Both plants seem to have a preference for a particular month of the year. At least that's what their names suggest. If you also focus your attention on a single flower, you will see similarities in shape and color. Are the two plants closely related?

Lilies of the valley bloom in May, March cups (photo) in March

The Families and Occurrences

March cup and lily of the valley are not related. They come from different families. The spring snowflake is part of the amaryllis family, while the lily of the valley is a member of the asparagus family.

March cup and lily of the valley are both thought to be bulbous. But only the March cup also drives out an onion. The lily of the valley, on the other hand, grows from rhizomes.

Of course, they both occur in forests. The lily of the valley prefers simple deciduous forests and meadows. The March cup also needs moist soil, which is why there are usually streams and rivers nearby. But both species are also cultivated in private gardens.

Similarities in the flowers

One thing they have in common is the flower color and almost also the flower shape. Both flowers are white and resemble a bell. The lily of the valley also bears witness to this with its name. The March cup is popularly known as March bells.

tips

How about pink lilies of the valley? There actually is a variety that does not bloom in the typically white way.

There are also differences

The flowers of these two plants cannot be confused with one another in real life. Because when the lily of the valley blooms in the merry month of May, the March cup has long since ended its flowering period. Nevertheless, here is the list of differences:

  • Lily of the valley blooms in May
  • bears 5 to 17 small flowers per stem
  • Flowers have no pattern
  • from July red berries form
  • March cup flowers from February to April
  • bears one or two flowers per stem
  • the petals have a yellow-green dot at the tip

The leaves

As similar as the flowers are, the leaves of these two plant species can be easily distinguished. While they are thin and long in the March cup, in the lily of the valley they have an elongated oval shape. They are a lot wider than the spring snowflake, as the March cup is also called.

The leaves of Malglockchen can easily be mistaken for wild garlic. This is edible and is often collected in the wild. But the leaves of the lily of the valley are poisonous and must not end up in the collection basket. By the way, the March cup is also poisonous.

They are under nature protection

The March cup, which is a protected species in this country, may not be picked in the wild, nor may its bulb be dug up. The lily of the valley may not be dug up either, but a small bouquet for home is allowed. Attention: In some European countries stricter rules apply to it.

Category:

Vegetable garden