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Photo Credit
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Convallaria majalis
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
White
Hardiness Zone
3
4
5
6
7
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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Lily of the Valley
Catherine Boeckmann
Lily of the Valley—as known as May Bells, Mary’s Tears, and Our Lady’s Tears—is a woodland plant with attractive green foliageand tiny, bell-shaped, white or pink flowers. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for the lily of the valley in yourgarden!
About Lily of theValley
Lily of the valley is a low-growing (6 to 12 inches tall), spreading plant that comes up year after year in late spring. The genus Convallaria includes a single species, C. majalis, which is among the most useful ground covers forshade.
Warning: Lily of the valley is known to be a veryaggressive spreader. Plant with caution! All parts of the plant, including the berries, are poisonous to people andanimals.
Lily of the valley blooms are bell-shaped and appear as a cluster on one side of a leafless stalk and last for about three weeks. The leaves are located at the base of the plant. The delicate white or soft pink flowers are veryfragrant.
Read Next
May Birth Flowers: Lily-of-the-Valley and Hawthorn
Shady Characters: 10 Best Flowers and Plants For Shade Gardens
20 Easy-to-Grow Perennial Flowers for Beginners
Planting
When to Plant Lily of theValley
- Plant in the spring orfall.
Choosing and Preparing a PlantingSite
- Choose a location in the shade or partialshade.
- Find a spot where the soil drainswell.
- Amend the soil with aged manure orcompost.
- Lily of the Valley can also be planted in a container and placed in a shadyspot.
How to Plant Lily of theValley
- Dig a smallhole.
- Place the rhizome with the pip (pointed bud) in the planting hole about 1/2 inch below soillevel.
- Spread the roots out around thepip.
- Space the rhizomes about 6 inchesapart.
- Cover withsoil.
- Waterthoroughly.
Growing
How to Care for Lily of theValley
- Side-dress with compost when new growth appears in thespring.
- Keep the soil evenlymoist.
- Don’t let plants dryout.
- After blooming don’t remove thefoliage.
- The plants will have orange inedible berries in the fall and the leaves turngolden.
- Mulch with aged manure or compost in latefall.
How to Propagate Lily of theValley
- Divide Lily of the Valley when dormant in the spring or in thefall.
- Dig up clumps and separate therhizomes.
- Replant the rhizomes about 6 inchesapart.
- Waterdeeply.
How to Grow Lily of the ValleyIndoors
- Dig up a few plants in thefall.
- Plant in a container and bringindoors.
- Place the container in a brightspot.
- The plants will bloom during the wintermonths.
Recommended Varieties
Convallaria majalis var. rosea has pink flowers. The flowers are less fragrant than the white varieties.
C. majalis ‘Albostriata’ has white flowers and variegated leaves. The green leaves have creamy- white stripes.
C. majalis ‘Bordeaux’produces large white flowers on long stalks.
C. majalis ‘Fernwood’s Golden Slippers’ has attractive golden-green leaves in earlyspring.
Harvesting
Lily of the Valley as CutFlowers
- Pick when 1/4 of the buds areopen.
- Include some leaves in thebouquet.
- Use small vases orcontainers.
- Place the vase in a cool place with mediumlight.
- The flowers will last up to aweek.
- Change the water every otherday.
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Wit and Wisdom
- Other names for lily of the Valley are May bells, Our Lady’s tears, and Mary’stears.
- Lily of the Valley is not a lily. It belongs to the asparagusfamily.
- All parts of the plant arepoisonous.
- In the language of flowers, the Lily of the Valley symbolizes the return ofhappiness.
- Lily of the Valley is the birth flower for May.
- According to folklore, Lily of the Valley is said to protect gardens from evilspirits.
Pests/Diseases
Lily of the Valley is generally healthy and not bothered by manypests.
Diseases: anthracnose; blight, Botrytis; blight, southern; leaf spot, fungal; rust.
Pests: aphids; black vine weevils; lily leaf beetles; nematodes, foliar; slugs/ snails; spidermites.
Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
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