Many Plants Called Lilies Are Not Lilies
Lilies are showy flowering plants of the genus Lilium. A great many flowers carrying the name belong elsewhere entirely.
Lilies are bulbous flowering plants of the genus *Lilium*. The name has been attached far too widely: water lilies, day lilies, calla lilies, arum lilies and lily of the valley all belong to other families. True lilies grow from scaly bulbs and have six tepals, and the distinction matters because many true lilies are seriously toxic to cats.
- Flowering plants of the genus Lilium. *A vase of lilies.*
- Lily — the singular. *A single lily.*
- Gild the lily — to over-embellish. *That would gild the lily.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | lily | A white lily. |
| Plural | lilies | Fresh lilies. |
| Genus | Lilium | The genus Lilium. |
| Related | fleur-de-lis | A heraldic fleur-de-lis. |
| Adjective | lily-white | Lily-white hands. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Lilies are dangerous to cats.Even pollen can cause kidney failure.
- Water lilies are not lilies.A different family entirely.
- Gild the lily is a misquotation.Shakespeare wrote *paint the lily*.
Plants called lilies that are not
- Water lily — family Nymphaeaceae
- Day lily — genus Hemerocallis
- Calla and arum lily — family Araceae
- Lily of the valley — genus Convallaria
- True lilies — genus Lilium, growing from scaly bulbs
From Old English *lilie*, from Latin *lilium*, from Greek *leirion*. The phrase *gild the lily* misquotes Shakespeare's King John.
Are lilies poisonous to cats?
True lilies and day lilies are seriously toxic to cats. Even pollen on the fur can cause kidney failure, and veterinary advice should be sought immediately.
What did Shakespeare actually write?
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily. The familiar phrase merges the two halves of the line.