March Birth Month: Symbols, Birthstones, Flowers & Fun Facts

Welcome to March, the hinge month between winter and spring. It is the month of thaw, of returning robins, and of the first daffodils pushing up through cold ground. At the Farmers’ Almanac, we mark the march birth month with a full set of symbols: stones, flowers, herbs, a bird, two zodiac signs, and a string of folklore worth carrying forward. Read on for the meanings, then share your own March memories in the comments below.

March Birth Month Symbols

March symbols all circle back to renewal. The aquamarine stands for strength and steady nerves. The daffodil signals hope and new starts. Pisces and Aries bring imagination and ambition to anyone born this month. The robin sings the season in, and sage and rosemary tie the herbal traditions together.

March Birth Month Flower: Daffodil

Daffodils are one of the earliest blooms to brighten a spring landscape, which is why they earn the March birth flower title. These spring-flowering perennial bulbs are easy to spot, even for a novice gardener, with their trumpet-shaped flowers and long strap-like leaves. Classic daffodils are sunny lemon or butter yellow, but you will also find them in white, pale yellow-green, orange, and two-tone combinations.

The common name “daffodil” covers spring-flowering bulbs in the genus Narcissus, which holds more than 50 species. The name “narcissus” comes from the Greek word meaning “pleasant numbness.”

Related: Birth Month Flowers: Plant A Family Garden

Thanks to the Greek myth of Narcissus, many Western cultures link daffodils to vanity. One older superstition pairs white daffodils with death, calling them “grave flowers,” and in ancient Greece they were planted beside tombs. The brighter side is wider: daffodils also stand for one-and-only love, friendship, cheer, thanks, get-well wishes, joy, new beginnings, enthusiasm, and eagerness.

Also called the daffadowndilly, Lent lily, jonquil, or Easter bell, the daffodil has long-standing ties to spring and Easter. Daffodils are easy to grow. They like full sun and well-draining soil. Plant firm bulbs with a papery skin, pointed end up, about 3 to 6 inches deep. Deadhead the flowers after their roughly six-week bloom.

For more on the bulb’s botany and growing tips, see the Old Farmer’s Almanac daffodil guide. Daffodils are a thoughtful choice for March birthdays, anniversaries, and any moment that calls for a fresh start.

March Fun Facts:

• Daffodils are not native to North America. They grow wild in Europe and parts of North Africa, and their bulbs have traveled the globe with people. They are bright but not invasive.
• Daffodils do not play well with other flowers in a vase. Cut stems release a sap that can wilt other blooms. If you want them in a mixed arrangement, set the daffodils alone in water for at least 24 hours so the sap can leach out before combining stems.

Read more about daffodils

March Birthstone: Aquamarine (and Bloodstone)

March’s birthstone, aquamarine, stands for strength and perseverance, a fitting message for the last stretch of winter. The name joins two Latin words: aqua, meaning “water,” and marina, meaning “of the sea.” Most of the lore around aquamarine comes back to the ocean. The blue color, tinged with green, comes from traces of iron, and the tone deepens as the stone grows larger.

Related product: March Birthstone Bloodstone Necklace

Ancient Greeks held that Poseidon, god of the sea, drew aquamarine directly from sea water. Greeks and Romans both believed the gem could calm rough waves and keep ships and crews safe. Aquamarine remains a traveler’s token at sea. Fishermen carry it for luck and a good haul. The stone has also been tied to calming tempers, easing strain in relationships, and steadying marriages, which is why it is the traditional gift for a 19th wedding anniversary.

Aquamarine is said to promote healing, ease anxiety, sharpen mental clarity, and lift energy. March’s second birthstone, bloodstone, looks nothing like aquamarine but carries the same reputation for protection and well-being. Bloodstone is a deep green chalcedony flecked with red iron oxide, prized in older European folklore as a warrior’s amulet.

March Fun Facts:

• Aquamarine is the Colorado state gem, a nod to the state’s long mining history.
• Emerald is cut from the same mineral as aquamarine: beryl.

Learn more about aquamarine

Related: See all birthstones by month

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March Colors: Aqua, Lime, Black, Purple

March’s lead color, aqua, also called “robin’s egg blue,” nods to both the aquamarine birthstone and the month’s bird, the robin. Aqua is said to spark inspiration and steady your gut feeling. Like the sign of Pisces, the two fish, aqua belongs to the water element, which folk traditions link to the subconscious and imagination. Lime green threads in the first leaves of spring. Black holds the late-winter nights still on the calendar. Purple, the color of new violets and crocuses, rounds out the palette.

March Fun Facts:

• Aqua reads as calm and emotionally healing, the way the ocean does on a still day.
• On the color wheel, aqua sits halfway between blue and green.

Full Worm Moon

The March full Moon, the Worm Moon, usually arrives near the start of spring. As the ground thaws, earthworms and other small creatures stir from winter rest, giving foraging birds and animals a fresh meal and loosening the soil for planting. March’s full Moon sometimes lands before the first day of spring, which is worth knowing if you are timing seasonal traditions.

