Lily Of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) in the Lilies of the Valley Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Partial or Dappled Shade Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences:	Wet Wet Mesic Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Plant Height:	6-12 inches
Plant Spread:	9-12 inches
Leaves:	Fragrant
Fruit:	Showy
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Spring
Underground structures:	Rhizome
Uses:	Erosion control Groundcover Cut Flower Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees
Resistances:	Tolerates dry shade
Toxicity:	Leaves are poisonous Roots are poisonous Fruit is poisonous Other: All parts of plant are poisonous.
Propagation: Seeds:	Self fertile Suitable for wintersowing Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods:	Division
Pollinators:	Self Flies Bees
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil Goes Dormant
Awards and Recognitions:	RHS AGM Other: National Flower of Finland

Common names

Lily Of The Valley
European Lily of the Valley
Our Lady's Tears
May Bells

Botanical names

Accepted: Convallaria majalis
Synonym: Convallaria majalis var. majalis

Photo Gallery

Location: My garden, Ghent, Belgium
Date: 2013-04-26

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: z5 MA, my garden
Date: 2005-6-29

Uploaded by eclayne

Location: Indiana Zone 5
Date: 2010-04-29

Uploaded by gardengus

Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2018-05-04

Uploaded by krobra

Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2016-05-06

Uploaded by cliftoncat

Uploaded by krobra

Location: Beautiful Tennessee
Date: 4-13-2014
emerging blooms

Uploaded by chickhill

Uploaded by bootandall

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: North Eastern Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-05-15
Very Fragrant

Uploaded by carolyn22

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-05-24

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by Patty

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2012-05-10

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa. Zone 8b
Date: 2010-05-01

Uploaded by Joy

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2019-10-27

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2016-04-11

Uploaded by Hemophobic

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by robertduval14

Image Courtesy of Bloomin Designs Nursery Used with Permission

Uploaded by vic

Location: Lake Bluff, Il
Date: 2012-05-07
Lily Of The Valley

Uploaded by Fran

Uploaded by Patty

Location: z6a MA, my garden
Date: 2014-05-09

Uploaded by eclayne

Location: Bronx Botanical garden
Date: 2015-09
perennial garden near conservatory

Uploaded by skylark

Location: z5 MA, my garden
Date: 2005-5-29

Uploaded by eclayne

Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: april
newly emerging in spring

Uploaded by gardengus

Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-04-21

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: z6a MA, my garden
Date: 2015-08-27

Uploaded by eclayne

Location: The Netherlands, Nature reserve Savelsbos
Date: 2016-09-20

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: Beautiful Tennessee
Date: May 4, 2014
"pretty bells"

Uploaded by chickhill

Location: Joan M. Hardle Memorial Arboretum, Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-05-23

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: N. Illinois, zone 5b
Date: 2014-05-24

Uploaded by holity

Location: My garden in Ontario, Canada
Date: 2024-06-02
Family of randomly variegated plants just found in my garden

Uploaded by Vals_Garden

Location: Madrid, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-08

Uploaded by sedumzz

Date: c. 1903
illustration from 'Prof. Dr. Thome's Flora von Deutschland, Oster

Uploaded by scvirginia

Uploaded by skylark

Uploaded by Catmint20906

Location: my front yard
Date: 2024-04-25

Uploaded by doglover

Date: 2003-06-01
photo credit: Olegivvit

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: my front yard
Date: 2024-04-22

Uploaded by doglover

Location: Piedmont, California
Date: May 2014
smells wonderful.

Uploaded by sequoia

Uploaded by plantcollector

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2006-09-02

Uploaded by Joy

Location: On the edge of the wood near Imatra, Finland
Date: 2010-05-30
The picture was made by me on the rainy day at the end of May.

Uploaded by yurikashtanov

Uploaded by bonitin

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on May 20, 2013 8:47 PM concerning plant:

"Convallaria majalis commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented (and highly poisonous) woodland flowering plant that is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States.

C. majalis is a herbaceous perennial plant that forms extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. New upright shoots are formed at the ends of stolons in summer, these upright dormant stems are often called pips. These grow in the spring into new leafy shoots that still remain connected to the other shoots under ground, often forming extensive colonies.

