The delicate lily of the valley with its pure white flowers is a symbol of purity and innocence in the language of flowers, which is why a bouquet of these pretty flowers is a popular gift for Mother's Day. In any case, the pretty perennial has its main flowering period in the merry month of May and often shows its flowers extensively during this time. In the garden, our native lily of the valley turns out to be an easy-care early bloomer that will conquer the beds all by itself over time. But be careful: the seemingly innocent-looking plant is highly toxic.

Lily of the valley decorate our forests and gardens in spring

Table of Contents

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  1. origin and meaning
  2. use
  3. appearance and growth
  4. toxicity
  5. location and soil
  6. culture in the pot
  7. Plant lilies of the valley correctly
  8. watering and fertilizing
  9. Cut lily of the valley correctly
  10. Propagating Lily of the Valley
  11. hibernate
  12. diseases and pests
  13. species and varieties

    14. origin and meaning

    The lily of the valley (bot. Convallaria majalis) occurs in almost all of Europe and in parts of Asia and North America, mainly in oak and beech forests. The species is only sparsely represented in southern Europe and is mainly found in the valleys of the mountains at altitudes of up to 1,900 meters - which, by the way, is what the Latin name refers to, because "Convallaria" means something like "valley basin". The plants form large groups in their natural habitats, but are protected and therefore may not be picked or removed. Only specimens cultivated for ornamental purposes in gardens may be used as cut flowers.

    In Christian symbolism, the lily of the valley, also known as the flower of Mary, plays an important role and stands for the innocence and purity of Mary, the mother of God. This meaning has been transferred to the language of flowers, which is why the flower today generally stands for an intimate, chaste love. In earlier times, the lily of the valley was also considered a symbol of medicine, which is why important healers were often portrayed with the flower.

    use

    Since the lily of the valley prefers a more shady spot in the garden, just like in its natural habitat, you should primarily use it to plant trees underneath. The rapidly spreading perennials look particularly pretty in company with grape hyacinths (bot. Muscari) and tulips (bot. Tulipa), but also the spring memorial (bot. Omphalodes verna), the alpine elves (bot. Epimedium alpinum), the Real woodruff (bot. Galium odoratum) or the lesser periwinkle (bot. Vinca minor) result in unusual combinations that can be admired anew every year.

    appearance and growth

    May flower, May rose or even May lily: The lily of the valley has many names, as it once played an important role in the symbolic language of flowers for many peoples. The small perennial grows between 15 and 25 centimeters high, with the long, lanceolate leaves sprout from the perennial rootstock around mid-April. The mostly dark green leaves have a glossy upper surface and closely spaced, scalloped veins. They are always grown together in pairs and surrounded by a bract. Between May and June there are between five and 13 small, white flowers with the characteristic bell shape. They give off a pleasantly sweet scent. The bright red berries, which birds like to eat, appear from July.

    toxicity

    The pretty lily of the valley is highly toxic and potentially fatal, especially to children and animals. All parts of the plants contain convallatoxin as the main active ingredient as well as other heart-active glycosides, with the bright red berries being a dangerous temptation, especially for children. But even bouquets of lily of the valley are not harmless, since the toxins of the plant are transferred into the flower water - and children may drink it or come into contact with it in some other way. Poisoning is manifested by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as well as blurred vision and dizziness, although not all symptoms appear at once. In the case of severe poisoning, cardiac arrhythmias up to and including cardiac arrest can also occur, although fatal consequences are very rare.

    Lily of the valley as a medicinal plant

    Since time immemorial, however, lily of the valley has also been used medicinally. Even today, corresponding preparations are important medicines for heart diseases and are intended to help in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac insufficiency. The heart-strengthening effect of the plant has been known - in the right dosage - for many centuries and was already described by Hieronymus Bock in the 16th century. However, you should never make lily-of-the-valley remedies on your own, as the line between healing and toxic is extremely fine, and potentially fatal overdoses can easily occur.

