May Lily Convallaria majalis
White flowers May lily of the valley
White flower bell lily of the valley
May lily Convallaria majalis
Lily of the valley pink flowers
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Convallaria majalis, May lily of the valley
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Although almost all the lily of the valley sold in France on May 1st is native to the Loire-Atlantique region, the plant is much more widespread! Convallaria majalis brightens up European undergrowth with its bell-shaped flowers, from Great Britain to Russia. But beware! This member of the Asparagaceae family may bring you good luck, but it can also be very dangerous.
How to recognize May Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis?
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is an upright herbaceous flowering plant. Smaller than bordeaux' Lily of the Valley, it doesn't grow more than 30 centimetres high.
The plant grows from a trailing rhizome. The underground stem has numerous adventitious roots, enabling it to colonize large areas.
The quadrangular stem never branches and droops slightly. Green, it is covered at the base with a violet or brown sheath.
Each stem bears two thick leaves. Oval to lanceolate, they measure between ten and twenty centimetres long. The dark-green blades are deeply veined.
Convallaria majalis flowers between April and July. The stem is then adorned with fragrant, bell-shaped flowers. White in the botanical variety, they can be tinted pink in certain cultivars Lily of the valley pink).
Once pollinated, the flowers give rise to a spherical red fruit.
Convallaria majalis is highly toxic. All parts contain saponins, a substance that causes digestive and cardiac problems if ingested. Avoid growing lily of the valley if you live with young children or pets.
Our maintenance tips
Have you decided to plant a few sprigs of May Lily of the Valley in your garden? Think again! The plant has a trailing rhizome and can quickly establish itself in places where it hasn't been invited. What's more, it is extremely toxic to humans and animals if ingested.
Watering
Allow the potting soil to dry for at least a centimetre. Water the substrate with rainwater at room temperature.
Empty any stagnant water from the saucer or planter. It will rot the roots and may kill your May Lily of the Valley.
Repotting
Pour a layer of potting soil for flowering plants into a perforated pot. Plant your May Lily of the Valley in the center. Add substrate to reach rootball level. Pack gently.
Water until the water runs out of the drainage holes to encourage rooting.
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Convallaria majalis, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
Apply flowering plant fertilizer to stimulate flowering.
Prune
Remove spent flowers before they set seed. Their production exhausts the plant.
Plantation
Before planting your May Lily of the Valley, work the soil. Pull out weeds and roots to a length of about 20 centimetres around the planting area.
Then dig a hole fifteen to twenty centimetres deep. Place a little compost or potting soil at the bottom to enrich the soil.
Plant your May Lily of the Valley, spreading out the roots. You can fill in the hole with your own garden soil. But if your soil is heavy, add a little sand to lighten it.
Water generously to help the plant establish itself.
Cutting
Cutting takes place in autumn.
Your May Lily of the Valley has a creeping rhizome. You can cut off part of it to propagate the plant.
Take advantage of repotting to gain access to the root system. If you have planted your May Lily of the Valley in the ground, you can dig a hole around the plant. Ten or fifteen centimetres deep is enough to find the roots.
Using a clean, sharp knife, remove a claw, i.e. A horizontal root with adventitious roots and a bud. Then fill in the hole or repot your plant.
Dig a hole about five centimetres deep. Remove weeds and stones.
Plant your Convallaria majalis. Be sure to install the cutting the right way round: the point should face upwards.
Cover the cutting with five centimetres of soil. You can use your own garden soil. If your soil is heavy, lighten it with a little sand.
Water generously to help the plant settle.
Diseases / Threats
Information
| Family | Asparagaceae - Asparagaceae |
| Type | Lily of the valley - Convallaria |
| Species | May Lily of the Valley - Convallaria majalis |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposures | |
| Substrats | |
| Planting methods |
Open ground In pots Planter |
| Categories | |
| Tags |
Beginner Invasive Toxic |
| Origins |
Northern Europe Eastern Europe Southern Europe Western Europe |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 7b |
| Leaf color |
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| Flower color |
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| Fruit color |
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