With Mother’s Day just gone, it’s time to introduce you to the birth flower for the month of May. Lily of the valley is a pretty, woodland flowering plant with delicate bell-shaped flowers that smell heavenly. Native throughout the cool temperate regions of Asia and Europe, parts of North America actually consider this sweet little plant as an invasive species. Perhaps this is because all parts of the plant can be poisonous if consumed by humans or other animals?
With its elegant white petals, this flower traditionally signifies sweetness, humility, and motherhood - so it’s an apt flower for the month of May when Mother’s Day is celebrated! A bunch of lily of the valley is also an especially fitting gift for your mother on her birthday!
Usually flowering in mid-spring, lily of the valley is known by a few other names, including May bells, Our Lady’s tears, and Mary’s tears. It was the national flower of Yugoslavia, and it also became the national flower of Finland in 1967.
Although it may not look like much, lily of the valley can actually be very expensive, and has quite a claim to fame! It was featured in the bridal bouquet at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and lily of the valley was also the flower famously chosen by Princess Grace of Monaco to be featured in her bridal bouquet. In the 1950s, the French company Dior made a fragrance replicating lily of the valley, supposedly Christian Dior's favorite flower. Named Diorissimo, the scent was reportedly a favourite of Diana, Princess of Wales and has long been considered a classic in the perfume world.
In the "language of flowers", the lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness. With winter long gone and the sunnier, warmer months on the way, we agree wholeheartedly with this statement. And, it makes us so happy when we get some of these beautiful blooms in store!
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