May 7, 2016
According to the site babiesonline.com, everyone knows that they have a specific birthstone to signify the month they were born in. However, many people don't know that just like the stones, each month has a flower or two as well, which symbolizes birth. Here is the history and meaning behind the May birth flower, the Lily of the Valley and the alternate, the Hawthorn.
Lily of the Valley
The May flower, Lily of the Valley has the botanical name of Convallaria magalis and originated in Europe. Today it is distributed widely throughout North America and North Asia, but in England it is still found as commonly as wild flowers. It is a small, bell shaped flower that gives off a large scent that attracts not only people, but bee's who like to collect the pollen that the flower produces.
The flowers are normally white, although occasionally you can find some with a pink hue to them. The flower first grows in the spring and creates six little stamens. By September the flower is producing sweet berries in place of the petals that are about 5-7mm in diameter.
The Lily of the Valley has some medicinal qualities to it. For many years the leaves and petals have been used in medicine because they contain cardiac glycosides.
Fun and interesting fact: The Lily of the Valley is also knows as Our Lady's tears because according to the legend the tears that that Mary shed at the cross turned in to Lily of the Valley flowers. Another legend claims that the flower also sprang up from the blood of St. Leonard during his battle with the dragon.
Alternate: Hawthorn
There are two different types of the Hawthorn flower. One is the Crataegus and the other is the Rhaphiolepis. The Crataegus is a large genus of shrubs and trees found in the Northern Hemisphere of Europe Asia and North America. They have small apple like fruits known as "haws".
Hawthorns provide food and shelter to many species of animals and birds, and their flowers are utilized by many nectar feeding insects. You can often find Hawthorn's lining streets as an ornamental street tree, because of its' pink and red flowers. They are also among trees most recommended for water-conservation landscapes.
Medicinally the Hawthorn is used as a herb to help lower blood pressure and to treat some related heart diseases.
The Rhaphiolepis is the Asian genus of the Hawthorn. It is found in parts of Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Vietnam. The petals are pink or white and the plant produces small berries. The fruit can be cooked and used to make jam.
Fun and interesting fact: In Celtic lore, the hawthorn plant was used commonly for rune inscriptions along with Yew and Apple. It was once said to heal the broken heart.
Image from: www.clipartpanda.com
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