Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)

Lily of the valley is a popular garden plant, especially used as a ground cover in shady areas of the garden.

The plant is a deciduous perennial found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere – it also grows wild in the forests in Denmark.

Lily of the valley also grows in large colonies bound together by underground stems (rhizomes) and a fine, woody root system.

Lily of the valley flowers are white, bell-shaped and very fragrant. The fruits of the plant are berries that range in color from orange to dark red.

Cultivation and care

• Lily of the valley is often used as a ground cover and is primarily used in shady areas of the garden
• The rhizomes are planted about 10 cm apart from each other
• Can be replanted after flowering
• You can also dig up some of the lilies of the valley for mulching
• Thrives in both sun and shade
• Generally does not require much care – not even to spread
• Flowering is in May-June
• Berries appear during the summer

Soil conditions

• It has a high tolerance to soil acidity
• In sandy soils it may require watering and nutrients

Characteristics of the lily of the valley

• The lily of the valley is a deciduous perennial – i.e. it loses its leaves in the fall, while the underground parts survive
• It can grow up to 30 cm tall, but is typically between 10-25 cm
• It has underground as well as above-ground leafless stems
• The underground stems are also called rhizomes, stolons or rhizomes and spread in large colonies
• The roots are fine and woody
• Flowers are white tepals, which in rare cases can also be slightly pink
• The flowers are bell-shaped, around 5-10 mm in diameter and fragrant with a sweetish character
• The number of flowers can be between 6 and 12
• The fruits are orange-red berries around 5-7 mm in diameter with 2-6 large white or brown seeds. Upon drying, the seeds become clear and reduce their size to around 1-3 mm
• The plants are self-sterile – i.e. colonies consisting of a single clone cannot set seeds

Species

Lily of the valley is not a true lily as it does not belong to the Lily family. There are three varieties of lily of the valley, sometimes referred to as separate species by some botanists:

• Convallaria majalis var. majalis: native to Eurasia and has white midribs in the flowers

• Convallaria majalis var. keiskei: originates from China and Japan and has red fruits and bowl-shaped flowers

• Convallaria majalis var. montana: originates from the USA and has greenish midribs in the flowers

In addition, there are also several hybrids such as Rosea, Albostriata, Green Tapestry, Berlin Giant, Flore Pleno and others.

Convallaria transcaucasia is considered by most to be a separate species. In the past, there was also a species called Convallaria japonicus, which is now classified as Ophiopogon japonicus.

The Latin generic name Majalis means “belonging to the month of May”. The name Convallaria comes from the word convallis, which in Latin means “deep valley”.

Toxicity

Lily of the valley is extremely poisonous, which – as with all plants – is part of its natural defense against animals. All parts of the plant are toxic (the stem, leaves, flowers and berries) and almost 40 different cardiac glycosides (also known as digitalis glycosides) have been identified in it so far.

Cardiac glycosides play a role in two basic functions of the heart:

• The heart's ability to contract
• How much blood the heart can pump around the body

Cardiac glycosides are currently used in several types of medicine – however, they are not extracted from lily of the valley, but instead from plants in the foxglove genus (Digitalis).

In excessive doses – such as lily of the valley – cardiac glucosides can therefore cause significant damage to the body in both humans and animals. The symptoms of lily of the valley ingestion include:

Poisoning from a lily of the valley can also be fatal. As a general rule, it is always recommended to seek medical attention if you have ingested lily of the valley.

Geographical distribution

Lily of the valley is found in the northern hemisphere and is wild in Asia and Europe. Wild lily of the valley also grows on the east coast of the United States (in the southern parts of the Appalachians), but experts continue to debate whether these lily of the valley can be considered wild. For the record, lily of the valley in the United States goes by the species name Convallaria majalis var. montana.

History and religion

The lily of the valley appears several times in Christian religious history. According to one story, the lilies of the valley were supposedly shaped after the tears shed by the Virgin Mary during Jesus' crucifixion. In another version, it is Eve's tears that shape the flowers as she drives Adam out of Paradise.

Furthermore, there is a story from England where St. Leonard fought a large dragon in the woods near Horsham, Sussex (England). The fight is said to have lasted many hours and St. Leonard suffered several deep wounds, but eventually killed the dragon. In the places where his blood dripped, lily pads grew up to commemorate his desperate fight. The forests in the area still bear the name St. Leonard's Forest to this day.

In addition, the lily of the valley has had the following meanings in history:

• A symbol of humility in religious paintings
• A sign of the second coming of Jesus
• A symbol of man's strength to envision a better world
• In floral language, it symbolizes “the return of joy”
• In ancient astrological records it is placed under the rule of the god Mercury

Lily of the valley has also had medicinal uses since the Roman Empire. The primary use has been for heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia) and heart failure (cardiac insufficiency).

Lily of the valley is also the national flower of Finland and the floral emblem of Yugoslavia.