Plant profile:
- Botanical name: Convallaria majalis
- German names: lily of the valley, Woman's tear, faltrian flower, may flower, mail lily, eye herb, lily of the valley (lily of the valley)
- Class: Monocot (Liliopsida)
- Genus: Lily of the valley family (Convallaria)
- Family: Asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
- Height: 10 to 30 centimeters
- Main flowering time: April to June
- Leaf color: dark green, clearly shiny
- Leaf shape: Elliptical, grown together in pairs
- Flower color: white, cultivated forms can also be colored pink)
- Flower shape: bells that all point in the same direction and consist of five to thirteen individual flowers
- Fruits: bright red berries
origin
The lily of the valley is native to Europe, Asia and North America and can even be found in these areas at altitudes of up to 1900 meters. It mainly thrives in sparse beech and deciduous forests on weakly calcareous soils. Here the little scented princess forms large carpets of flowers.
also read
- When is the best time to plant lilies of the valley?
- Lilies of the valley hardly need any care
- How long does the flowering time of lilies of the valley last?
Plant symbolism
Lilies of the valley stand for purity, festivity, bliss and awakening love. But they are not only among the symbols of happiness and love. They are often depicted on medieval panels because of their ambivalence: both the Madonna often holds a bouquet of lilies of the valley in her hands, as well as martyrs sentenced to death.
Planting and care
Lilies of the valley are not very undemanding. In the shade under the trees, the foothills of the fragrant spring flowers even hold their own against strong root pressure. The plant prefers moist, humus-rich soils. The delicate plant, on the other hand, does not like full sun.
Lily of the valley sprouts are placed in groups of about eight inches apart. Water enough so that the young plants grow well. If the lilies of the valley have faded, you should cut out the flower clusters, the leaves remain.
Mulching In autumn with a thick layer of foliage soil. Further fertilization is not necessary.
Diseases and pests
Lilies of the valley are very robust and are rarely attacked by a variant of the rust fungus. If you discover this, you should cut off all diseased plant parts and dispose of them in the household waste.
Occasionally, gray mold appears. Then treat the lily of the valley with commercially available agents, otherwise the plant will rot and perish. The spores of the fungus could also infect other plants.
The lily chicken and its larvae like to perch on lilies of the valley. Here it has proven useful to collect the beetles and the larvae, which are usually located under the leaves, with the Garden hose to rinse off. No further measures are necessary.
Tips
In 2014 the lily of the valley was named poisonous plant of the year. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, and this effect is not lost even through drying. When collecting wild garlic, there is a risk of confusing the two plants. Rub lily of the valley leaves, but unlike the popular herb, they do not smell intensely of garlic. Nevertheless, if in doubt, you should ask a specialist who is familiar with the differences between the plants.