    Distinguish between lily of the valley and wild garlic

    Spring is wild garlic season and many people head into the forest with basket and knife to harvest the aromatic wild garlic. But be careful: Wild garlic leaves look so similar to those of the lily of the valley that unknowingly poisoning them is unwitting every year. Although wild garlic leaves - in contrast to those of the lily of the valley - have an unmistakable scent of garlic, this quickly sticks to the hands when collecting - and a distinction by smell test is practically impossible. It is therefore essential to pay attention to the following characteristics to avoid confusion:

    • Buds: wild garlic buds as early as February / March, while lily of the valley only from mid-April
    • Leaf stalks: Wild garlic has green-white leaf stalks without a leaf sheath, while lily of the valley has a membranous, greenish to brownish leaf sheath
    • Leaves: the leaf veins of wild garlic are about three to four millimeters apart, while those of the lily of the valley are very close together, and lily of the valley leaves are often darker in color and have a shiny underside
    • Roots: wild garlic belongs to the bulbous plants, while lily of the valley develops almost horizontally protruding rhizomes

    location and soil

    As a typical forest plant, the lily of the valley prefers a semi-shady to shady place in the garden, the soil of which is as fresh to moist as possible, low in lime and rich in humus. An acidic pH value between 4.5 and 6 is ideal. However, the location should not be too shady either, because the flowering will slow down if there is a lack of sunlight. Intensive solar radiation at midday should also be avoided. Poor soil can be improved very well with compost, some clay and, if necessary, sand. Plant the flower under trees or in the semi-shade of ornamental shrubs.

    culture in the pot

    The pretty lily of the valley can also be cultivated in a bucket or other planter on the balcony or terrace, as long as it is not too sunny or hot there. To do this, plant the rhizomes horizontally in the pot, which you have previously filled with a mixture of compost and a little sand. Choose a pot that is as wide as possible, at least 12 centimeters in diameter, so that the plants have enough space for the formation of root shoots. Cover the rootstock with just a little bit of soil and let the eyes stick out slightly from the substrate. The substrate, in turn, should be kept well moist, but never wet to avoid rotting.

    By the way: If you plant the lily of the valley rhizome in a planter in November or December and cultivate it on the windowsill at around 20 degrees Celsius, the plant will flower much earlier. However, the plant needs a cold stimulus to develop flowers, otherwise only leaves can be seen. After flowering, put the lily of the valley back outside or plant it out.

    Plant lilies of the valley correctly

    The delicate lilies of the valley are best planted in the previous autumn so that the flowers receive the cold stimulus they need to bloom. Keep a planting distance of at least ten centimeters between the individual plants and don't forget the rhizome barrier: the vigorous lilies of the valley spread very quickly through runners, crowd out other plants and can therefore become a nuisance. Alternatively, you can pierce the surrounding soil with a spade at regular intervals to prevent the rhizomes from spreading. Otherwise, proceed as follows when planting:

    • Dig a planting hole about ten centimeters deep.
    • Lift mature compost under the excavated soil.
    • Place the rhizomes horizontally in the planting hole with the eyes facing up.
    • Fill in the planting hole and lightly press down the soil.
    • Water liberally.

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    watering and fertilizing

    Lily of the valley is pleasingly low-maintenance and, once planted and established, hardly needs any more attention. In particular, water young, freshly planted specimens sufficiently so that they grow well. Basically, fertilizing is not necessary, but you can cover the plants that have been brought in in the autumn with a thick layer of compost or leaf compost and thus ensure fresh nutrients.

    Cut lily of the valley correctly

    After flowering, remove the withered shoots to prevent the highly poisonous berries from developing. Further cutting measures are not necessary.
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    Propagating Lily of the Valley

    Once planted, lilies of the valley will reproduce on their own and need to be limited in their spread. For targeted propagation, however, it is best to proceed as described below:

    • Dig up the rootstocks lying flat in the ground.
    • To do this, lift the plant out of the ground with a digging fork, including the rhizome.
    • The best time for this is after the flowering period in June or July.
    • Cut some roots into larger pieces.
    • Dig planting holes about ten centimeters deep at the new location.
    • Place the root pieces in one at a time.
    • Refill the planting holes with compost.

    Alternatively, you can simply separate individual pieces from a larger lily of the valley plantation and plant them separately. On average, up to six young plants develop from a piece of root approx. 15 centimeters in size.
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    hibernate

    Lily of the valley are absolutely hardy and do not need winter protection. Only specimens cultivated in pots and other planters must be protected from freezing of the substrate and thus the roots. To do this, either place the bucket in a cool and bright place, for example on a window sill, in a greenhouse or in a conservatory, or wrap the container in frost-insulating material and place it on a thick wooden or polystyrene base.

    diseases and pests

    Lily of the valley is quite susceptible to certain fungal diseases, such as the rust fungus Puccinia sessilis var. sessilis or gray mold (Botrytis cinerea). Treatment is always carried out by vigorously pruning infested plants, which should never be disposed of with the compost - the fungal spores survive here and are finally distributed further in the garden with the mature compost. Always throw infected plant material in the trash or burn it. If, on the other hand, you discover small, shiny red beetles on your lily of the valley, it is the so-called lily beetle. This pest and its larvae can be easily repelled with a powerful jet of water from the garden hose or by sprinkling dried coffee grounds.

