Lily Flower
Name: Lilium candidum was the
most significant flower symbol for Christians and suggested
purity. As a symbol of purity associated
with virgins it became known as the Madonna Lily.
Origin: One
of the first descriptions of the Lily dates from the Chinese
Middle Ages "the plant flowers until late autumn
and there are three types, red, yellow and purple".
Colour:
Some forms (Lilium longiflorum, L. candidum, oriental lilies)
are highly perfumed but white only; others (asiatic
lilies) are highly coloured but scent-free
Availability: All
year.
Care Tips: Remove the pollen
stamens by pinching them together and pulling them up out of
the flower. This prolongs
the
flower's life as well. Use sellotape to remove pollen,
not water which
will fix the stain.
Facts: Lilies have been cultivated
for over 3000 years. Feng Shui believers hold the Lily as
an emblem of summer
and abundance;
to the Chinese, lily means "Forever in love".
The lily was the holy flower of the ancient Assyrians.
Until the 16th
century the Madonna lily was the only garden variety
known, because of this the "lilies of the field" as
mentioned in the bible are thought to be this specific
lily. A lily has adorned
the coat of arms of the Kings of France since 1179.
King Chlodwig I allegedly received this 'fleur de lys',
as
it is called in
heraldic language, from an angel. But in actual fact
his flower wasn't a lily, as the name implies, but
an iris. Via Louis XI
the motif made its way to the coat of arms of the Medici
family and from there on to the arms of Florence and
Tuscany. Interestingly,
only the Florentine 'fleur de lys' has stamens like
a lily.
Mythology: In Greek poetry,
the lily stood for tenderness.
It was also referred to as the voice of cicadas or
of the muses. There is a Greek myth that tells us
how the
lily
was born from
the milk of the goddess Hera. The lily still symbolises
pure, virginal love in the Christian world.
Medicinal: In the past, various
flowers were used to prepare remedies in popular medicine. In
China some served as lucky charms, while others were thought
to be capable of averting the evil eye. In another historical
account we read that people were interested in lilies for their
anti-toxic powers and their capacity of curing depressions.
In Europe, too, lilies were used as a remedy against a wide
range of diseases and ailments right up to the beginning of
the last century.
