses, also know as “Mohammadi blossoms”, and making rose water with friends and family. This tradition still carries on in Iran today, with many places hosting rose picking festivals in the early summer months.

A Symbol of Bravery and Resistance

In Germany in 1942, during the Nazi Third Reich a group of young students and a professor at the University of Munich formed a resistance group which they called “The White Rose”. At great danger to their own lives they wrote and distributed leaflets and pamphlets, protested with graffiti and campaigned in opposition to the Nazi regime. Many of the core members of the group were arrested by the Gestapo and murdered in 1943. Today many schools, streets, and other places across Germany are named in memory of the members of the White Rose.

Hidden Meanings

In the Victorian language of flowers the gifting of roses has different symbolism depending on the colour, red roses symbolise romance and true love, white represent peace and innocence, friendship is symbolised by yellow roses, although be careful as they can also represent jealousy and betrayal! Orange petaled roses represent passion and enthusiasm, while pink speaks to happiness and gentleness. Unsurprisingly gothic black roses (which do not exist in nature) symbolise death.

June Birth Flower: Honeysuckle

Symbolism: Protection, Bewitchment, Sweetness, Magic

Zodiac Sign: Gemini and Cancer

"Sleep now, and I will wind thee in my arms…
So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist… "
William Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

It’s Winnie the Pooh's favourite flower and also one of June’s Birth Flowers too! Honeysuckle is native to Europe and Asia, as well as northern parts of North America. Its wild vines with distinctive tubular flowers and beautiful scent have made it a favourite with gardeners (and bears!) across the world.

Protections from Bewitchment

Old European folklore says that if you grow honeysuckle around the door of your house, it will ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to anyone who enters. In rural parts of Britain there was an old tradition on the 1st of May (May Day) that farmers would hang honeysuckle in their cowsheds to protect their cattle from being bewitched or cursed by malevolent spirits.

Many insects rely on the honeysuckle’s nectar as an important food source. An interesting example of this is the Elephant Hawk-Moth or "Deilephila Elpenor". This nocturnal species of moth is most commonly found in central Europe. You can recognise this moth by its beautiful pink and green hue, but when it is in its caterpillar stage it is grey and wrinkly and resembles a little elephants trunk! Elephant Hawk-Moths are particularly attracted to honeysuckles, and you can often find them fluttering around the flowers at night, feeding on their nectar.

Hummingbirds

Another beautiful creature that loves honeysuckle is the magical hummingbird! In parts of the Americas you can see hummingbirds hovering around honeysuckle’s trumpet like flowers and snacking on the sweet nectar found inside.

Indigenous American Uses for Honeysuckle

In Native American cultures honeysuckle has been used for a variety of purposes. The Kumeyaay peoples in California and Mexico used strips of honeysuckle bark would to weave and make clothing, while medicines to induce vomiting and soothe soarer throats were made from the berries. The Haida people in British Colombia made the berries into a type of natural dye that they would rub into their scalp to stop the hair from turning grey.