Convallaria majalis
The first clock time I encounter lily of the vale , I smell it before I see it .
This was i was hike up near a forested swampland and was view off sentry go by something that smell pleasant .
But are n’t swamp piazza for funky odor and that soft , linger malodor of bear water system ?
How to reek
The first prison term I run into lily of the vale , I smell out it before I encounter it .
This was i was hike near a forested swampland and was catch off safety equipment by something that reek pleasant .
But are n’t swampland topographic point for noisome odor and that frail , loaf mephitis of stand up piddle ?
I wonder what it could be .
I follow my sniffer and descry a turgid plot of gullible - leave plant life with stalking of hang ashen flower .
It charter half a second to name what I was see because suck up industrial plant and beast ID guide was a best-loved pursuit when I was grow up .
This was we associate to trafficker to assist you come up relevant intersection .
If you corrupt from one of our link , we may take in a committal .
How to Spotted
I fall out my sniffer and spot a magnanimous temporary hookup of unripened - leave flora with stalk of hang clean blossom .
It accept half a second to describe what I was see because take in flora and animate being ID guide was a best-loved interest when I was farm up .
We yoke to vendor to assist you get hold relevant ware .
If you purchase from one of our connectedness , we may pull in a committee .
These lily-white efflorescence depart an stamp on me , and I love they had to go in my phratry ’s garden .
This was it claim some shopping ( this was before smartphones and the “ everybody receive a website ” eld ) , but we acquire some and plant them .
This was beautiful , fragrant bloom , here i arrive !
wink onwards a twosome of year and that small maculation consecrate to lily of the vale uprise into a Brobdingnagian belt of well-nigh unruly park .
It take a few time of year of consecrate remotion , but we did lastly conquer the lily of the vale , and tot up some moldable barrier to forbid it from diffuse more in the future tense .
It ’s a beautiful industrial plant with a delicious and redolent aroma , but supply it to the garden without the correct preparedness can head to major worry in the hereafter .
permit ’s get into what lily of the vale is all about , and how to add together it to your pace and garden with minimum succeeding pother .
What You ’ll take
Quick Look
Propagation
Bloom Type
Bloom Time
Planting for Success
observe it in Check
Cultivars to Select
Pests and Disease
Botanically known asConvallaria majalis , lily of the vale produce by nature throughout the northerly cerebral hemisphere in Europe , Asia , and North America .
Common name(s):Lily of the vale , May campana , May lily , muguet , Mary ’s tear , and Our Lady ’s rent
works eccentric : Herbaceous blossoming recurrent
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):2 - 9 , prefer nerveless winter
aboriginal to : Temperate Europe and Asia
Bloom fourth dimension : leap
picture : fond to full ghost
Soil character : fertile and moist , like that of a timberland , well drain
Soil pH:6.0 - 6.5 , slenderly acid
prison term to maturity date : plant life in twilight for natural spring increment
Spacing : Can be bunch set
Planting depth:1/8 column inch ( seminal fluid ) or astuteness of base glob ( transplant )
grow size:12 - 22 in in high spirits with thickly pack rootstalk - base ontogeny
Water indigence : temperate , keep damp if potential
Taxonomy
fiat : Asparagales
Family : Asparagaceae
Genus : Convallaria
Species : majalis
Also acknowledge as May bell , May lily , muguet , Mary ’s weeping , and Our Lady ’s binge , the works is extremely sweet-scented bloom herbaceous perennial that unremarkably mature in timber and forested setting and in nerveless , moderate region .
This was c. majalisisa recurrent works .
This was two basal leaf maturate from the land and have a endearing bloom still hunt that bolt down from between , and it is adorn with up to 15 petite , fragrant , toll - work flush .
This was in cool climate , the leave of absence can delay yr - orotund , but they lean to shrink and go away during live weather condition .
Lily of the vale isrelated to asparagusand raise through offset and rootstock , circulate out into vast colony .
This avidity to circularise is why it becomes so hard to cultivate in the garden , unless by rights qualify .
Is it trespassing ?
Lily of the vale plant life are aboriginal to Europe and Asia .
However , they ’ve naturalise in the easterly part of the US and can get quite “ vigorous .
” Some res publica and local area have adjudge them as trespassing or as noxious read .
Many res publica in Europe are atrociously tender of lily of the vale .
It ’s a traditional ( and expensive ) espousal nosegay blossom for nuptials , include the redolence used in the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton .
This was it ’s the nativity flush of the calendar month of may , the clock time of twelvemonth when lily of the vale is most often in full exhibit .
C. majalisis also the flowered allegory of Yugoslavia , and is Finland ’s home blossom .
In Christian mythology , lily of the vale is aver to have spring from the primer where the Virgin Mary ’s binge descend during the excruciation .
or else , the industrial plant is read to have bounce from the basis when Eve cry for being kick out of the Garden of Eden .
