50+ Lifestyles

The Symbols of May

By Eloise Graham

Emerald is the birthstone for May. The green hue of the emerald “has soothed souls and excited imaginations since antiquity.”* Its name is of Greek origin “smaragdus” meaning green. The Roman, Pliny the Elder, claimed that “…nothing greens greener.” in his Natural History publication of the first century AD.

The first known emerald mines were in Egypt dating as far back as 330 BC and still being mined into the 1700s. Cleopatra had a deep passion for this green gem and used it in her royal adornments.

The bright green color reflects new spring growth, making it the perfect choice for the birthstone for May. The emerald is also the gemstone for the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.*

* taken from Emerald History and Lore – GIA at www.gia.edu

Lily of the Valley is the birth flower for the month of May. Lily of the was native to Europe. It was brought to North America and Northern Asia by European settlers and traders. It is considered a woodland wild flower. It prefers shade to sun and blooms profusely in the spring, May and early June.

There are many legends surrounding this delicate, sweetly scented, pendant bell-shaped white flowered plant. One legend suggests that the flowers sprouted up from Eve’s tears after she was exiled from the Garden of Eden.

The delicate sweet scent was made into a perfume. The flower was a favorite of designer Christian Dior. In 1956, the French firm Dior produced a fragrance simulating the lily of the valley. It has since been discontinued but is considered one of the classic perfumes of the House of Dior.

The downsides to lily of the valley. The plant is safe to handle but is poisonous when ingested, so don’t let your pets eat any of it. It spreads by tiny rhizomes that grow profusely under ground. It can be very invasive in cultivated gardens. So unless you enjoy constantly digging up the root system, it is best to let it grow in the woodlands not you flower beds.