Full Moon field guide · UK dates

The Flower Moon

A broad spring name marking the abundance of flowers in May.

What Flower Moon means

Flower Moon is one of the most direct seasonal labels: it connects May's full Moon with the flush of northern spring flowering. Milk Moon and Bright Moon appear in other English-language traditions.

Shorter nights keep the May full Moon lower in the UK sky than its winter counterparts.

Next UK occurrence

Thu, 20 May 2027

Exact full Moon: . Brown lunation 1291.

Three-year almanac

Flower Moon dates, 2026–2028

YearUK date and timeLunationCalendar
20261278Open month
20261279Open month
20271291Open month
20281303Open month

02

What to notice from the UK

Choose a clear southern horizon and watch how the low lunar path changes the colour and apparent size near moonrise.

The disc looks full on the nights around the exact instant. A low Moon may look larger or warmer because of perspective and the atmosphere, not because its phase changed.

03

Other recorded labels

Almanacs do not share one universal naming system. This month is also listed as Thrimilce Moon in an Old English grouping and Bright Moon in a modern Celtic-revival grouping.

Naming and calculation sources