April Birth Flowers: Sweet Pea and Daisy — The Delicate Pair With Surprisingly Deep Symbolism

April belongs to two flowers that could not look more different yet share a single mood: the sweet pea’s ruffled, fragrant trumpets climbing toward the sky and the daisy’s wide, guileless face turned up to meet the sun. Together they define mid-spring — the moment when winter is truly behind you and everything ahead feels luminous and possible.

The sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is one of April’s two traditional birth flowers. The daisy (Bellis perennis) is the other, and it has a long literary history that reaches back to Chaucer. If you were born in April — or you’re choosing a gift for someone who was — understanding what each flower means transforms a bunch of blooms into a message.

This guide covers the symbolism, cultural history, colour meanings, growing advice, and gifting etiquette for both of April’s birth flowers, plus a full birth flowers by month table so you can find every month at a glance.

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Sweet Pea: One of April’s Birth Flowers

Origins: A Sicilian Monk and an English Botanist

The sweet pea is native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean islands. The Franciscan monk and botanist Francesco Cupani first described it in his Hortus Catholicus (1696), and he sent seed to several botanists. Robert Uvedale, an English botanist in Enfield, is believed to have received some of it.

The plant became a major garden flower in the 19th century thanks to Henry Eckford (1823–1905), a Scottish nurseryman. He won a First Class Certificate in 1882 for the sweet pea ‘Bronze Prince’ and set up trial fields in Wem, Shropshire, in 1888. By 1901 he had introduced 115 of the 264 cultivars then in cultivation, which earned him the title Father of the Sweet Pea.

Around the turn of the 20th century a frilled, large-flowered sport appeared on Eckford’s ‘Prima Donna’ at Althorp, the Spencer family estate, where Silas Cole was head gardener. Sources differ on whether this was 1899 or 1901. These “Spencer” sweet peas, with long stems and large, waved flowers, have dominated the cut-flower and show market ever since.

Sweet Pea Symbolism: Departure, Pleasure, and Gratitude

In the Victorian language of flowers — the elaborate system of coded communication popularised between roughly 1820 and 1900 — the sweet pea carried a cluster of closely related meanings:

• Departure and goodbye — the flower’s brief blooming season made it a natural emblem of transience and farewell
• Delicate pleasure — its fragrance and papery petals suggested enjoyment that must be handled gently
• Blissful pleasure — a more intense expression of the same idea; the sweet pea says “this has been wonderful”
• Thank you for a lovely time — perhaps the most enduring meaning, still widely used today when gifting sweet peas after a visit, party, or event

The flower’s symbolism is rooted in its biology. Sweet peas bloom intensely for a few weeks, fill the air with scent, and then are gone — making them a living metaphor for moments that are precious precisely because they end. For more flowers that carry hopeful, uplifting meanings, see our guide to flowers that mean hope.

Sweet Pea Colour Meanings

Colour adds a second layer of nuance to any sweet pea gift:

Sweet Pea and the Zodiac: Aries and Taurus

April spans two zodiac signs. Aries (March 21 – April 19) is ruled by Mars and associated with bold, forward motion — which maps neatly onto the sweet pea’s climbing habit and the energy of a flower that reaches upward and pushes outward. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) is ruled by Venus, planet of beauty and sensory pleasure, making the sweet pea’s intoxicating scent and delicate petals an almost perfect Taurean emblem. Whether your April birthday falls under the ram or the bull, sweet peas speak to your season.

Growing Sweet Peas: A Practical Guide for US Gardeners

Sweet peas are cool-season annuals that hate heat and love a long, cool growing period. In most of the United States, the goal is to have plants in the ground before summer temperatures arrive.

When to sow:

• Zone 7–10 (South, Pacific Coast): Sow outdoors October–November for winter/spring bloom. Plants establish over winter and flower April–June before the heat arrives.
• Zone 5–6 (Midwest, Mid-Atlantic): Sow indoors January–February, transplant out in March–April after hardening off.
• Zone 3–4 (Upper Midwest, New England): Direct sow as soon as the ground can be worked in early spring, or start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost.

Sowing tips: Nick or soak seeds overnight to speed germination — sweet pea seeds have a hard coat. Use root trainers (long, narrow cells) rather than round pots; sweet peas develop deep tap roots early and resent disturbance. Sow two seeds per cell, remove the weaker seedling.

Pinching out: When seedlings reach 4 pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tip. This forces side shoots and dramatically increases flower count — skipping this step is the most common sweet pea mistake.

Support: Provide a trellis, wigwam, or netting of at least 6 feet. Sweet peas climb by tendrils and reach 6–8 feet in good conditions.

Picking to prolong bloom: Pick flowers every 2–3 days without fail. A single seed pod forming on the plant signals to the plant that its job is done — flower production stops rapidly. The more you pick, the more they produce.

For more on growing advice, the RHS sweet pea growing guide covers UK conditions in detail; American growers should adjust for their USDA zone.

Daisy: April’s Other Birth Flower

Etymology: The Flower That Opens Its Eye to the Sun

The word “daisy” is one of the oldest and most evocative in the English language. It comes from the Old English daeges eage — day’s eye — because the common daisy (Bellis perennis) opens its petals at sunrise and closes them at sunset.

The effect is a flower that is open in daylight and closed at night. It is this quality — honest, open, uncomplicated — that has made the daisy a symbol of innocence across cultures for centuries.