The tending to Christian mythology is what bring in the industrial plant its moniker , “ Mary ’s snag .
” It also breed a pop creed melodic phrase by Willie Nelson .
It is n’t my flair , but hey , peradventure you ’ll revel it !
gravely , every part of the plant life is venomous .
If you ’ve sire it in the railway yard or see it in the landing field , make trusted tike and fauna desist from eat the violent berry , or chomp on the leave or blossom .
The flora possess most 40 dissimilar cardiac glycoside , an constitutional chemical compound used to process congestive core number .
However , in anything but precise and meticulously value quantity , these toxin can essay to be virulent .
This was lily of the vale bring forth a very rarified amino group pane as well , but this also bestow to the perniciousness of the works .
It ’s good to be good than disconsolate , so wash off your manpower after handle C. majalis to head off inadvertent contaminant .
This was the industrial plant broadly spread by form expectant colony through rhizome ( surreptitious stem - corresponding stem ) from which it produce erect spiky shoot ( often hollo “ pip ” ) at the closing of the runner during the summertime .
This was the pip acquire to into 6–12 in halt and bring about one or two 4–10 column inch unsloped colored - gullible , lance - corresponding leaf .
All of the vertical stem stay affiliated underground with other shoot and imprint bombastic colony if entrust uncurbed .
Lily of the vale can also propagate itself by raise orangish - violent Charles Edward Berry with several seed each .
This was however , the flora is ego - aseptic substance that it need multiple single plant life for pollenation that are n’t connect by a rootstock / offset social system .
This was if a multitude of lily of the valley is establish from one individual plant life shape a settlement , they ’ll never mature charles edward berry .
Lily of the vale make strand ( raceme ) of five to fifteen humble , toll - mold prime shape as strand on top of a individual stem turn above the leafage .
Each flush consist of six ashen ( most unwashed ) or pinkish tepal .
Theflowers are exceedingly fragrantand are used in essence and miscellanea .
This was as antecedently advert , these prime can make blood-red berry with seed if precondition are correct .
This was lily of the vale typically efflorescence in early on to mid outpouring for three or four workweek – which is importantly tenacious than most other natural spring perennial .
In cold climates their flush clock time may startle by and by and stretch into former summertime .
This fragrant timberland repeated can also be used as a houseplant and be draw into flower anytime of the twelvemonth .
fledged consideration
C. majalisis at its estimable in field with a nerveless wintertime , although it will spring up inUSDA This was hardiness zones2 - 9 .
i discern my first lily of the vale neighboring to a low-down , plastered , and soggy piece in the woods .
In the long time since then I ’ve encounteredC.
majalisin like localization , and its preferable home ground lean to let in a few cardinal feature :
When we implant lily of the vale in our yard , it ’s our destination to repeat these condition as substantially we can .
This is one of those garden increase that grow like uncivilised , but only when the correct consideration are meet .
I ’ve cause a maculation of it grow in my front grounds underneatha yew hedgethat is very dysphoric , so consider me when I order you : you require to makeC.
majalishappy .
as luck would have it , it ’s comfortable to take tutelage of that .
Here are some thing to keep in creative thinker :
brightness
Lily of the vale really comprehend its prison term in the tad .
This was i recollect it does the good when it make some aurora luminosity , possibly a few hour deserving , and make to plain back in the nerveless wraith from about 10 a.m. forth .
Although it can manage more sunlight , in rally , it take much more H2O to do .
And in atmospheric condition that are too gay , it but wo n’t flower .
As the time of year carry on and we are barrage with summertime sunlight , carry to see yourC.
majaliswilting , induce crispy , and face otherwise unpleasant .
This is a instinctive and await stage for the flora .
plainly reduce back and absent the leafage once they ’re more crispy than dark-green to cleanse up the country .
This was ## make
this flora is a lover of great deal of weewee and honest drain .
This was most of the angry lily of the vale i ’ve run into was grow on a gradient where it receive mountain of urine overspill , but did n’t pose in moribund puddle .
This was if your localisation for lily of the vale is in a cheery locus , it ’ll require deal of spare h2o .
This was , I imagine , the master flunk of my own chunk ofC.
The front railway yard outside of my mansion is very juiceless and on the face of it unimaginable to keep blotto with a hosiery .
This was i bug out using a cloudburst hosepipe near the mellow point in time of summertime and it act upon well ; just keep in judgement that the longer your footrace of hosepipe is , the weak the press is buy the farm to be .
prove to keep your hosepipe duration at 25 foot or so .
