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Birth flowers

October birth flower: the marigold and the cosmos

By the Merrylet teamUpdated

October has two birth flowers: the marigold and the cosmos. The marigold, orange and gold like October light, stands for warmth, creativity and passion. The cosmos, named after the Greek word for order, stands for harmony and peace.

Plate XOctoberMarigold, the October birth flower: a painted stem with a full orange bloomCosmos, the second October birth flower: a painted pink cosmos with feathery leaves
Tagetes erectaCosmos bipinnatus

Two flowers for October

Marigold

Tagetes erecta

Warmth, creativity and passion

Colors
Orange, gold, yellow
In flower
Summer until the first frost
Feels like
Warm, golden, cheerful

Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus

Harmony, order and peace

Colors
Pink, magenta, white
In flower
Midsummer until the first frost
Feels like
Light, airy, easy
October birthstonesOpal and tourmaline
ZodiacLibra, then Scorpio from October 23

What does the marigold mean?

The marigold means warmth, creativity and passion: a flower the color of October light, still blooming after most of the garden has gone over.

In Mexico, orange marigolds, cempasúchil, fill the altars and graves of the Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2. Their color and scent are said to guide the spirits home.

Cempasúchil

The Mexican marigold of the Day of the Dead, from the Nahuatl for “twenty flowers”.

What does the cosmos mean?

The cosmos means harmony, order and peace. Its petals are spaced so evenly around the center that it was named after the Greek kosmos, meaning order and harmony.

It is one of the easiest flowers to grow: sow it in spring and it keeps flowering until the first frost of autumn.

KosmosGreek for order and harmony. Spanish priests in Mexico are said to have named the flower for its neat, evenly spaced petals.

Marigold or cosmos: which is the October birth flower?

Both. The marigold is the one most lists give first; the cosmos is the second flower.

MarigoldCosmos
SaysYou warm up every roomYou bring calm with you
Best forA creative, passionate friendA peacemaker, a calm soul

The Bunch birthday card below has a real painted cosmos in its bouquet.

Give them their flowers

A birthday card with October’s cosmos in it

The Bunch birthday card

The Bunch birthday card plays on their phone: peonies, ranunculus, cosmos and sweet peas gather into the paper wrap one flower at a time. Add their name and a few words to the card, send it by text, and they just tap the link.

Something to write inside
  • A marigold for you, for being the warmest person I know.
  • Born in October, in the golden light. Happy birthday.
  • Here’s to a year of calm and harmony, like your cosmos.
See the card play, then sendAll birthday cards

Watch the card before you write a word. Your first greeting card is free.

October birth flower questions

What is the October birth flower?
October has two birth flowers: the marigold and the cosmos. The marigold stands for warmth, creativity and passion. The cosmos stands for harmony, order and peace.
Why are marigolds used for the Day of the Dead?
In Mexico, bright orange marigolds, called cempasúchil, decorate altars and graves on November 1 and 2. Their color and scent are said to guide the spirits of loved ones home.
Why is it called cosmos?
From the Greek kosmos, order and harmony, after the even way its petals are arranged around the center.
Are marigolds poisonous to pets?
Marigolds are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs and usually just upset the stomach, but it is best to keep pets from chewing them.
What is the October birthstone?
October has two: opal and tourmaline. People born in October are Libra until October 22 and Scorpio from October 23.

October’s birthstones: opal and tourmaline, what they mean and their colors.

Birth flowers for every month

← September: aster and morning gloryNovember: chrysanthemum →

All birth flowers, month by month

Sources