White Lily Meaning

The white lily is one of the most important flower symbols to Christianity.  It’s mainly a symbol of Virgin Mary’s purity.

It’s a symbol of majesty too with the Roman myth that white lilies came from the queen of the gods. While she was nursing her baby (Hercules), some of the milk from her breast fell to earth.  Along its path, it formed the Milky Way and the drops that fell on the ground turned to white lilies. Another version of this story tells about how Hercules got his god like strength.

Apart from the charm and beauty that white lily possesses, it’s also the best way to convey the message of having the feeling of being in heaven with someone or in more contemporary times its called “in cloud 9”.  Even with its huge pistil, the white lily is the epitome of beauty.  Based on a Roman legend, it was Venus who made this pistil grow from the lily’s center.  Jealous of the beauty the lily has, she decided to mar its “perfection” with a huge pistil.

• Name:  White Lily
• Color:  White.
• Shape:  The white lily takes on a different shaped - depending on the angle that is viewed on.  Viewed from the front, the petals open up to make it look like a star.  From the side, the white lily looks like a bell.
• Fact:  There are a number of flowers that have the word, lily in their common names.  But there are a number of them that aren’t really related to true lilies.
• Poisonous:  It depends on the lily you’re referring to.  If it’s a white Easter lily, the day lily or a white tiger lily, it’s not toxic.  Other varieties of lilies or other white flowers with the common name lily are poisonous.
• Number of Petals:  The white lily has five to seven petals.
• Victorian Interpretation: The white lily has a number of symbolisms during the Victorian times.  It symbolizes virginity, purity as well as majesty.  It’s also a flower that says - “it’s heavenly to be with you”.
• Blossom Time:  White lilies especially the ones with a strong fragrance start blooming from the month of May.
• Superstitions:  Known as flowers that works as protection charms, people believed that if there are lilies planted in the garden, it’s going to keep ghosts and evil spirits away.  As a symbol of purity and also of fertility, Greek brides wore crowns of lilies on their heads – to symbolize their purity and their wish to have babies soon.
• The Shape:  Facing downward or outward, the white lily blossoms look like a bell.  On the frontal view, the shape of the white lily is a star.
• Petals:  White lilies are very large blossoms.  This makes them quite striking and their bright colors sets them apart from other flowers. White lilies are made up of six petals that have a slightly curved opening - revealing a pistil of white filaments and yellow anthers.
• Numerology:  The white lily has an expression number of 22.  The characteristics of this number are leadership as well as huge endeavors.  Bringing the number 22 down to numerology in the nines, lilies are also number 4.  It means practicality and foundation.
• Color:  The meaning attached to the white lily has more to do with its color than the flower itself.  White is the perfect picture for purity and beauty.  It’s also the color that we associate with heaven.

Herbalism and Medicine:  

Used as an herb, the white lily can help with specific health issues that people have.  It can relieve pain, it can reduce swelling and it can stop bleeding and cure cough.  Some women take white lily herbs to help with disorders of the reproductive system.  Applied to the skin, white lily works as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.