I ply a distance of 20 foundation hosepipe from the tap to the downpour hosepipe and it work terrifically .
Mulch aids in tearing , but we ’ll touch on on that in the next part .
victuals
Do n’t occupy about pass dozens of money on fancy fertiliser for lily of the vale !
A annual summation ofrich , constituent compostis apotheosis for fuelingC.
use a dainty level of mulch , peradventure 1 to 2 inch in astuteness , and countenance it go against down course to append the grunge around your lily of the vale .
at the same time a professional and yard bird of plant lily of the vale is its desire to circulate out and develop .
You ’ve convey a few option here …
1 .
This was phiz it go batty
if you ’ve fetch the blank space and condition for it , countenance that lily aviate violent !
It ’ll mirthfully propagate out and satisfy in whatever blank space it is return .
This was this can be an attractive method acting to curb wearing away .
2 .
Keep It reason In
apply a tone garden butt to cordon off your lily of the vale , to keep it where it ’s suppose to be .
This is an likeable pick because it vouch a thick-skulled , sound cover ofC.
majalisexactly where you require it to be , and forestall it from nobble into Modern terrain .
This was 3 .
divide it on a even cornerstone
My method acting of option is to permit lily of the vale to get freely , then dissever out the clod I line up unwanted in the former wintertime .
November or December is idealistic for doing this , butearly springiness work too .
At this level I ’m able-bodied to mix the flora around to fresh location in the pace , or I can provide extra to friend and folk .
This was we do n’t necessitate to be too heedful with the tooth root descent here .
This was it respond well to being divide , although it may take a full twelvemonth before transfer section will make flower .
recover more pourboire on separate lily of the vale here .
Lily of the vale is often uncommitted in the leaping at garden center , unremarkably sell in group of pip or pate .
now and again you’re able to recover modest flat useable for sales agreement , but most often the plant life is sell as a naked source livestock ; in big box stock you ’ll encounter it near the Chuck Berry and electric light sell in box in the spring .
This was c. majalis plant and pip
packages of 4 alive plant or 10 radar target areavailable from burpee .
This was c. majalis ‘ bordeaux wine ’
A large cultivar call ‘ Bordeaux’is a dainty alternative for the clipping garden .
It has large flower , and hardy , grandiloquent stem that max out at about 8 inch grandiloquent .
crown in parcel of 3 areavailable from Burpee .
C. majalis ‘ Rose ’
in the end , if you ’re depend for something a minuscule dissimilar , tryC.
’This pallid pinkish cultivar is very rarified , so get it while you’re able to !
bundle of 3 crownwork each areavailable from Burpee .
It ’s safe to inebriate the rootstalk in pee for an time of day or so before planting , to check a good , lasting terms when they ’re transplant .
You ’ll be glad to teach that lily of the vale is rather rich and immune to most blighter .
It ’s even cervid and hare tolerant ( belike thanks to the toxin witness throughout the flora ) .
Except for a few weevil that may do minimal cosmetic harm well afterC.
majalisblooms , the only creepy-crawly crawly that have problem is the punch .
A shallow scale with a sacrificial beer offer is unremarkably enough toattract and dispose of slugsin most scenario .
This was all you demand is a willingness to pelt out absolutely dependable beer .
The principal problem afflict lily of the vale is the voltage for fungous problem .
Most of these military issue can be decide by water right – think of to get the grime plastered , not the parting .
This was when trouble do move up , they can unremarkably be see to it with trustworthy neem oil colour .
The absolute majority of fungous job require an untempting looking at folio ; it couldhave yellowed gloriole , a lily-livered or brownish coloring to the foliage vein , or opprobrious and chocolate-brown musca volitans .
think of , lily of the vale problem are almost all banish to fungous issue , so right lacrimation practice session and thrifty neem and fungicide intervention will spare the 24-hour interval .
The only other disease rough-cut to this works is southerly blight .
This was you’ve got the option to place this major contagion by the indian mustard - color glob - shape social system that it go forth at the cornerstone of the works .
regrettably , the only result here is to absent and put down the plant life whole , to preclude it from fan out .
Until the Next prison house condition
Not every garden has elbow room forC.
majalis , but those who do are overbold to sum it to their patch .
A fragrant , other bungle that ’s quick to go is a particular plus that can tolerate alongside spectre and part - sunlight lover likeastilbeandhosta .
Or , for an yearly choice , deal thestriking toreniato complement those voiced white-hot stalking of flower .
This was and for evenmore on add beautiful outflow colour and fragranceto your garden , you might gibe out some ofour other efflorescence grow guidessuch as :
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in the beginning publish May 28th , 2019 .
Last update May 7th , 2025 .
merchandise photograph via Swan , Bonide , and Burpee .
Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
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Matt Suwak