Related: Farmers’ Almanac Gardening By The Moon Calendar

Other cultures kept their own names for this Moon, each rooted in what the season looked like outside. “Snow Crust Moon” marks warmer days when snow melts and refreezes at night into a hard crust. “Sore Eye Moon” speaks to the sunlight bouncing off that crust, harsh enough to leave eyes sore.

Learn more about the Full Worm Moon and alternative names

Related: Full Moon Dates and Times

March Fun Facts:

• When the Worm Moon falls after the spring equinox, it is also called the Paschal Moon, the Moon used to set the date of Easter.

Zodiac Signs: Pisces and Aries

Two zodiac signs share March: Pisces (February 19 to March 20) and Aries (March 21 to April 19). One is a water sign, one is fire, and the split lines up with the changing weather on the ground.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

Pisces is the twelfth constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin word for “fishes.” A water sign, Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac and is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. People born under Pisces are often described as old souls: imaginative, compassionate, and tuned to the spiritual side of life. They tend to be drawn to romance, art, and music, and they often put other people’s needs first.

Related: What Is Your Zodiac Sign?

Pisces tend to be loyal friends with strong intuition, picking up on feelings other people miss. They do well in roles that need creativity and empathy. They can seem lost in their own world, but once a Pisces commits, they give it everything.

Pisces is often called the most sensitive sign in the zodiac. That sensitivity has a flip side, too: criticism stings, and people-pleasing can creep in. Even so, a Pisces is a good person to have in your corner.

Related: Learn more about Pisces

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and the personality follows. Its name comes from the Latin word meaning “ram.” Aries types are ambitious, passionate, and independent. They are competitive, often impulsive, and happiest with several projects running at once. An Aries is rarely content until home and work line up with the life they have pictured.

Keep up with one and you have a loyal friend who likes being the life of the party. Aries are social but also fine on their own. The Ram’s frankness can read as blunt, but it is rooted in a high value on honesty. Their fiery streak can wear thin, or it can be their best asset, depending on how it is channeled. Once an Aries fixes on a goal, they tend to reach it.

Related: Learn more about Aries

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March Fun Facts:

• Neptune is Pisces’ ruling planet, tied to creativity and spirituality. Pisces folks are known for being in tune with their emotions.
• Mars is the Aries ruling planet, believed to lend energy and drive for chasing down goals.

Astrology is a tradition, not a science. Treat it the way the old almanacs did: as one more lens on the calendar, not a forecast you have to live by.

Pisces herbs (Feb to March): Sage is the Pisces herb. It is both savory and aromatic. Native to the Mediterranean, sage has been valued for centuries. The name comes from the Latin salvere, meaning “to be saved.” Sage is a kitchen staple and a long-running folk remedy.

Sage is also packed with compounds that support dental health and brain function and may help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. It has been a favorite tea in China since 812 AD and was a key Roman remedy for wounds, sore throats, and digestion. Beyond the kitchen, sage shows up in spiritual practice, including smudging, a long-standing tradition of cleansing spaces and people with its smoke. Pisces is also linked to mugwort, basil, lemon balm, and borage.

Aries herbs (March to April): Rosemary belongs to Aries. The Latin name is Rosmarinus officinalis, meaning “dew of the sea,” a nod to how well it grows on coastal hillsides. The stiff branches and needle-like leaves carry compounds that fight bacteria and oxidation. In medieval Europe, people leaned on rosemary for protection during the Black Plague.

Rosemary is prized for an aroma said to support memory, which is why it has long been worked into wedding crowns as a sign of remembering the life that came before, and into funerals as a goodbye. In the kitchen, rosemary lifts meats, vegetables, and soups, and its antioxidant nature makes it popular in tea. Greek students used it as a study aid. Rosemary grows best in full sun with good drainage and pairs well with sage, carrots, cabbage, and beans. It will winter happily on a sunny windowsill. The strong character of rosemary suits Aries, the Ram. Other Aries herbs include basil, nettle, chervil, wormwood, and geranium.

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March Fun Facts:

• Nesting habits: Robins build careful nests from grass, small sticks, and mud, then line the cup with soft grass or feathers.
• Varied diet: Robins are famous for eating worms, but they also feed on insects, fruits, and berries. That range helps them find food across the seasons.

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March Birth Tree: Alder and Hazel

In the Celtic tree calendar, March splits between two trees. Alder rules the early part of the month, prized in old British folklore for its water-loving roots and the bridges and pilings cut from its rot-resistant wood. Hazel takes the closing weeks, long tied to wisdom, divination, and the forked rod water-finders used to dowse for hidden springs. Either way, the tree side of March keeps the renewal theme moving.

What Does “March” Mean?

“March” comes from the Latin Martius, named for Mars, the Roman god of war. In ancient Rome, March marked the start of the active military season. Swords were set down for winter and picked up again once the ground had thawed.

