Lily of the valley (lat. Convallária) is a monocotyledonous herbaceous plant of the Asparagus family. Lily of the valley blooms in May-June for about two weeks. Its height reaches 20-25 cm. Lily of the valley rhizome is thin and creeping, and the leaves are broad-lanceolate, with a bright green color.

It is a shade-tolerant plant that combines perfectly in the garden with ferns, lunatic, aquilegia, and anemones. The best time for planting lilies of the valley in the open ground is from early September to early November.

The soil

Lilies of the valley prefer slightly acidic and organic-rich soil. In the warm season, they need regular watering, do not tolerate drought. It is better to plant them in areas that are protected from strong winds as they do not like drafts. It is necessary to remove weeds on time because lilies of the valley infect with nematode and gray vegetable rot. For the prevention and control of parasites, fungicides are used.

Care

Caring for lilies of the valley is simple. After rooting (25-30 days), the plant can be fed with organic fertilizers. Minerals are shown a year after planting. To be honest, my lilies of the valley grow, bloom, and multiply perfectly without extra nutrition! I try not to flood my land with chemicals unnecessarily. Maintain a constant humidity (but not damp!), in a flower bed with lilies of the valley. After watering, pull out the weeds manually. Usually there are few of them.

Breeding

Lilies of the valley multiply by creeping rhizomes and their flowering occurs in May-June. By the end of the period, the inflorescence darkens and gives way to the ovary, where bright red fruits ripen.

Important! Lily of the valley is a poisonous flower, we recommend using gloves when working with it. If there are small children, it is better not to leave lily of the valley berries, their bright color attracts children like a magnet!

Varieties

The most common and popular types of garden lilies of the valley are:

May lily of the valley (C. majalis)
Lily of the valley Keiske (C. keiskei).
Mountain lily of the valley (C. montana).