January flowers: what’s in season and what to give

Dates for giving flowers in January

January is the only month of the year, along with July, with no calendar date on which giving flowers is the central custom:

This month there is no date in the calendar on which giving flowers is the custom.

Three Kings’ Day on January 6 is celebrated in Spain with toys and roscón (a ring-shaped cake), not with flowers, and in most of Latin America the month coincides with the summer holidays. That has an advantage: prices are among the lowest of the year. If you want to surprise someone, a bouquet in January, with no date to justify it, is remembered more than one on February 14.

The exceptions are birthdays, anniversaries and, in Venezuela, Teachers’ Day on January 15. For those occasions there are the birthday flowers and anniversary flowers guides.

Flowers in season in January

In Colombia, Ecuador and the Andes, the high-altitude climate lets growers produce roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, alstroemerias and hydrangeas all year round: that is why they are two of the world’s largest flower exporters. This table is a guide: the season changes with the area and the year, and greenhouses extend almost all of them.

In Spain it is the middle of winter, but January brings some of the prettiest flowers of the year. At the end of the month mimosa starts blooming on the coast and in Galicia, and flower shops fill with tulips, black-centered anemones and ranunculus, which look like little paper roses. Camellias bloom in the gardens of the north.

In Mexico the mild climate of the center of the country keeps roses, calla lilies and gerberas at a good price all winter. In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay it is summer: sunflowers, hydrangeas, agapanthus and lavender are at their best.

What to give in January

• To start the year: a bunch of colorful tulips or anemones is cheerful and lasts a week.
• For a new home or an office: a winter-flowering plant, such as an orchid, a cyclamen or a hellebore, which lasts for months.
• For yourself: January is the perfect month to buy yourself flowers for no reason, just like in the Miley Cyrus “Flowers” trend.
• In the southern hemisphere: freshly cut sunflowers and hydrangeas, at in-season prices.

Tips for the month

The cold outside and the heating inside are a bad combination for cut flowers. Keep the vase away from radiators and, if you can, move it to the coolest room at night: the bouquet will last days longer. Avoid leaving flowers in the car in the cold or heat, and wrap them in paper on the way home.

And make a note: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Order your bouquet at the end of January or the beginning of February, before prices go up and the good roses sell out. If you’d like a reminder, add the date with the “Remind me” button in the Valentine’s Day guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which flowers are given in January?

There is no fixed date for giving flowers in January. It is a good month for no-reason gifts and birthdays: tulips, anemones, ranunculus or the first sprigs of mimosa in Spain; sunflowers and hydrangeas in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Which flowers are in season in January in Spain?

Mimosa (from the end of the month), anemones, ranunculus, tulips, daffodils and camellias. Also potted hellebores and amaryllis.

Are flowers cheap in January?

Yes. After Christmas demand drops and prices are among the lowest of the year, before they rise again for Valentine’s Day.

Is there any flower date in January in Latin America?

There is no widespread tradition. In Venezuela Teachers’ Day is January 15 and it’s common to bring teachers a small gift.