    tips

    Lily of the valley make very good, long-lasting cut flowers. For this purpose, only cut off slightly open flower stalks and scratch them slightly. You can either keep the flowers alone in a vase, but you can also arrange them together with other plants - such as gerbera or ferns - to form a bouquet. In this case, however, you should first place the poisonous lilies of the valley separately for a few hours in order to flush out the toxins. Then pour the vase water away. Lilac, on the other hand, cannot be combined with lily of the valley, as it quickly wilts in the vicinity of the poisonous perennial.

    species and varieties

    From a botanical point of view, the lily of the valley (bot. Convallaria majalis) belonged to the lily family until 1994, but since then it has been assigned to the genus Convallaria, which comprises only three species, within the asparagus family (bot. Asparagaceae). Only the species Convallaria majalis and two subspecies belong to this grouping, of which Convallaria majalis var. keiskei is native between Siberia and Japan and Convallaria majalis var. montana in parts of the USA.

    Lily of the valley varieties

    However, only the different varieties of Convallaria majalis are used as ornamental plants, although these are usually only available in specialist shops: In the garden center you can only get the species without a variety assignment. Nevertheless, it is worth keeping an eye out for varieties of the pretty perennial:

    • 'Bridal Choice': up to 12 white, delicately scented flowers, deep green foliage
    • 'Fortins Giant': also "giant lily of the valley", long-stemmed with particularly large, fragrant individual flowers
    • 'Grandiflora': particularly large, white flowers with a strong fragrance, green foliage
    • 'Hardwick Hall': attractive cultivar with white flowers, dark green foliage with a white edge
    • 'Hitscherberger Riesenperle': many white flowers, long flower stalk, green foliage, perfect as a cut flower
    • 'Hofheim': white flowers, light green foliage with a yellowish-white leaf margin
    • 'Lineata': white flowers, green foliage with yellow vertical stripes
    • 'Plena': pretty variety with double, pink-white flowers, green foliage
    • 'Prolificans': double white flowers with green foliage
    • 'Rosea': small, soft pink flowers, green foliage
    • 'Silberconfolis': vigorous variety with many white flowers, green foliage with a silvery edge
    • 'Vierländer Glockenspiel': a specially bred variety with white flowers, long stems and green foliage

    Japanese lily of the valley (bot. Reineckea carnea)

    A species known as "Japanese lily of the valley" is sometimes commercially available, which is a species only distantly related to Convallaria majalis and has the botanical name Reineckea carnea. However, this does not look similar to our native lily of the valley, nor does it bloom in the merry month of May. The perennial, which grows to a height of around 30 centimeters, spreads just as much as the lily of the valley and prefers a partially shaded location with fresh, humus-rich substrate. The delicately scented flowering shoots, reminiscent of orchids, do not appear until late summer and continue to bloom until October. The narrow foliage is evergreen.

    False lily of the valley (bot. Polygonatum odoratum)

    Externally quite similar to the lily of the valley - and also related to it - is the Solomon's seal, which is also native to us and is also known as white root. The genus includes three species, of which the true Solomon's seal (bot. Polygonatum odoratum) can be found growing wild in forests and at the edges of forests and sometimes also in meadows. The greenish-yellow flowers appear between April and June and exude a delicate fragrance, which is why the species is also known as fragrant claret. You can occasionally buy the pretty perennial in the trade under the name false lily of the valley. The culture conditions of both species are very similar.

    Two-leaved shadowflower (bot. Maianthemum bifolium)

    This small, attractive perennial is also counted among the Convallariaceae and is therefore both related to the lily of the valley and externally quite similar. In nature, the group-forming plant occurs in many forests on acidic, nutrient-rich soils. It is also very suitable for cultivation in the garden and spreads quickly thanks to its vigorous rhizomes. The species only grows to a height of about 15 centimeters and forms numerous white, delicately scented flowers that appear between May and June. In the garden, however, the equally poisonous wild perennial is still rarely found.

    Star lily of the valley (bot. Speirantha gartdenii)

    This is also not a real lily of the valley, but a related species that also belongs to the Convallariaceae. The star lily of the valley is native to China and forms numerous pretty, slightly fragrant flower stars between May and June. The perennial grows up to 30 centimeters high and can be socialized very well with lily of the valley and its relatives.Like all members of the plant family, this pretty flower is highly toxic.

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Vegetable garden