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Watch the Full Flower Moon Bloom

Flower Moon: Full Moon May 12, 2025

The full Flower Moon reaches its peak on Monday, May 12.

Did you watch Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon?

May’s full Flower Moon reaches peak illumination at 12:56 P.M. (EDT) on Monday, May 12. 

Find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon, if possible. See what time the moon will be visible in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator. 

Why Is It Called the Flower Moon?

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from many places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon.

The Flower Moon

May’s Flower Moon name should be no surprise; flowers spring forth across North America in abundance this month!

• “Flower Moon” has been attributed to Algonquin peoples, as confirmed by Christina Ruddy of The Algonquin Way Cultural Centre in Pikwakanagan, Ontario.

• May’s Moon was also called the “Month of Flowers” by Jonathan Carver in his 1798 publication, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America: 1766, 1767, 1768 (pp. 250-252), as a likely Dakota name. Carver stayed with the Naudowessie (Dakota) over a period of time; his expedition covered the Great Lakes region, including the Wisconsin and Minnesota areas.

• Henry David Thoreau sparked the Native American Moon names as well, referencing the Flower Moon and Carver when he wrote about Native Americans.

Alternative May Moon Names

May’s Moon names tend to speak to the arrival of spring and all that it entails! 

The Cree names Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon celebrate the awakening of local flora, which really begins to leaf out now in many areas. Similarly, Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) marks the time when seeds should be started for the farming season ahead. 

The activities of animals marked spring’s arrival, too, which is highlighted by the Cree names Egg Laying Moon and Frog Moon, as well as the Oglala term Moon of the Shedding Ponies. All three names indicate that warmer weather is on the way!

Best Days in May 2025

Below are the best days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in May.

For Gardening:

• Planting aboveground crops: 1, 2, 29, 30

• Planting belowground crops: 20, 21

  
  

from Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

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