- Lily of the valley grows from rhizomes, not bulbs
- Bulbs form daughter plants, you can divide rhizomes
- What to look out for when planting bulbs and rhizomes
If you want to buy lilies of the valley for the garden, you can usually find them among the flower bulbs in the hardware store. The lily of the valley has no bulbs at all, but grows from rhizomes. Unlike snowdrops and tulips, lily of the valley is a perennial and not a bulbous plant.
Lily of the valley rhizomes have no bulbs
Lily of the valley grows from rhizomes, not bulbs
If you look at the root of a lily of the valley, you'll see the difference immediately. It is a root with slight swellings. The thickenings are called rhizomes. They are storage organs where nutrients for leaves and flowers are collected.
Bulbs of tulips and other flowers have a different shape. Fine roots can be seen at the lower end, while at the upper end you can see an eye from which the flower sprouts.
Lily of the valley rhizomes have many eyes. A lily of the valley can grow out of anyone.
Bulbs form daughter plants, you can divide rhizomes
The difference is also evident in the propagation. Flower bulbs propagate via daughter bulbs that grow close to the mother plant. The daughter bulbs can be separated and replanted.
Pierce the lily of the valley rhizomes in the middle or break them into several pieces. As long as an eye remains on each section, new lilies of the valley will grow from it.
Since rhizomes are much more prolific in the garden, always plant a rhizome barrier before planting lilies of the valley to keep the perennial in check. Once the lilies of the valley have spread far and wide in the garden, they can hardly be removed permanently.
What to look out for when planting bulbs and rhizomes
- Dig a planting hole
- Improve soil with compost
- Insert the onion or rhizome the right way round
- heap up earth
- approach carefully
If you place rhizomes or flower bulbs in the planting hole the wrong way round, the plant will initially sprout in the wrong direction. It takes a long time for the shoot to find its way up. It often rots before it reaches the surface.
tips
Bulbous plants do not spread over the whole garden as quickly as a perennial with rhizomes. The rhizomes form many offshoots that also sprout further away from the mother plant.