Daisy Symbolism: Innocence, Loyal Love, and New Beginnings

The daisy carries four core meanings in the floral vocabulary:

• Innocence and purity — the simple, unadorned form of the flower, its white rays around a yellow centre, reads as unaffected and childlike
• Loyal love — the “he loves me, he loves me not” petal-pulling game is centuries old and connects the daisy to questions of fidelity and devotion
• New beginnings — as one of the first wildflowers of spring, the daisy arrives before most competition and signals renewal
• Secrecy and silence — in Victorian floriography, a daisy could mean “I’ll never tell,” making it a flower associated with keeping confidences

Daisies in Literature: Chaucer and Shakespeare

Geoffrey Chaucer called the daisy the “eye of the day”, and the flower appears in his poem The Legend of Good Women (c. 1386). Shakespeare included daisies among the flowers in Ophelia’s garland in Hamlet.

Types of Daisy: A Quick US Guide

The word “daisy” covers several distinct plants in American gardens, and it’s worth knowing which is which:

For birth flower purposes, the reference is to Bellis perennis — the simple English daisy of lawns, meadows, and daisy chains. Missouri Botanical Garden’s plant database carries full cultivation notes for every species in this table.

Growing Daisies in the US

Bellis perennis is a low-growing perennial (treated as a biennial in warmer climates) that thrives in Zones 4–8. It prefers cool, moist conditions — much like its April blooming window — and will go dormant or die back in summer heat. In the US South and Southwest, grow it as a cool-season annual from fall transplants.

Daisies self-seed freely, meaning a small planting will naturalise in a lawn or border over several years. They tolerate poor soil and part shade, which makes them reliable edging plants along paths and containers. Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering; allow a few seed heads to form at season’s end to encourage self-sowing.

Kew’s Plants of the World Online include wild distribution maps and conservation status for Bellis perennis, which is native across Europe but now naturalised throughout North America.

April Birth Flowers as Gifts

Sweet Peas: The Perfect Farewell and Thank-You Flower

Sweet peas are at their most meaningful when they mark a moment of transition or gratitude. A bunch of sweet peas tells someone: this time together has been precious. That makes them ideal for:

• Farewell gifts — leaving parties, end of school year, colleagues moving on
• Thank-you bouquets — after staying at someone’s home, attending a celebration, or receiving a generous act
• April birthdays — the birth month connection adds personal resonance, especially for Taurus birthdays
• Hostess gifts — a tied bunch of sweet peas in mixed pastels is one of the most welcome gifts a guest can bring

Sweet peas are typically available from specialist flower growers between April and July in the US. Because they are fragile and highly perishable (wilting within days of cutting), they are not ideal for long-distance shipping — seek out local flower farmers or farmers’ markets for the best quality. For the snapdragon, another cool-season flower with layered symbolism, see our full guide.

Daisies: The Flower That Keeps a Secret

In Victorian floriography, a bouquet of daisies carried a specific meaning: “I’ll never tell.” Daisies were given when someone wanted to signal trustworthiness, loyalty, and discretion — a message of “your secret is safe with me.” Combined with a sweet pea (thank you for a lovely time), a mixed posy of the two April birth flowers becomes a beautifully layered message: I have treasured our time together and will always keep your confidence.

Daisies are also ideal for:

• Children’s birthdays — the childhood and innocence symbolism makes them perfect for young recipients
• New beginnings — new home, new job, new chapter; the spring-arrival symbolism transfers neatly
• Everyday appreciation — the daisy’s informality makes it welcoming rather than imposing; it says “I thought of you” without a grand declaration

April Birth Flowers by Zodiac Sign

Birth Flowers by Month: Quick Reference

FAQ

What is the April birth flower?

April has two traditional birth flowers: the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) and the daisy (Bellis perennis). Sweet peas symbolise departure, delicate pleasure, and gratitude; daisies represent innocence, loyal love, and new beginnings.

What do sweet peas mean in a bouquet?

A sweet pea bouquet traditionally means thank you for a lovely time or goodbye and I will miss you. It is one of the best flowers to give at a farewell or as a thank-you after staying as a guest. The colour adds a second layer: pink = tender affection, white = goodbye with gratitude, purple = admiration and thanks, lavender = gentle remembrance.

Do daisies really close at night?

Yes. Bellis perennis closes its petals in darkness and reopens them at sunrise — the flower head closes at night and reopens in the morning. This is the origin of the Old English name daeges eage (day’s eye), which became “daisy” in modern English. The flower’s reputation for innocence and openness is directly connected to this visible, daily rhythm.

Are sweet peas safe for pets?

Not to eat. Sweet pea seeds (Lathyrus odoratus) are toxic if eaten in quantity, and they contain beta-aminopropionitrile, which interferes with collagen formation. The ASPCA lists the related perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) as toxic to horses and not toxic to dogs and cats, but it notes that eating any plant material can cause vomiting and stomach upset. Call your vet or the ASPCA Poison Control hotline if a pet has eaten a lot. Garden peas (Pisum sativum) are a different plant.

What flower should I give an April birthday?

For a personal, meaningful April birthday gift, a bunch of fresh sweet peas (if in season) is ideal — especially for a Taurus birthday. For a more lasting gift, a pot of English daisies works well for earlier April birthdays (Aries). A mixed bouquet of both flowers is the most complete expression of the month’s symbolism.

Related guides

• Flower Tattoo Meanings: What 20+ Blooms Symbolise and Why the Culture Behind Each Matters
• Birth Flowers by Month: Every Month Has Two — Here’s What Each One Means

Sources

• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) — sweet pea cultivation and history
• Kew Plants of the World Online — Bellis perennis plant profile and global distribution
• Wikipedia: Lathyrus odoratus — Cupani, Eckford, seed toxicity
• Wikipedia: Bellis perennis — name origin, Chaucer, hardiness
• ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants: sweet pea — pet toxicity
• Missouri Botanical Garden — species profiles for all daisy genera listed