Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland. Accompanied by the spring breeze of May, it blooms almost everywhere in the country, beneath shade trees, on steep banks or against a foundation. Its flowers are delicate and white, shaped like small bells. Its glossy leaves, usually two, are located at the base of the plant, and it grows red berries. 

Native to Eurasia and eastern North America, lily of the valley is a shade-loving groundcover plant with a dense root system. Once planted, it will quickly settle in and start growing. The plants often grow closely together, forming a dense mat. From spring to fall, lily of the valley will keep landscaped areas looking neatly maintained with little or no attention. 

Although lily of the valley has pure flowers and cute berries, all parts of it contain cardiac glycosides poisonous to humans, pets, and other animals when ingested.  

In terms of "language of flowers", the lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness. It is usually used in weddings in the bridal bouquet. 

Lily of the valley is alternatively called Our Lady's tears and Mary's tears, since it is said that the flowers were the tears of the Virgin Mary when mourning Jesus.

About 'Plants & Nations' 

"Plants & Nations" is a series of articles and pictures about common plants in the world. It serves as a guide to beautiful plants from different countries. 

For more articles and pictures, please click here:

Bulgaria: The land of roses

A sacred plant in Cambodia's Buddhist culture

The double coconut: The rare-shaped plant from Seychelles

The pomegranate: Symbol of Granada, Spain

Blue water lily: The sacred flower of ancient Egypt

(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Li Wenyi)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com)