Convallaria majalis is a popular garden plant, grown for its scented flowers and for its ground-covering abilities in shady locations. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In favourable conditions it can form large colonies.

All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, including the red berries which may be attractive to children. If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and a reduced heart rate."

Taken from wikipedia's page at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

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Posted by Ispahan (Chicago - Zone 6a) on Nov 7, 2011 10:25 AM concerning plant:

One of my favorite plants for its amazing spring fragrance. It can be a bit invasive at times, but never unpleasantly so. Nothing is more welcome than its sweet fragrance when in bloom!

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Posted by yurikashtanov (St.Petersburg, or Sochi, or North Smolensk reg., Russia; Los Frailes, Ecuador - Zone 10a) on Jan 9, 2013 5:28 PM concerning plant:

All parts of the plant are poisonous. However, the plant is used in traditional herbal medicine.

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Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Sep 19, 2016 9:57 PM concerning plant:

National flower of Finland.

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Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 23, 2014 2:08 PM concerning plant:

Here in Maryland, Lily of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) blooms in late May. It is a lovely, sweetly fragrant flower which has colonized rapidly by rhizomes in my zone 7a garden. It prefers moist soil in shady areas, and the delicate blooms wilt quickly in direct sun. The foliage declines significantly over the summer and can be cut back for the season.

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Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Aug 22, 2014 1:18 PM concerning plant:

Useful as an early spring groundcover with a lovely fragrance, but gets rather ratty looking toward end of summer. Can be a bit invasive, but it is easy to pull the pips (to plant elsewhere or share with others). I find I have to thin it out every couple of years as it becomes overcrowded, with fewer blooms. Likes some shade, so makes a good understory to shrubs and trees.

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Plant Events from our members
aspenhill	On May 15, 2021	Obtained plant NGA Rick (RickM) - qty 2
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aspenhill	On May 10, 2017	Obtained plant NGA David and Pat (greenthumb99 and ecnalg) - qty lot; IB
aspenhill	On May 7, 2016	Obtained plant NGA Ric (RicM) - qty 1; HSG Area 6
aspenhill	On May 7, 2016	Obtained plant NGA Kurt (krobra) - qty 1; HSG Area 5
aspenhill	On May 7, 2016	Obtained plant NGA Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 1; HSG Area 5
aspenhill	On May 16, 2015	Obtained plant DG David (greenthumb99) and Pat (ecnalg) - qty lot; FIB
aspenhill	On May 9, 2015	Obtained plant DG Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 5; CLB
aspenhill	On May 31, 2014	Obtained plant DG Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 1; CG
aspenhill	On May 31, 2014	Obtained plant DG Judy (buttoneer) - qty 1; CG
aspenhill	On April 26, 2014	Obtained plant DG David and Pat (greenthumb99 and ecnalg) - qty lot; HSG Area 6
Catmint20906	On May 4, 2015	Bloomed
bisbeegirl	On April 29, 2016	Bloomed First blooms on Lily of the Valley. Wonderful scent.
bisbeegirl	On April 19, 2016	Bloomed Immorality still blooming. Beautiful full, perfectly white multiple blooms. Still buds and blooms. Earliest bloom recorded.
lovesblooms	On April 27, 2016	Obtained plant from trade; multiple rhizomes
antsinmypants	On October 4, 2021	Fruit Ripened
antsinmypants	On May 4, 2021	Bloomed
MrsBinWY	On May 19, 2019	Transplanted On 5-19-2019, planted 1 plant from the LCMG Plant Sale with Arisaema triphyllum. Didn't see where it came back in 2020.
SuperHappyCamper	On February 10, 2023	Obtained plant Purchased from Lowe's.
pinetastic	On July 19, 2024	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Dug most of them out

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
Untitled by growitall	May 13, 2014 8:22 PM	2
Untitled by growitall	May 9, 2014 10:15 PM	0
Untitled by growitall	May 25, 2014 2:30 PM	2

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Lilies of the Valley Lily Of The Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Lilies of the Valley

Lily Of The Valley (Convallaria majalis)