Telperion was the elder of the Two Trees of Valinor, and he had dark green leaves that shone with silver on their undersides. From each of his innumerable flowers a dew of silver light fell, and the earth below was dappled with the shadows of his fluttering leaves. His dews were hoarded by Varda in great vats like shining lakes, and they were to all of the land of the Valar like wells of water and of light.

Telperion was also known as Silpion and Ninquelótë. He was the first of the Trees to come to flower, and in the first hour of his blooming came the white glimmer of a silver dawn. From all days thenceforth until the Darkening of Valinor, his blooming ended at the sixth hour.

From the silver dews of Telperion, Varda created the new stars. When the elves came to live in Tirion, Yavanna created a White Tree for them, a lesser image of Telperion himself. That tree was called Galathilion, and itself brought forth other great White Trees of Númenor and Middle-earth.

After the despoiling of the trees by Melkor and Ungoliant, Telperion gave forth one last silver flower, which the Valar moulded into the vessel of the Moon.

In Doriath, the symbol of Melian was a white flower of Telperion.
Encyclopedia entry originally written by atalante_star