We have about two weeks left of May, which means there are about 14 days remaining to celebrate May flowers. Of course, we love flowers and think that any variety is perfect for enjoying anytime. But, it’s often fun to give flowers – and to keep them in our homes – during a certain month that are associated with that month.
One of the May flowers we’re loving right now is the lily. The lily is the designated birth flower for May and it’s a fragrant bloom that’s ideal for keeping in a vase – or for surprising someone special with.
About the Lily
The lily is a low-growing perennial that has a bell shape and two, very large, oblong leaves. It blooms in white and it’s sometimes called Lily of the Valley.
The lily represents sweetness and humility. When you want to tell someone, “You make my life complete,” give the lily.
The following are some facts, figures, and trivia about the May lily.
- The lily is also known as Our Lady’s Tears or Mary’s Tears. These names come from Christian legend, as some believe the names stem from the Virgin Mary’s weeping as Jesus was crucified.
- Saint Leonard, a brave French soldier, chose to live as a hermit to commune with God, and legend says he spilled a dragon’s blood and Lilies of the Valley popped up in the very spot.
- All parts of the Lily of the Valley are poisonous, if consumed.
- Ostara, a German virgin goddess, is associated with the lily, which symbolized life to Pagans.
- The lily is also called May bells, May lily, or “muguet” in French.
- The lily’s scientific name, “majalis,” means “of belonging to May”.
- The lily represents the return of happiness.
Do you love the lily as much as we do? Do you grow lilies or give them often? If so, feel free to share your experiences with the flowers in the comments below.
The delicate white (very rarely pinkish in hue) bell-shaped flowers of the lily of the valley have a sweet and heady scent, and nestle in between the broad green or variegated leaves as if being protected by them. In Christian legends, some believe that lily of the valley sprung from the ground where Eve’s tears fell as she was driven from the Garden of Eden by Adam. Others believe that it was the tears of Mary, weeping at Christ’s cross, from which the flowers came. This latter legend has given lily of the valley an alternate name of Mary’s Tears.
The hawthorn gets its genus name from the Greek word (Kratos) for strong, or powerful. A member of the rose family, it’s also known as the thornapple, thanks to its thorny branches and small berry-like fruit (called a haw). In Old English, a hedge was known as a haw, and hawthorns were often planted for hedges, thanks to the near-impenetrable barrier they created and the wealth of hedgerow life that the hawthorn supported. These hedges often flowered in spring, and became associated with the month of May, and May Day, and the celebrations held to herald the coming of spring. The hawthorn is often used in English poetry to mark the hope and optimism this new spring brings with it. The delicate white flowers are sometimes referred to as mayblossom. You can use the flowers alone, or if you’re feeling adventurous and have access to the branches from which the flowers grow, include them in a larger arrangement.