Flower Moon
The Flower Moon is the full moon that falls in May. May is when flowering is unmistakable across the temperate northern hemisphere, and the name does nothing more clever than say so. It is a name for the season, not a description of the Moon: a Flower Moon is the same grey-white as any other, and no pinker. Which date it falls on depends on where you are, because a full moon late on 31 May in one time zone is already 1 June in another.
Where the name comes from
The Maine Farmer's Almanac began publishing "Native American" names for the full moons in the 1930s, and according to that almanac the Algonquin peoples of the northeastern United States called May's the Flower Moon, for the flowers abundant then; Corn, or Corn Planting, Moon and Milk Moon are the other names it gives. The attribution is the almanac's. Straightforward and unglamorous, which is worth pointing out, because the names people find most convincing tend to be the ones with a story attached. This one has no story, and is probably closer to how such names actually arise.
Also called Corn Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon.
NASA, May 2022: The Next Full Moon is the Flower Moon, by Gordon Johnston (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
When it falls
- 1 May 2026, about 17:25 UTC
- 20 May 2027, about 11:00 UTC
- 8 May 2028, about 19:50 UTC
- 27 May 2029, about 18:40 UTC
The exact moment of full moon, computed on this site and rounded to five minutes. Close to midnight UTC the date where you are can be the day before or after.