September Birth Flower:
Aster and Morning Glory

September Birth Flower: Aster

Symbolism: Patience, Wisdom, Love, Spontaneity

Zodiac Sign: Virgo and Libra

To begin our look into the birth flowers of September, let's start with the gorgeous Aster. Asters are late blooming flowers, often coming out at the end of Sumer and start of autumn, making them the perfect flower for those born in September.

A flower made from stars...

The name "Aster" comes from the Greek word for "star," and these blossoms have been admired for their vibrant colours for thousands of years. In Greek mythology, Asters were linked to the goddess Astraea. It is said she lamented the fact that there were not enough stars in the sky, and as her tears fell to earth, they became asters.

Devil’s Blackberries

In the British Isles another word for Aster is “Michaelmas Daisy”, referring to the feast day of St Michael, the archangel who expelled satan from heaven, which is traditionally celebrated on the 29th September. There is an old folk belief that Michaelmas is the last day you can pick blackberries, as when Lucifer fell from heaven, he landed in a prickly blackberry bush and cursed the fruit forever! Talk about grumpy!

Cultural Connections

Asters also hold significance in many Native American cultures, where they have been harvested and used for food and medicines for thousands of years. The Ojibwa people around Lake Superior made an infusion out of asters to help with headaches, while the Iroquois people mixed it with other plants to treat constipation. The leaves and roots of asters were also used in soups and cooked as greens, while and their stems were used for crafts and building materials.

Magical Folklore

In medieval Europe, it was believed that placing asters on an altar would attract fairies and grant their protection. Like February’s birth flower, the iris, there was also a belief that that carrying asters and burning their dried out leaves could help ward off snakes (poor snakes can't catch a break in medieval Europe!).

September Birth Flower: Morning Glory

Symbolism: Invention, Tenacity, Adventure

Zodiac Sign: Virgo and Libra

Another birth flower for september babies is the fabulous morning glory! Morning glory is one of over 1000 different species in the Convolvulaceae family which also includes bindweed and sweet potato. Their Latin name comes from the verb “convolvere” (“to wind”) and these tough plants sure do like to climb!

The name "morning glory" comes from the fact that the flowers of the plant open in the morning and close up in the afternoon, because of this transient nature in many cultures the flower is seen as representing the natural cycle of life and death.

Scientific Discoveries

Researchers at MIT discovered that in 1600 BC ancient Mesoamerican civilisations used a species of morning glory to produce rubber. To do this they used crushed morning glory leaves mixed with latex from Castilla Elastica trees. The sulphur inside morning glory's juices cause the latex to vulcanised and become rubber. This rubber was made into large bouncing balls, which were used in games and religious rituals. This process predates the “official” discovery of the vulcanisation of rubber by Charles Goodyear by over 3 THOUSAND years, what took you so long Charles?!

Trippy Times

Another species of morning glory native to Mexico known as Ipomoea corymbosa or “coaxihuitl” (“snake-plant") in Nahuatl, is know for its psychedelic properties. Aztec holy people created a powder from the seeds of this flower which they used in religious rituals as a tool for divination and communion with the spirit world. When the Spanish Colonists arrived in Mexico they were so fearful of the plants power they banned its use.

Popeye’s favourite

Along with from being related to the sweet potato, another species of morning glory Ipomoea aquatica, known as water spinach or swamp cabbage, is a popular green vegetable in Southeast Asian cuisines.

In Thailand, morning glory is eaten both raw, often with green papaya salad , or cooked as part of curries and stir fires. In Myanmar it’s the primary ingredient in a salad dish called “Gazun Ywet Thoke”, where it is mixed with lime juice, garlic and shrimp. Despite its tastiness, in certain US states water spinach is illegal to grow as it is considered an invasive weed.

September Birth Flower Tattoo Ideas: Morning Glory

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If you liked this, why not check out my month by month guide to birth flowers and their meanings with all you need to know about birth flowers, their symbolism and folk histories!

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All images licensed through Dreamstime, Shutterstock or Freepix. Header images obtained from Pexels, credits to Jyotirmay Datta Chaudhuri for the Morning Glory and Sandra Zhupanska for the Aster :)