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LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY
Convallaria majalis
Convallaria majalis is the delightful, old-fashioned Lily-of-the-Valley.
No gardener should be without it.
Deliciously fragrant
Sprays of deliciously fragrant, small, white, bell shaped flowers are one of the great joys of late winter and spring.
Ideal for borders or in a decorative pot, where you can drink in that delicious scent, especially in the shade.
Ideal under trees and shrubs
Lily-of-the- Valley grows so well under trees and shrubs.
Especially if you keep it well mulched to mimic the woodlands it loves. And to keep an even soil temperature and moisture level, which it also loves.
So, once you find a happy spot for it to settle in – you will never be without it.
Because it is robust, hardy and very long lived once established.
No gardener should be without it
So many gardeners treasure clumps of Lily-of-the-Valley that came from their Grandmother’s garden. And many clumps have been living for decades in Grandma’s old wash trough.
Cutting a bunch of Lily-of-the-Valley for a vase indoors, or better still a gift for a dear friend, is one of spring’s great treats. And there is nothing more evocative of treasured memories than the poignant scent of Lily-of-the-Valley.
GROWING: 'Lily-of-the-Valley’
Height with flowers: 15-20cm.
Width: Gently spreads to form a dense clump to approx 30cm. diameter. But old clumps in established gardens can form carpets. It is very long lived. Not invasive.
Position: Loves to clump up in the shade underneath trees and shrubs. So plant in shaded conditions from Deep Shade to Dappled Light and Woodland conditions.
Growth: Long lived Perennial that forms dense clumps by underground rhizomes.
Soil: Our fragrant treasure loves to grow in heavy, retentive soil. So it enjoys heavy clay, clay based or loam soils. And it just laps up mulch and compost.
I am afraid gardeners with sandy soils will do better keeping it in a tub.
Frost: Lily-of-the-Valley is extremely frost hardy. Because it can tolerate severe frosts down to -30C, depending on conditions.
Water: Water-wise. Lily-of-the-Valley has an undeserved reputation for being thirsty. It is not, especially when planted in the heavy and well mulched soil it likes so much. Once established it is a water-wise plant. And thrives on neglect.
Pots: Excellent pot specimen - so you can move it around when in bloom and enjoy the scent to the max.
Cut Flowers:
Bees & Birds: Bees are just like us. They CANNOT RESIST the wonderfully sweet-scented flowers in spring. Also loved by a host of other useful pollinating insects. Flowers provide nectar for bees, and are also visited by butterflies and moths.
Fragrance: What can you say – sublime!
Care & Maintenance:
Can thrive on total neglect, once established in a congenial spot.
Fertilizer: Quality fertilizer, such as Powerfeed, can be applied in spring and autumn.
We recommend to water in with Seasol at planting. Then follow up with Seasol foliar feeds to strengthen plant growth, health and resistance.
Pruning:
Pests & Diseases: Rarely troubled by pests or diseases.
Deer & Rabbit resistant: Oh bliss – they won’t touch it with a bargepole.
Herbal, History & Uses
Few flowers have gathered so many tales or is widely known and loved. But some of the most popular stories relate to the symbolic meanings of Lily-of-the-Valley.
It has always symbolized chastity, purity of love, humility, and sweetness in many cultures.
Lily-of-the-Valley denotes “return of happiness” in the Victorian “Language of Flowers”.
So, it became very popular for wedding bouquets (the lovely scent did not hurt the bride on her special day either).
While in biblical stories, the Lily-of-the-Valley is said to have sprouted where Mary’s tears fell after her son was crucified. So, it is sometimes known by the common name “Mary’s Tears”.
Origin: Native to the woodlands of Europe. Where whole towns turn out to stroll in the Lily-of-the-Valley woods in spring, gathering posies for their Mother’s Day celebrations.
Beware: All parts of the plant are poisonous. But fortunately, it is not attractive to grazing beasts of any sort, be they toddler, animal, crawling or flying.
Historic herbal uses: Convallaria was previously used as a heart rhythm medication, in a similar way as Digitalis. But this is not recommended today and dosage is carefully controlled in our modern medications.
Quarantine Restriction: None. can be shipped to all states from Di’s Delightful Plants - one of Australia’s largest on-line nursery and mail order plant services.
3 Lily-of-the-Valley plants per pot.
Bulk Discount
If you buy 3-6 plants there will be a $0.50 discount per plant"
If you buy 7+ plants there will be a $1.00 discount per plant
Plants on Special are excluded
