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River Lily Meaning & Symbolism You Need To Know

Everyone loves to add an elegant River Lily on the stream or pond edges of their aquatic garden, but only a few know the hidden meaning behind this mystical flower.

Generally, River Lily is an incredible flower shaped like a spider with long, narrow leaves that prefer to grow on soggy and wet soil near the edges of rivers. This amazing flower has different symbolic meanings, like love, purity, new beginnings, delicacy, uniqueness, protection, and many more.

As the blossom resembles a spider, this flower is also called Spider Lily. Other plants like Flag Lilies, Wine Lilies, etc., also represent River Lily as they grow on wet soil near rivers.

So, go through this article to understand River Lily in detail and the interesting myths and meanings behind the alluring flower.

What Does River Lily Look Like?

River Lily is an incredible flower native to America. These plants grow in wetlands, marshes, and swampy lands.

This popular ornamental plant can grow easily on wet areas and the edges of ponds in your garden or river edges.

The leaves of River Lily are long and narrow, just like a belt. They are blue-green in color with wavy edges and can grow up to 7 feet long.

River Lily blooming
The name River Lily is due to the preference for flowers to grow along the river edges.

Moreover, the flowers are very appealing with white, light pink, or yellow and have a typical spider-like shape. The blossom can grow up to 4 inches long.

These amazing blossoms can withstand soggy soil and bloom during spring and summer. Thus, they can be the perfect addition to the stream edges in your garden.

Myth Behind River Lily

There are several myths behind this mystical River Lily, depending on several cultures and traditions. These myths rely on the stories behind powerful goddesses.

In the mythology of Mayan, the water goddess Ixchel was obsessed with this beautiful flower. The goddess grants the wishes like fertility and childbirth.

So, in the Mayan ritual, the people often use this flower to worship her.

Similarly, in Brazilian folklore, the mystical woman Naia, who was obsessed with the moon, dove upon a river with the moon’s reflection and never came back. According to the ancient people, she turned into a River Lily.

Additionally, in the European myth, there were beautiful creatures or water Nymphs. River Lilies were their favorite flowers.

Thus, these interesting myths inspire artists, writers, and storytellers to create new things.

River Lily Meaning & Symbolism

River Lily is an alluring flower perfect for bouquets to gift on several occasions. Thus, just like a Gladiolus flower, it symbolizes new beginnings and love.

Moreover, the pure white petals of the flower represent purity, peace, and harmony. The incredible petals are also a symbol of beauty.

Similarly, the silky and graceful blossoms also indicate feminity and are often used to describe the women about how delicate they are.

River Lily can also be the perfect choice to show condolences and plant near the graves. This shows that the flower is the symbol of remembrance.

Furthermore, as the plant prefers the soggy soil to thrive, this symbolizes uniqueness and adaptation.

Additionally, most people plant this flower around their houses to avoid negative energy. This represents that the flower is the symbol of protection.

From Editorial Team

River Lily And Water Lily Are Not The Same!

Despite the similar names, River Lily and Water Lily are totally different plants with potential differences in habitat and appearance.

River Lily have narrower petals with long, narrow leaves, whereas Water Lilies have symmetric and wider petals with round, plate-like leaves.

Unlike River Lily, Water Lily prefers aquatic environments to thrive.

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