Discover the National Flower of Finland: Lily-of-the-Valley

Every country in the world takes pride in the landscape, geology, plant life, and animal wildlife that exists within its borders. This includes Finland. The national flower of Finland is inspired by a sense of national pride and patriotism reflected in the choice of species to represent the country to the world. Countries choose national flowers to represent the landscape where they grow, aspects of the culture, or history and biodiversity. Sometimes the national flower inhabits a place of particular religious or cultural significance. Alternatively, sometimes it is one of the most widespread flowering species found growing throughout the country. 

Finland, a country in northern Scandinavia, which is a part of northern Europe, has thick woodland area and is known for its dense forests. Because of this, Finland’s landscape is full of conifer trees such as pine and spruce, with deciduous trees such as birch, aspen, maple, and elms growing in the southern region of the country. Finland’s woodland areas are rich in fungi, lichen, and swamp plans. However, the country is also home to more than 1,000 different flowering plants. One of these is its national flower, which this article will explore in greater detail now.

What is Finland’s National Flower?

Finland’s national flower is the species Convallaria majalis, which is most commonly known as the “lily-of-the-valley” (or sometimes simply as “lily of the valley”). This sweet-smelling flower is familiar to many Finnish people and grows throughout the country. Lily-of-the-valley has white blossoms, which grow in small clusters shaped like little bells. These blossoms emit a sweet scent. Lily-of-the-valley plants grow bountifully in the country’s forests, parks, and gardens, and can be found growing throughout Finland. The small flowers blossom in the summer, with bright red berries appearing in the late summer months. 

What is Lily-of-the-Valley?

The national flower of Finland, Convallaria majalis, is a perennial in the Asparagaceae family. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial. This means that the plant has horizontal, underground stems, which produce roots that shoot out underground from nodes. Mint is another example of a rhizomatous plant, which has long underground stems that bud and send out new roots to help the plant spread. This allows the lily-of-the-valley plant to spread far distances underground, with above-ground growth that reaches 8 to 12 inches tall. The leaves and flowers of the lily-of-the-valley are attractive, and the blossoms smell sweet, making it a favorite plant for shade gardens.

The lily-of-the-valley’s flowers grow from stems in the spring or early summer, with leaf clusters producing stems off of which small, bell-shaped flowers grow. These flowers will bloom for several weeks, with the white flowers hanging on arched stems. In the later summer or early fall, red-colored berries with several seeds each appear. Though these may look delicious, the lily-of-the-valley plant is not edible – even the berries are very poisonous. 

Where Does Lily-of-the-Valley Grow?

Lily-of-the-valley grows throughout Finland, as well as in other parts of Europe and North America. It grows well in moist soil but well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. You may often find this plant in forested areas or in the shade underneath trees, where it will spread rapidly. Though the plant can handle a variety of soil conditions, it will grow best in dappled sunlight and cooler climates, such as those found in its native habitats in Europe and North America. It will not thrive in hot or humid conditions. As Finland’s national flower, it makes sense that the plant grows widely throughout the country’s forest and park areas.

You may propagate lily-of-the-valley from seed or by dividing the plant in the autumn season. It grows so well that the plant can become invasive in new areas, such as temperate parts of North America. It’s a good choice as a groundcover, but watch out for it escaping cultivation. You may cut the flowers to enjoy their sweet scent – but just be careful to keep it away from small children or pets, to whom it will be very toxic. If a child or animal ingests lily-of-the-valley, look for symptoms of poisoning. Eating even small amounts of the plant can lead to symptoms, such as vomiting, stomach pain, reduced heart rate, rashes on the skin, or blurred vision.

Cultural Significance of Finland’s National Flower

Lily-of-the-valley became Finland’s national flower in 1967. There, it is known as a kielo in Finnish. This refers to the plant’s tongue shaped leaves – the word kieli is Finnish for “tongue.” It is also known by several other related nicknames. For example, it is sometimes called lehmänkieli, which means “cow’s tongue,” koirankieli, which means “dog’s tongue,” and lehmänkielenkukka, which means “the cow tongue flower.” Lily-of-the-valley is also called by several other names in English. At times, it is called “may bells,” “Mary’s tears,” or “Our Lady’s tears.”

In Finnish culture, the lily-of-the-valley is a symbol of love and purity. Its sweet, small, and pretty blossoms make it popular for picking from the wild or including in bouquets. As a symbol of love and purity, it is a popular addition to wedding bouquets in the spring or summer months when it blooms. 

Beyond Finland’s borders, however, lily-of-the-valley has also made an appearance in the weddings of several other cultural icons. This includes royalty from throughout Europe! Look in wedding photos from Queen Victoria, Grace Kelly, and Kate Middleton, and you will find the white bell-shaped flowers in their bridal bouquets.

For the average person, lily-of-the-valley bouquets pop up in farmers’ markets during its blossoming season.

Where Does Lily-of-the-Valley Appear in Finland’s Symbols?

Finland’s national flower, lily-of-the-valley, is also known as Finland’s official “floral emblem.” As such, it may appear as a representation of the country as part of cultural celebrations, formal communications, or simply as a symbol recognized by Finnish people. Now that you know that the lily-of-the-valley is a national emblem of Finland, look out for drawings, paintings, or other representations of this beautiful flower in Finnish culture. You may sometimes see these flowers in famous Finnish artworks, as part of popular culture, or in home decor or practical kitchen items. National emblems often appear in folk art, such as the pieces sold in farmers’ markets, local art boutiques, or online as a representation of national pride.

Is Lily-of-the-Valley Endangered?

While Finland is home to many endangered and threatened species, the lily-of-the-valley is not among them. In fact, this species grows very well in many different temperate environments, including those to which it is not native. Because of this, lily-of-the-valley can be considered an invasive species outside of its home in Finland, other parts of Europe, and parts of North America. Though it is native to Finland and Europe, it has been successfully exported and cultivated throughout temperate regions of the world where it thrives in cooler climates with partial shade.

However, some estimates say that every ninth species in Finland is endangered. Thankfully, this species is not among them. However, preserving the natural land of Finland will be important to ensuring that lily-of-the-valley continues to grow abundantly in nature.

What Are the Other National Symbols of Finland?

Finland has numerous symbols that represent the country and its culture on the global stage. Among these are the most widely recognized: the Finnish flag and the Finnish coat of arms. However, there are many other symbols, like the lily-of-the-valley, which are less well-known representations of the Finnish government, history, and people.

Here are some of the other symbols that represent Finland:

• Rye bread, the national food
• Kantele, a stringed musical instrument that is the national instrument
• Pesäpallo, a game also known as “Finnish baseball,” is the national sport
• Brown bear, the national animal
• Seven-spot ladybird (also known as the “seven-spot ladybug”), the national insect
• Granite, the national stone
• Finnish Spitz, the national dog
• Whooper swan, the national bird
• Silver birch, the national tree

Along with these, there are many other plants, animals, people, and objects that represent aspects of Finnish culture. Among them is the sweet-smelling, beautiful flower lily-of-the-valley!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/rustamank