Interesting facts

The specific epithet candidum is derived from the word candidus meaning pure, white.
The Madonna Lily is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It has been with us for more than 4000 years and has been immortalised in many a work of art. Depictions of lilies adorned the column capitals of ancient civilizations in Egypt, Assyria, in the Minoan culture and in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The oldest portrayals of the Madonna Lily were produced around 2500 BC in the Egyptian town of Aswan where the lily adorned a stone bas-relief on a royal throne and a sarcophagus.
According to Greek legend we owe the Lily to the Greek god Heracles and his desire for immortality. The milk of the goddess Hera was said to confer this immortality. So Heracles stole up to the sleeping goddess of women and drank from her breast. While he was doing this, a few drops of milk fell to the ground and are said to have grown into lilies.
Even in the ancient world the Madonna Lily was regarded as a symbol of beauty, fertility and wealth. It is mentioned several times in the Bible: for example in the first book of Samuel, in various psalms, in the Song of Songs, in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke. In the Middle Ages it became the symbol of innocence and purity and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was thought that the dead should come before God pure. So the Lily also became a flower of the grave. According to ancient legend lilies were said to grow spontaneously on the graves of people who had been wrongly accused of misdeeds during their lifetime. The Lily was testimony that the soul was pure and had gone to God.
The Romans incorporated the Lily in their crest as symbol of purity, hope and integrity. The royal House of Bourbon took up this idea around the year 1200 and since then the stylised three-petaled lily has been the royal symbol par excellence. However, it is also found in many civil coats of arms as symbol of hope.
Magical properties are also attributed to the Madonna Lily. The bulb is said to protect against charms, sorcery and spells. It is said that Madonna Lilies picked when Venus and the Moon are in Taurus or Libra can be used to brew excellent love potions. Washing with a mixture of Lily juice and an extract of the medicinal herb Horehound is said to keep women young and beautiful.
The flowers and bulbs of the Madonna Lily are edible. The flowers have a pungent taste and are also a charming and tasty garnish.