October Facts

Birth Flower: French Marigold

Botanical Name: Tagetes patula
Pronunciation: ta-GAY-teez PAT-ew-la
Availablity: summer
Decorative Life: 7 days

About This Flower:
The happy yellow, orange or bicolored faces of the French marigold seem content just lolling in the sun. While the French marigold does share some of its popularity with its sister, the African marigold, this aspiring aster has many graces of its own including a wide range of colors to tint its soft petals and a long blooming season. In arrangements, it lasts up to 7 days.

Birth Stone: Opal

White opal has a white or light body with flashes of many colors. The prized black opal is black, dark blue, dark green or gray with vivid flashes of red, pink and and bright green.

The well-known Roman naturalist Pliny, described the opal as being made of the glories of the most precious gems...the gentler fire of the ruby, the rich purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, glittering together... Long-known as the Wish Stone, opal is supposed to promote love and romance and to grant wishes and personal happiness. Medieval writers believed opal could render its wearer invisible when the need arose. It was also said to have a beneficial effect on eyesight and banish evil spirits.

Opal sources are Australia, Mexico and the U.S.

Sometimes tourmaline, another multi-colored gemstone, is used as a birthstone for October, as it is not as fragile as the opal and is sometimes prefered by those who want a faceted stone.