Is loquat your birthday flower?

Is loquat your birthday flower? If you were born on December 9th, then it is! It is one of two birthday flowers of December 9th annually. The other is poinsettia. Loquat are also the birthday flower of December 20th annually. Loquats are native to southwestern China and are thought to have been introduced to Japan in ancient times.

In winter (November to February), small yellowish-white flowers bloom at the ends of the branches. The downy fruit ripens to a yellow-orange color in early summer (May to June). The fruit contains several large brown seeds, and the edible, sweet flesh accounts for about 30% of the fruit. 

In the Japanese language of flowers, loquat represent "healing", "confiding in you" and "secret confession". Because loquats are sensitive to cold, they are only grown in warm regions. In Japan they are primarily cultivated in Kyushu, Shikoku, Wakayama, and the Boso Peninsula.