The lily is one of the most popular flowers throughout the world. It is mostly found in the northern temperate and subtropical regions and is usually available almost all around the year since it is a perennial plant. Lily plants can be grown in both, a woodland habitat as well as grassland habitat. Some types of lilies can even survive in marshy lands. Generally, they thrive well in moderately acidic or lime free soil. As a thumb rule, the lily flower is used as a garden plant, an ornamental one or a house plant.

      Flowers of the lily are popularly used as decoration. Its flowers appear either singly or in clusters mostly with a sweet fragrance and in a variety of colours like white, cream, yellow, red, pink, orange, and sometimes in a combination of two colours. Essentially, the lily is a monocotyledon and the flower usually has six segments whereas the fruit is capsular with three chambers, it has narrow leaves which have parallel veins and its stems are leafy with scaly bulbs.

      Since the starchy lily bulbs are edible, they are cultivated in large scale as health food in China. In those regions, lily flower tea is used to help cure cough and is considered to be effective in firming the skin as well as in the reduction of wrinkles. It also helps in lowering body heat. Dried lily flower is also used as a cosmetic ingredient in far Eastern countries.

      Sometimes, lily flowers are also used at funerals. It is believed that the presence of lilies at the funerals help the soul of the deceased attain innocence after death.