Lilies Lilies
Lily, or Lilium Candidum, Family: N.O. Liliaceae, common names are Asiatic Lilies, Oriental Lilies and Madonna Lily. The lily gets its name from the Greek name leirion and the Roman name lilium. Lilies grow all around the northern Hemisphere. They are divided into five groups: Asiatic Lilies; Oriental Lilies; Tiger Lilies; Trumpet Lilies; Turks Cap Lilies.
The Madonna Lily is a symbol of purity, and became known as the Madonna Lily, the white ones being associated with the Holy Virgin by Christians. Christians believe that the lily had been yellow until the Virgin Mary picked it up. Lilies are a symbol of fertility, being used as a wedding flower, and also of death, being placed on graves. It is said that lilies spontaneously appeared on the graves of people executed for crimes they did not commit. Dreaming of lilies in spring signifies marriage, happiness and prosperity. Dreaming of lilies in winter signifies frustration of hopes and the premature death of a loved one.
In history, white lilies were used as medicines: The Romans cured corns with the juice from lily bulbs; The Spaniards believed that eating a lily's petals would restore someone who had been transformed into a beast back into human form;
In medieval times, lilies symbolized feminine sexuality.