One of the most popular and well-known spring flowers is the lily of the valley, which attracts numerous insects with its lovely scent. It can be found in the wild in our latitudes as well as in many parks and home gardens.
Lily of the valley often blooms as early as April
Plant profile:
- Botanical name: Convallaria majalis
- German names: Lilies of the valley, women's tears, Faltrianblume, Maiblume, Maililie, Augenkraut, Lilie des Tales (lily of the valley)
- Class: Monocots (Liliopsida)
- Genus: Lily of the Valley (Convallaria)
- Family: Asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
- Growth height: 10 to 30 centimeters
- Main flowering period: April to June
- Leaf color: Dark green, clearly glossy
- Leaf shape: Elliptical, growing together in pairs
- Flower color: white, cultivated forms can also be pink)
- Flower shape: bells, all pointing in the same direction and made up of five to thirteen individual flowers
- Fruits: Bright red berries
origin
The lily of the valley is native to Europe, Asia and North America and can even be found in these areas at altitudes of up to 1900 meters. It thrives mainly in sparse beech and deciduous forests on slightly calcareous soils. Here the little scented princess forms large carpets of flowers.
plant symbolism
Lily of the valley stand for purity, festivity, bliss and the awakening love. But they are not only among the symbols of luck and love. They are often depicted on medieval panel paintings because of their ambiguity: the Madonna often holds a bouquet of lilies of the valley in her hands, as do martyrs condemned to death.
planting and care
Lily of the valley are not very undemanding. In the shade under trees, the foothills of the fragrant spring bloomers even hold up against strong root pressure. The plant prefers moist, humus-rich soil. However, the delicate plant does not like full sun.
Lily of the valley sprouts are placed in groups of about twenty centimeters apart. Water sufficiently so that the young plants grow well. When the lilies of the valley have faded, you should cut out the flower clusters, the leaves remain.
In the fall, mulch with a thick layer of leaf compost. Additional fertilizers are not necessary.
diseases and pests
Lily of the valley are very robust and are rarely attacked by a variant of the rust fungus. If you discover this, you should cut off all diseased plant parts and dispose of them in the household waste.
Occasionally gray mold occurs. Then treat the lily of the valley with commercially available products, otherwise the plant will rot and die. The spores of the fungus could also infect other plants.
The lily beetle and its larvae like to perch on lilies of the valley. Here it has proven useful to collect the beetles and rinse off the larvae, which usually sit under the leaves, with the garden hose. Further measures are not necessary.
tips
In 2014, the lily of the valley was named poisonous plant of the year. All parts of the plant are highly toxic, and this effect is not lost even through drying. When collecting wild garlic, there is a risk of confusing the two plants. If you grate the lily of the valley leaves, they do not smell intensely of garlic, unlike the popular herb. Nevertheless, if in doubt, you should consult an expert who is familiar with the differences between the plants.