Flower Facts: All About Lilies

Next to roses, lilies are one of the most recognisable and loved flowers around the world. People love them for their colour variety and size, florists love them for their versatility and longevity, while gardeners love them for all of the above reasons. The lily is a various as it is unique meaning that even though it is a common flower it has a few fun facts about it that I bet you didn’t know. Give Gift Boutique Hong Kong Florist has rounded up some of the most interesting facts about lilies, from colour and cultural meanings to the unique ways that is grows. Check it out!

• Lilies are said to be one of the top ten flowers in the world.
• Lilies can be grow from either a seed or a bulb and can reproduce in variety of other sexual (pollination) and asexual (cuttings and other parts of the lily) ways. Planting nearly any part of a lily, the bulb/petals, will allow it to reproduce and grow again.

Decorative flower basket with white lilies and stargazer lilies.

• Lilies are related to onions and garlic as they too grow from bulbs and have similar reproduction methods.
• Lilies lie dormant during the winter while flowering during the spring and summer. They are perennials and can survive, especially in the wild, for several years.

A flower bouquet of white lilies

• Lilies consists of 6 petals with nectar being produced at the base of each.
• Lilies vary in size, depending on the species. Some can grow between two to size feet in height.
• Some species of lilies can be eaten. These lily species’ bulbs are considered a root vegetable and contain a lot of starch.

Related: The Best Edible Flowers to Add to your Next Meal

A beautiful Athena Bouquet

• Lilies contain compounds that induce renal failure in cats. Even small amount of pollen can induce poisoning in cats and can quickly kill them.
• Lilies are know for their longevity, which is one of the many reasons they’re so popular with florists and flower shops. Lilies can survive for days a vase if the pollen from the flower’s tepals is removed without staining the petals.

A flower bouquet of white lilies.

• Lilies are the most prevalent flower in Europe and they also grow all over the world.
• Only white lilies and tiger lilies are scented while the other coloured varieties carry no scent.

A large flower vase with orange lilies.

• Tiger lilies are named as such for their bright orange bloom with prominent dark spots on the inside of the petals, giving them the same colour appearance as a tiger.

Cultural Meanings:

• In Chinese tradition, the lily is believed to bring good luck.
• The Greeks associated the lily with motherhood.
• Christians believe the lily represents chasity and innocence.

Colour Meanings:

• A white lily represents purity and simplicity.
• A tiger lily is associated with royalty and wealth.
• The lily of the valley symbolises sweetness.
• Daylilies mean romance and flirtation.

Medical and Beauty Properties:

• Lily extracts can brighten the skin and reduce scars
• Lily of the Valley, the root or dried flower, is reported to help treat heart issues, the treatment of UTIs, kidney stones, epilepsy, eye infections, headaches, depression, anxiety and more.