Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Perennial · Asparagaceae
Lily of the valley
Convallaria majalis
In other languages: Lelietje-van-dalen (Nederlands) · Muguet (Français)
Lily of the valley is a native perennial of Europe’s deciduous woodlands, including those of Belgium. Each spring its creeping rhizomes send up two broad, elliptical leaves, with a slender stem of nodding white bells between them. These flower in April and May and have a sweet, powerful scent. In late summer red berries sometimes follow. Gardeners plant it in shade, where it slowly but surely forms a dense carpet. Besides the white form there is a pale pink one (var. rosea) and ‘Albostriata’, with cream-striped leaves.
Caution: All parts are highly poisonous, including the red berries and the water from the vase. Children, dogs, cats and other pets are most at risk. The young leaves look like those of wild garlic: never pick wild leaves to eat unless you are certain what they are.
Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -40 °C
Size
0.2 m
tall, 0.3 m wide
Flowering
April–May
| Height | 0.2 m |
|---|---|
| Native to Belgium | Yes |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Flowering | April–May |
Identify
Lily of the valley: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- A low plant 15–20 cm high that spreads by rhizomes into a dense carpet.
- Leaves
- Usually two per shoot, broadly elliptical, 10–20 cm long, fresh green and smooth. From late summer they turn colour and wither.
- Flowers
- 5 to 15 small, white, nodding bells along one side of an arching stem, in April and May.
- Scent
- Sweet and powerful, especially on a mild, damp day.
- Fruit
- Round red berries in late summer, but not every year and not on every plant.
- Roots
- Creeping, branching rhizomes with fat buds, from which new shoots appear every spring.
Flowering: April–May · Plants: March and September–October
In your garden
Why grow it?
- One of the most fragrant spring flowers: a few stems in a small glass scent a whole room.
- A dense ground cover for the shade under trees and shrubs, where little else flowers.
- Native: it belongs in our woods and suits a natural garden perfectly.
- Small, fragrant posies from your own garden, traditionally around 1 May.
- Once settled it needs hardly any attention and returns every year.
Lily of the valley: where does it grow best?
- Partial shade or shade, for example under deciduous trees or on the north side of a wall.
- Humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, with plenty of leaf mould; acid to chalky is fine.
- Ordinary moist soil that does not dry out in spring. In full sun the leaves soon scorch and it flowers less.
- Give it room to spread, or fit a root barrier if it must not go any further.
- Light
- Partial shade and shade
- Soil type
- Sand, loam or clay
- Acidity
- Not fussy
- Moisture
- Normal
- Size
- 0.2 m tall, 0.3 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -40 °C)
Goes well with
- Ferns: Fresh foliage that keeps the spot green in summer when the lily of the valley withers.
- Wood anemone: A native spring flower for the same shade, flowering just a little earlier.
- Barrenwort: Graceful leaves and small flowers in April, in the same shade.
- Hosta: Large leaves that take over after flowering.
- Solomon’s seal: Same family, same spot: white bells, but on tall, arching stems.
Maintenance
Lily of the valley: when and how to plant it?
Plant in March and September–October.
- Plant the rhizomes in September–October or in March, when the ground is not frozen.
- Mix a few spadefuls of leaf mould or compost into the top 20 cm of soil.
- Lay the rhizomes flat and shallow, buds upwards with the tips just below the surface, about 2–3 cm deep.
- Leave 10–15 cm between pieces; after a few years they grow together.
- Firm the soil lightly and water.
- Cover the area with a thin layer of leaf mould.
Care
- Watering
- Water in spring dry spells; after that it is undemanding.
- Feeding
- A layer of leaf mould or well-rotted compost every autumn is enough.
- Patience
- In the first year after planting it often flowers sparsely; from the second or third year the carpet thickens.
- Leaves
- Leave the leaves after flowering until they turn yellow and brown by themselves: they feed the rhizomes.
- Berries
- Cut off the berries where children or pets play.
- Dividing
- If the carpet flowers less in the centre, dig out a few clumps in autumn and replant them elsewhere.
Tip: Spread a layer of leaf mould over the carpet every autumn: it imitates the woodland the plant comes from, and it will flower more freely every year.
Lily of the valley: when to prune it?
When: Lily of the valley is not pruned. In autumn you simply clear the withered leaves.
How:
- After flowering, leave the leaves until they die back naturally.
- In October–November remove the brown leaves, or leave them as a natural mulch.
- Cut off the flower stems after flowering if you do not want berries.
Caution: Wash your hands after handling the plants: all parts are poisonous.
Propagation
- Division
- In September–October, once the leaves have withered: dig clumps from the carpet or detach pieces of rhizome with at least one fat bud, and replant at once.
- Seed
- Possible with seed from ripe berries, but slow: a seedling takes several years to flower. Wear gloves.
Lily of the valley: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −40 °C.
- Very hardy, to about −40 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
- Lily of the valley needs a cold winter to flower well.
- A layer of leaf mould in autumn protects and feeds the rhizomes.
- In a pot: keep the pot sheltered and the compost slightly moist, not wet.
Diseases and pests
- Few flowers: Plants too young, shade too deep, drought or an overcrowded carpet. Be patient, give a little more light or divide in autumn.
- Early withering: Brown, dried-out leaves in summer due to sun and drought. Mulch and water; from late summer onwards discoloration is normal.
- Spreading too far: In loose, humus-rich soil it runs everywhere. Cut off the runners with a spade or fit a root barrier 20–30 cm deep.
- Grey mould: In wet, mild weather brown spots and grey fluff on the leaves. Cut off affected leaves and let in a little more air.
Through the year
- March: Planting. Spread leaf mould.
- April: First flowers. Water in dry spells.
- May: Full bloom. Pick a fragrant posy.
- June: Leave the leaves. Cut off faded stems if you do not want berries.
- August: Red berries: cut them off where children or pets come.
- September: Divide and plant.
- October: Planting. Clear withered leaves. Add leaf mould.
- November: Rest. Fallen leaves can stay where they are.
Use
Edible and useful
Not edible. All parts of lily of the valley are poisonous, especially the red berries and the flowers, and even the water from a vase of them; it affects the heart. In spring the leaves are mistaken for wild garlic: lily of the valley has two or three leaves on one stem and does not smell of garlic. So do not pick wild garlic among lilies of the valley. Also poisonous to dogs and cats. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.
You and this species
Did you know?
- In France it is a tradition to give a sprig of lily of the valley on 1 May as a lucky charm.
- Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland.
- Its scent cannot be extracted from the flowers in the usual way: perfumers recreate it with other fragrant substances.