March Calendar

Martius was the first month in the original Roman calendar. The Roman ruler Numa Pompilius gave the calendar a lunar makeover and added January and February, bumping March to third. Even now, with the Gregorian calendar in wide use, several cultures and faiths still start their year in March. Iran celebrates its New Year on March 21.

In the Northern Hemisphere, March opens spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, it opens fall.

March Fun Facts:

• Every year, March and June end on the same day of the week.
• Across most of the United States and Canada, Daylight Saving Time starts in March, when clocks spring forward one hour. Learn when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends this year.

Know another March fun fact? Share it with us in the comments.

What Is the “Ides” of March?

On the Roman calendar, the midpoint of every month, near the first full Moon, was called the Ides. The Ides of March once stood for the new year, with feasts, debts paid, and offerings to the gods. It is also the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. The phrase “beware the Ides of March,” spoken by a soothsayer to Caesar in Shakespeare’s play, sealed its reputation as a day of bad omens.

Do you read the Ides of March as unlucky? Tell us in the comments.

March Weather Lore

You may know the saying “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” The idea is that Mother Nature evens herself out. A stormy early March, the lion, will balance with calm and pleasant weather by month’s end, the lamb. The Anglo-Saxons called March hlyd monath, “stormy month,” or hraed monath, “rugged month.” These are folk patterns and not forecasts, but they line up often enough to keep the saying alive.

Psst, have you seen our Spring Extended Weather Forecast?

A few more March weather sayings worth knowing:

• A dry March and a wet May fill barns and bays with corn and hay.
• As it rains in March, so it rains in June.
• March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
• So many mists in March you see, so many frosts in May will be.

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March Night Sky

As the bite leaves the air, March opens a good window for stargazing. Look southwest around 9 p.m. local time to find Orion’s Belt, three stars in a tidy row. If your horizon is clear, you may catch Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, just below. Swing north and you will see the Big Dipper.

Related: Monthly Stargazing Night Sky Guide

March Fun Facts:

• March is the month when amateur astronomers attempt the Messier Marathon, the challenge of spotting all 110 objects in the Messier Catalog in a single night. The late-March geometry of Earth and the catalog objects makes the feat possible.
• The zodiacal light, a faint cone of glow stretching up from the horizon after sunset, is one of the season’s signs that spring is near. March is one of the best windows from the Northern Hemisphere. The light comes from sunlight scattering off dust grains in the inner solar system.

Gardening: Planning and Planting Seeds

Here are three steps to get your spring garden moving:

1) Check your region’s average last frost dates before you set anything out.

2) If you are planting seeds saved from a previous season, make sure they are still viable.

3) Use the top of your refrigerator as a warm, safe spot for freshly seeded trays before they move to a sunny window.

Here are more tips for starting your seeds.

Related: Farmers’ Almanac Gardening By The Moon Calendar

Recipes For March

Stay warm and well-fed with a few Farmers’ Almanac favorites:

Foolproof Corned Beef and Cabbage

Have St. Paddy’s Day leftovers?

Need a ham recipe for Easter?

March Trivia

• St. Patrick’s Day falls every March 17, marked across the Western world to remember the day Saint Patrick died.
• On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell placed the first-ever telephone call.
• President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961.
• March 8 is International Women’s Day.
• “March Madness” is the popular name for the college basketball national championship in the United States. During March and April, 68 teams compete for the NCAA title.

March Birth Month FAQ

What are the March birthstones?

March has two birthstones: aquamarine and bloodstone. Aquamarine is a clear sea-blue stone tied to courage and steady nerves. Bloodstone is a deep green chalcedony flecked with red, long carried as a protective amulet.

What is the birth flower for March?

The daffodil, also called the jonquil or Lent lily, is the March birth flower. It stands for new beginnings, friendship, and joy.

What are the zodiac signs for March?

March holds two zodiac signs: Pisces (February 19 to March 20) and Aries (March 21 to April 19). Pisces is a water sign; Aries is a fire sign.

What is the March birth tree?

In the Celtic tree calendar, alder is tied to early-March births and hazel to late-March births. Both are linked to wisdom, water, and renewal.

Why is March’s full Moon called the Worm Moon?

As the ground thaws in early spring, earthworms and other soil creatures stir, drawing robins and other birds to feed. The Worm Moon is a marker of that thaw.

What does the name “March” mean?

March comes from the Latin Martius, named after Mars, the Roman god of war. In ancient Rome, March opened the active military season once the ground had thawed.

What is the Ides of March?

The Ides was the Roman midpoint of the month, near the first full Moon. The Ides of March (March 15) is best known as the day Julius Caesar was assassinated, sealed in memory by Shakespeare’s “beware the Ides of March.”

What herbs are tied to the March birth month?

Sage is the Pisces herb, prized for flavor, memory support, and traditional use in smudging. Rosemary is the Aries herb, long linked to remembrance and protection.

Join the Discussion

Were you born in March?

Which symbols for March are your favorite?

Do you know any March fun facts, symbols, or folklore that we missed?

Share with the community in the comments below.