Lily of the Valley Meaning: Symbolism, History, and When to Send It

By the Farida Floral design team. Farida Floral is a mother-daughter luxury florist in Fairfax, VA, hand-arranging flowers for Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland since 2017.

Few flowers carry as much meaning in as little space as lily of the valley. The stems are barely a foot tall, the bells smaller than a fingernail, and yet this is the flower royal brides carry, perfumers build empires on, and France gives by the millions every May 1st. Here is what lily of the valley actually means, where the symbolism comes from, and when sending it says exactly the right thing.

Lily of the valley meaning at a glance

The symbolism, unpacked

Return of happiness is the meaning florists reach for first. Lily of the valley blooms in a short window at the turn of spring, and for centuries that timing made it the emblem of joy coming back after a hard season. It is why the flower suits a recovery, a reunion, a fresh start after a difficult year, moments where "congratulations" is too loud and "thinking of you" is not quite it.

Humility comes from the flower's posture. The bells point down, half-hidden under broad leaves; it does not perform. Sending it honors someone whose kindness works the same way.

Motherhood and purity run through its history as the May birth flower and its long association with the Virgin Mary in Christian art, where the flower is sometimes called Our Lady's tears. This is why lily of the valley and Mother's Day are so deeply linked; we wrote a full guide to lily of the valley as the Mother's Day bloom.

A flower with a royal resume

Lily of the valley has carried more famous bouquets than almost any bloom. Grace Kelly carried it at her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, chose a lily of the valley bouquet for the 2011 royal wedding. In France, the muguet tradition dates to 1561, when King Charles IX received a sprig as a good-luck token and began giving them to the ladies of his court each May 1st; the country still exchanges tens of millions of stems every La Fête du Muguet. And in perfumery, it is a legend: Dior's Diorissimo was built around it, and a fresh muguet note still anchors fragrances today, all the more remarkable because the flower yields no usable natural oil; every lily of the valley perfume is a reconstruction.

When to send lily of the valley

• May birthdays: it is the official May birth flower; pairing it with the recipient's favorite bloom makes the most personal birthday arrangement there is.
• 2nd wedding anniversaries: the traditional flower of the year, for couples past the first chapter and glad of it.
• New mothers: the motherhood symbolism without Mother's Day timing.
• Recoveries and fresh starts: "return of happiness," delivered literally.
• Weddings: bridal tradition from Grace Kelly onward; ask us early, as sourcing is seasonal.

Know before you send

Two honest notes from the studio. First, lily of the valley is seasonal and scarce: true fresh stems peak in spring, and outside that window we recommend arrangements that carry the same meaning in white: garden roses, ranunculus and sweet pea from our Secret Garden Collection. Second, the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep stems away from pets and toddlers, and skip it for homes with curious cats; we will design around it, as we do with lilies generally (see our get well flowers guide).

FAQ

What does lily of the valley symbolize?

Return of happiness, humility, purity and motherhood, with a French tradition of good luck. It is the May birth flower and the traditional 2nd anniversary flower.

Is lily of the valley a real lily?

No. Despite the name, it belongs to the asparagus family, not the lily family. It shares the toxicity caution, though: keep it away from pets.

Why do brides carry lily of the valley?

Tradition reads it as purity and trust, and royal weddings cemented it: Grace Kelly in 1956 and the Princess of Wales in 2011 both carried it.

Can I get lily of the valley delivered in the DC area?

In season, ask us and we will source it; year-round, we design white garden arrangements that carry the same message. Order by 2:00 PM EST for same-day delivery across Fairfax, Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland.