Lily Flowers

Name : Lily Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Lilium, (Lilium longiflorum )
Lily Description

Lily is the common name for the flowers of the genus Lilium, in the Lily Family (Liliaceae) with 110 species of herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs. The Lily originated from Asia and is found across much of Europe, the north Mediterranean region, across most of Asia to Japan, south to the Nilgiri Mountains in India, and south to the Philippines and U.S. The genus derives its botanic name Lilium from the Greek word leirion, generally referring to the Madonna lily. The famous Swedish botanist Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) first described the Red lily in 1753.

Lilies are large showy garden plants with rich cultural, religious and literary associations. Lily is one of the most graceful, enchanting of all summer-blooming flowers and is second only to the Rose in popularity.

Lovely Lily flowers have six tepals (Identical petals and sepals) and are borne on leafy stems. Lilies are often fragrant, and are available in a wide range of shades including white, yellow, orange, pink, red and purple with markings in spots, brush strokes and picotees.

Lilies bloom in summer and prefer a well-drained, porous, moderately acidic or lime-free soil. Plant your Lilies in a spot that offers direct sun all morning during the summer, with partial shade during hot afternoons. Lilies are propagated mainly by bulbs planted during fall or spring, but are also grown from seeds, scales, bulbils and bulblets.

This exquisite flower is an ideal choice for the summer garden. Lilies work well in containers or as potted plants, adding colour to the patio or steps. Lilies look great in herbaceous borders, shrub and woodland plantings, and as a patio plant.

Lilies are a popular cut flower and work with almost any theme imaginable. They are ideal for summer weddings and make fragrant, trendy and colourful bouquets and arrangements. Potted lily plants also make great gifts. Lilium longiflorum is a popular cut flower variety among a few other hybrids. The Lilium longiflorum is commonly known as Easter lily since this variety is forced to bloom around Easter time.

Numerous ornamental hybrids have been developed and popular varieties include Asiatic Lilies, Trumpet/Aurelian Lilies, Oriental Lilies, Wild Lilies, Martagon hybrid Lilies, Candidum hybrid Lilies, American hybrids Lilies, and Longiflorum hybrid Lilies.

Bulbs of some Lily varieties are edible particularly L. lancifolium, L. pumilum, and L. brownii (Chinese: b?ihé g?n) are grown at large scale in China as a health food, eaten especially in summers for their ability to reduce internal heat.

Lily Meaning

The lovely Lily symbolizes the meanings Purity, Refined Beauty, Majesty, Wealth, Pride and Innocence.

In the ancient days, the lilies denoted A Pure Life. Chinese considered it the lily to be A Lucky Charm and in Feng Shui, the lily flower symbolizes Abundance.

Lilies have the honour of being the May birth flower, and the 30th wedding anniversary flower.

Lilies have also been used to symbolize Death, and were placed on the graves of young innocents .At a Funeral, the Lily symbolizes that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death.

Lilies also have colour specific meanings:

A White Lily symbolizes Modesty, Virginity, and It's Heavenly To Be With You.
An Orange Lily means Passion, Flame, and I Burn For You.
A Yellow Lily signifies I'm Walking On Air, False, and Gaiety.
The Easter Lily is considered to be the symbol of Virgin Mary.
White Stargazer Lilies express Sympathy.
Pink Stargazer Lilies signify Wealth and Prosperity.

Lily Mythology

Lilies are ancient plants that have been under cultivation longer than any other ornamental flower, Lilies existed in gardens 3,000 years ago. Lilies became very popular in the 18th dynasty of Egypt and have made their appearance in many floral designs from that era. Images of lilies have also been discovered in a villa in Crete, form 1580 B.C.

Lilies are an important symbol in many cultures and religions around the world. For instance, Lilium candidum or Madonna Lily is the considered the classic symbol of Purity, Chastity and Virtue and its association with the Virgin Mary dates back to an early Christian legend, in which her tomb was filled with Lilies after her assumption into heaven. Through its association with the Virgin the Lily also became the symbol of virgin martyrs and various saints. In both the Christian and pagan popular tradition, the Lily is considered to be a symbol of Fertility.

In the Bible, Lilies appear in the following verses

'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not,
neither do they spin:
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Matthew 6:28-29

In Medieval times, a picture of the lily was considered as religious art and was found in the depictions of Jesus. Images of Mother Mary holding the lily flower have also been found imprinted on ancient coins. In this regard, the Lily denotes Spirituality.

In Greek Mythology the Lily is dedicated to the goddess Hera (Juno in Roman mythology), the wife of Zeus. According to legend Zeus fathered Hercules with Alceme, a mortal woman and then took the baby to Hera so that his son would partake more fully of divinity. Zeus drugged Hera to sleep and placed Hercules at her breast to nurse. Hera woke up and flung the baby from her. It is said that some of her milk gushed across the heavens forming the Milky Way and a few drops fell to earth from which sprang the first lilies.

According to a Roman legend Venus rose from the sea-foam when she saw a lily and she became extremely jealous of its purity and beauty. Considering it as a rival to her own beauty Venus caused a huge pistil to spring from the lily's snow-white center. This myth explains the lily’s association with Venus and the Satyrs who are the embodiment of lustful ardor.

In Greek marriage ceremonies the priest places a crown of lilies garnished with ears of wheat over the bride’s head as a symbol of Purity and Abundance.

In ancient Greece, people regarded the Lily as a symbol of Sexuality and according to folk tradition a rose and a lily were taken to an expecting mother. If she chose the rose, it meant a baby girl would be born, while the lily symbolized the birth of a boy. Similarly ancient Egyptians associated the lily with fertility.