In today’s article, we bring you all about the national flower of Italy. Refined beauty white lilies are more than a perfect flower symbol of Italy, but today you’ll learn why Italians pick this flower and what’s its symbolism.
This popular flower isn’t only the national flower of Italy, it is used in other countries as well. Stories behind the Italian flag tell many stories, and lilies and their color are one of them.
Italy national flower symbol is definitely one of the most beautiful ones and you’ll love it once you find out all about it.
Waxy flowers of Asiatic lilies and easter lilies are truly wonderful, but not as much as the oriental lilies we’ll talk about today.
Let’s learn more about the national flower of Italy below.
Features/Description Of Lily Flowers
Lily is a genus of the Liliaceae family. There are 90 species of lilies, and the name lily comes from the Roman word Lilium. Because of its beauty and intoxicating fragrance, it is an extremely valued flower.
Lily flowers have these characteristics:
- Family: Liliaceae family
- Growth type: medium/fast growing plant
- Flower color: red, white, orange…
- Leaf shape: oval-shaped leaves
- Best place to plant it: medium humidity & bright indirect light places
- Soil: neutral soil, not acidic
- Water: water it 2 times a week
- Fertilizer: tomato feed every 2 to 3 weeks
- Use: decorations, funerals, perfumes, essential oils, etc.
Why Is Stylized Lily Oriental National Flower Of Italy?
It’s not entirely defined why the white lily is a national flower of Italy. There are no great stories that are of historical significance to this flower in some past periods in Italy. The only thing that’s connected to the symbolism of this flower connected to Italy is the religious context. As we know, the capital of Kristianstad is in the Vatican, and its religious symbolism matters as well in this case.
They also love and cherish yellow, red, pink, and orange lilies just as their meanings. Not every color means the same thing. Their inner petal tells a lot. For example, red roses symbolize love, while yellow roses symbolize purity.
What’s The Symbolic Meaning Of The Oriental Lily Flower?
White color is usually connected to the virgin mary, purity and due to this, the amazing oriental madonna lily symbolizes purity.
No matter where you go in Italy, northern Italy, or southern Italy, you can be more than sure that you’ll spot lily flowers on Italy’s table.
They thrive in early summer and that’s the most popular season when lilies around the table are seeable: Asiatic lily, lily of the valley, and other lilies that are grown in Italy.
White lilies are purity, yellow symbolizes gaiety, orange means passion, and dark orange-red ones are for love. If you’ve ever been to Italy or met Italian people then you know how much these meanings suit them.
Yellow symbolizes gaiety and yellow purity simply isn’t the symbolic meaning they wanted. Lily of the valley represents sweetness, purity at its best, and noble, honest, true emotions.
Due to the old history of Italy and its history of wars and colonies, this color suits them more than perfectly.
Read more about types of lilies and their meanings.
What Is The Traditional Flower Of Italy?
The traditional symbolic flower of Italy isn’t a lily flower. The traditional symbolic flower of Italy is a rose-red rose. Red roses symbolize love, passion, and devotion, and were very popular among Roman Catholics.
White purity, good growth, reproductive structure, modified bud, lovely green leaves, meanings of good intentions, and its bloom made Italians change their mind.
Even though roses are still trendy in Italy, lily now has big gifting purposes in Italy, it comes in different colors just like roses and they can be seen in any garden in Italy.
When Do Italians Use Their National Flower?
In wedding ceremonies in Italy, the lily flower is the most popular flower. It’s used for decorating tables, and aisles, brides make bouquets out of lily flowers, etc.
This flower also makes sense since in most Italian gardens and on Italian balconies you’re able to spot lilies, roses, and many other flowers and vegetables. This country is truly devoted to wonderful flowers and delicious food.
Italians also love sunflowers, alpine pasque flower, strawberry tree, and roses. You’ll notice these flowers in any Italian city.
FAQ About Italy’s National Flower
As always, we make sure we answer all of your questions about a certain topic. Today, in addition, to answering all of your questions about the national flower of Italy, we bring you this faq section where we’ll talk more about this topic before we wrap it up.
Is Lily Flower Popular In Any Part Of Italy?
Lily is a popular flower in many parts of Italy. However, growing conditions are not the same everywhere you go in Italy. For example, you can put as much well-drained soil as you want in the lilies pots in the north, but they won’t thrive well as they would in southeast areas. More south you go, the more sunflowers, carnations, mimosas, and roses you’ll see.
What Flowers Are Used For Funerals In Italy?
In Italian funerals, people usually use white roses and white lilies due to their symbolism of purity, ever-lasting love, and similar meanings. Deeper color is never used in Italian funerals, and rarely in weddings as well.
For these occasions, flowers from the Liliaceae family are mostly used. Christians refer to white color in funerals as well. These trumpet-shaped peaceful colors are more than suitable for such occasions.
Are Lilies Native To Italy?
Lily flowers are native to Italy and they have been cultivated for hundreds of years now. It didn’t take much much time for these flowers to become popular all around Europe and soon other continents as well.
Interesting Facts About Lily Flowers
The lily has had the greatest impact on Christianity, where it has symbolized innocence and purity since ancient times. In ancient Greece, it was dedicated to the goddess Hera, queen of heaven and wife of Zeus, protector of marriage and offspring. Namely, since he was the son of the god Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, Zeus wanted to conceive from the breasts of his wife, the goddess Hera, in order to become immortal.
While she was sleeping, they laid him on her breast and when he nursed, a few drops of milk spilled into space, and the Milky Way was formed, and from the drop that fell to Earth, a white lily was formed. According to the Bible, the Easter lily grew in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus. White lilies, according to legend, sprouted in the place where Jesus’ tears and sweat dripped in the last moments of his life.
According to tradition in the paradise of Adam and Eve, when Eve left the Garden of Eden, she shed sincere tears of remorse, and lilies sprouted from those penitent tears. According to the Bible, the lily was the favorite flower of the Virgin Mary. It is mentioned several times in the Holy Scriptures as a symbol of sinlessness and the most luxurious beauty.
Final Thoughts
In today’s article, you learned all about the national flower of Italy. As you’ve seen, there are many reasons why Italians choose this flower as their national flower.
Their symbolic meanings are more than suitable for a national flower and their appearance and features are truly calming.
If you liked the lilies description, you can maybe plant them in your own garden. Your own national flower, how lovely is that?
If you live in a climate where the temperature is between 55 and 60 F, they’ll thrive well and you’ll be more than lucky to have your own national garden flower.
But you should know that Italy isn’t the only country that has its national flower. There is a national flower of Germany, the national flower of Spain, the national flower of England, and so on.
That would be all for today, see you soon with some similar topics.
