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Lily Facts

Lily Facts
Lily is a flowering plant that belongs to the family Liliaceae. There are hundreds of varieties of lilies that can be found mostly in the northern hemisphere (Europe, Asia and North America). Most species grow in temperate and tropical areas. Lily usually inhabits forests, grasslands, marshes and mountains. Because of their beauty, lilies are cultivated throughout the world. Lily is mainly used in decorative purposes. White lily is a symbol of good luck in Japan. This type of lily is also inevitable part of wedding bouquets around the globe. Certain types of wild lilies are endangered due to habitat loss as a result of urban development and increased agriculture. Besides that, lilies are prone to various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.
Interesting Lily Facts:
Size of a lily depends on the species. It can grow from 2 to 6 feet in height.
Lily develops from a bulb that can be located near the surface of the ground or buried deep underground.
Lily has beautiful, large flower that can be white, yellow, orange, red, purple or pink in color. Flower can be covered with different types of freckles.
Each color of the lily has certain meaning. White lily symbolizes purity, daylily coquetry, while tiger lily symbolizes majesty and wealth.
Lily flower consists of 6 tepals (fused sepals and petals). Nectar is produced at the base of each leaf.
Lily is dormant during the winter. Flowering takes place during the spring and summer.
Lily attracts insects with its large colorful flowers and tasteful nectar. Certain species of lily are pollinated by wind.
Lily can reproduce from the seed, bulbs and tissue cultures.
Only white and tiger lilies are known by their beautiful smell. Other species of lily are odorless.
Tiger lily is a species of lily that has large, bright yellow flowers with prominent dark spots on the inner side of the petals. Similar coloration is typical for tigers which is why this species is named "tiger lily".
Some species of lilies can be used as food. Bulbs of lily contain a lot of starch and they are used as root vegetables. Besides humans, insects, mice, squirrels and deer often eat wild lilies.
Lily contains compounds that induce renal failure in cats. Even small amount of pollen can induce poisoning in cats.
Lily is not poisonous for humans. It is actually widely used in traditional Asian medicine for the treatment of depression and certain types of toxicities.
Lily can survive couple of days in the vase. Removal of the pollen from the flower will prolonged lifespan in the vase and prevent development of stains on the tepals.
Lily is perennial plant which means that it can survive more than two years in the wild.


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