Lily of the valley = Convallaria majalis

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe, but is considered generally invasive in parts of North America.

Despite its name, it is actually not really a lily.  it is scientifically classified as a part of the Asparagaceae (asparagus ) family. 
 

Taxonomy

In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae). It was formerly placed in its own family Convallariaceae, and, like many lilioid monocots, before that in the lily family Liliaceae.
 
There are three varieties that have sometimes been separated out as distinct species or subspecies by some botanists.
Convallaria majalis var. keiskei – from China and Japan, with red fruit and bowl-shaped flowers
Convallaria majalis var. majalis – from Eurasia, with white midribs on the flowers
Convallaria majalis var. montana – from the United States, with green-tinted midribs on the flowers
 

Mention in Bible

I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

Song of Songs 2:1

The Lily of The Valley, 1881 (hymn)

 

"The Lily of the Valley" ("I've Found a Friend in Jesus") is a Christian hymn written by William Charles Fry (1837–1882) in London for the Salvation Army. Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) arranged the words to the music of "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane" composed by Will S. Hays (1837-1907).

History

Fry and his family were members of the Salvation Army which was then was in crisis. It is recorded that Fry did not like the abuse he saw hurled at the Salvation Army when they established their ministry in 1878 in Salisbury, where the Fry family lived. 

Mr. Fry, who was a bricklayer, and his three sons offered to serve as bodyguards for the Salvation Army workers. The next day the four men arrived with their “weapons". These weapons consisted of two cornets, a trombone and a small tuba. In between fighting off the troublemakers, the Fry men played, and their music attracted a crowd for the Salvation Army preachers. This was the first Salvation Army brass band with Mr. Fry as the leader of the band as inscribed on his grave stone.

Fry took the term "Lily of the Valley" from the book of Song of Solomon 2:1 < I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley …>. He used this verse of Scripture to represent the message of the preacher William Booth to the people during the protests of 1881 describing a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. 

Those words were first published in the December 29, 1881, edition of the Salvation Army national magazine, the War Cry. 

Charles Fry died the year after publishing the hymn, on August 24, 1882, in Park Hall, Polmont, Scotland. American evangelist Ira D. Sankey adapted Fry's words to the music of "The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane" composed in 1871 by Will Hays for a secular minstrel show.