Convallaria majalis

Lily of the Valley, May Bells

Message of the Flower

Power of Purity

The Mother’s Comment

Purity is the best of powers.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

This is purity, to accept no other influence but only the influence of the Divine.

The Mother, Words of the Mother - II: Purity

One is truly perfectly pure only when the whole being, in all its elements and all its movements, adheres fully, exclusively, to the divine Will. This indeed is total purity. It does not depend on any moral or social law, any mental convention of any kind. It depends exclusively on this: when all the elements and all the movements of the being adhere exclusively and totally to the divine Will.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1954: 22 December 1954

What I call purity, the true purity, is not all those things morality teaches: it is non-ego.

There must be nothing but Him.

Him, not only because we have given Him everything and consecrated ourselves totally to Him (that is not enough), but Him because He has taken total possession of the human instrument.

The Mother, Mother's Agenda: May 21, 1960

There is a force of purity, not the purity of the moralist, but an essential purity of spirit, in the very substance of the being.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - IV: Sex

Colour

White

Family

Asparagaceae

Cultivars

There are several cultivars, including 'Albostriata' (leaves with white stripes), 'Rosea' (pink flowers), and 'Flore Pleno' (double flowers).

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

Small, typically around 5-10 mm in diameter

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

6 (fused into a bell shape)

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Strong, sweet

Leaf Texture

Smooth

Leaf Arrangement

Basal

Leaf Color

Dark green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Spring (May)

Climate

Temperate

Water Requirements

Moist, well-drained soils

Soil Type

Prefers rich, loamy soils

Temperature Ranges

Hardy to USDA zones 3-7

Sun or Shade

Prefers partial to full shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Generally resistant, but can be affected by slugs and snails

Pollinators

Bees, although it is mostly self-pollinating

Habitat

Woodlands, forest floors, and shaded garden areas

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides early spring nectar for pollinators

Ornamental

Widely used in gardens for its fragrance and ground-covering ability

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Often used in perfumery and cosmetics for its scent

Endangered Status

Often used in perfumery and cosmetics for its scent