Lily of the May Blume: May Lily of the Valley

Lily of the May

Lily of the May (lat. Convallária Majális) is the only species of the genus Lily of the Lily family. The latest APG II classification includes this genus in the family Iglitzaceae.

The generic name was given by Linnaeus from the old Latin Lilium convall, which means Lily of the Valley.

The English name for valley (or lilie-of-the-valley) is fine Roman in meaning.

Other Russian names are lily of the valley: lily of the valley, shabuha, rejuvenile, rejuvenate, outlaw [1].

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Botanical description

Lily of the May. Botanical illustration from the book by O. W. Thome Flora of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, 1885.

The subterranean rhizome is creeping, no thicker than a goose pencil, running in the ground near the upper above-ground leaves. It is followed by 2 (rarely 3) large, perfectly broad and packed (or elongated older) basal leaves, between which there is a large bud at the top of the rhizome. From the corner of the basal leaf, both wrapped in green from below, a tassel of 6-20 flowers forms on the stem, facing predominantly in one direction.

The flower stalk is thin or bears only leaves below the inflorescence; rarely with filamentous leaves.

Flowers have a rounded perianth white (less often pale pink) with 6 curved lobes; 6 stamens sitting on the perianth; and a rounded ovary ending in a short column. The long, curved pedicels are filmy leaves. Fragrant flowers dictate. Blooms in June to May.

The fruit is an orange-red globular berry 6 – 8 mm in diameter, containing almost globular seeds. The berries remain on the plant for a long time. Fruits in June or early July.

Propagated both by seeds and vegetatively.

The following year the apical bud continues the rhizome and produces 2 large leaves (as an exception – 3), but the stem shoot rarely appears annually.

Young plants. Germany. April.

Lily of the Curtinus in the Oak Tree. France. End of April.

Distribution and surroundings

The lily of the valley is common throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, China, and North America.

Vallis grows in deciduous and pine as well as mixed forests on edges and glades. It grows particularly well in Avena oak groves, on rich neutral soil with good moisture.

In undisturbed habitats it grows very far and creates substantial clumps.

Lily of the Thaler is one of the shade-tolerant plants.

They have been artificially bred for a long time and varieties with larger or more macro flowers with pink coloration, etc., have been preserved.

Conservation status

In its natural habitat, valcis is intensively eradicated by trampling during collection of flowers and medicinal raw materials, especially near large populated areas.

Taxonomy [2].

The assemblage genus, now in the family RuscaCeae, formerly belonged to the family Liliaceae and even formed the genus Convallariaceae.

The genus is monotypic, consisting of one species.

The varieties, which were previously distinguished as independent species, are distinct from the main species of the range:

• Lily of the Rasos. Keiske (Convallaria majalis L. var. Keiskei) (Miq.) Makino (syn. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria Keiskei) Miq. – Grows in the Far East, in Transbaikalia and Mongolia, as well as in Burma. It has large (up to 15 cm), dark green leaves, large flowers and late flowering time.
• Lily of the valley Rasos. Transcaucasian (convallaria majalis l. var. transcaucasica) (Utkin ExGrossh.) Knorring (syn. Lily of the valley (Convallaria transcaucasica) Utkin Exgrossh.) – Northern Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Turkey
• Lily of the Lily of the Rasos. Mountain (Convallaria majalis L. var. montana) (Raf.) H.E.Ahles (Syn. Landallaria montana) Raf.)-Eastern United States (English American lily-of-the-valley.) American botanists [3] distinguish it from another independent form, Convallaria Majuscula Greene, which has a limited range in the United States and Kentucky-endangered status [4].

Reproduction in culture.

Convallaria wallisneria is propagated mainly by cuttings. For this purpose, the upper part of the rhizome is cut off and planted in clay-sandy soil rich in leafy humus, 20-25 cm apart.

For distillation, still in the fall, stock cuttings and cut off the upper parts of the rhizome about 5 cm long. Select those with an apical bud that is large and rounded. Such cuttings are planted in spacious pots, 10 or 12 pieces each. For bunting, very low greenhouses are built, in which pots with lily of the valley are brought. pots are covered with moss or almost entirely embedded in the sand; the surface of the pots are also covered with moss. The temperature in the greenhouse during the bunting should be maintained at 30 or even 35 ° C. After 3 weeks, the plants will begin to bloom. Moss, of course, should be kept raw. When transplanting moss plants, the pots become in the light, but at first still shade them. In this way, the blooming tall lilies will persist until the New Year.

Lily of the valley in the late XIX – early xx centuries especially bloomed in Germany, in Berlin, especially in Germany, from where they were imported in large quantities to Russia.

importance and use

In treatment

Lily of the May is a well-known medicinal plant included in the pharmacopoeias of many countries.

As a raw material, lily of the valley herb – Herba Convallariae, lily of the valley leaf – Folium Convallariae, lily of the valley flowers – Flores Convallariae are used. This is the aerial parts of wild plants, collected during flowering and dried in the shade at 50-60 ° C or in the air.

The main active substances are cardiotonic glycosides (cardenolides), strophantidin, sterophantidol derivatives. The most important of them are conspavaloxin, convaloside and convation.

Cardiotonic preparations are made from the raw material: tincture and “Corglycon”.

In addition to cardiotonic drugs, a whole flavonoid preparation t-conflavin, which is used as a choleretic agent for cholecystitis, cholangitis, etc.

In the ornamental garden

Valley has been cultivated for a long time (since the 15th century), it is tended with beautiful fragrant flowers and has several garden forms (varieties):

• ‘Alba Pleno’ or ‘Alba Plena’ (‘Flore Pleno’ or ‘Flore Plena’) – has up to 12 large white, macroflowers
• ‘AlboStriata’ – has leaves with cream longitudinal stripes
• ‘Ureovariegata’ or ‘lineata’ or ‘striata’ or ‘variegata’ – with yellow longitudinal stripes
• ‘Berolinensis’ – large – flowering, used for distillation
• ‘Latifolia’ – with broad leaves and pink, swollen flowers
• ‘Grandiflora’ – with large flowers
• ‘Picta’ – with lilac spots at the base of the stamens
• ‘Prolificans’ – distinguished by this
• ‘Rosea’ – with light pink flowers

Varieties with 22-24 flowers in an inflorescence (‘Fortins Riese’), with a yellow-green border on the leaves (‘Hardwick Hall’), with white or gold frequent stripes along the leaves (‘Vic Pawlowskis Gold’), up to 50 cm high (‘Viktor Ivanovich’ [5]) and others have been produced and introduced.

Others

Despite the fact that lily of the valley fragrance is one of the most widely used in the perfume industry, it is obtained exclusively synthetically. The plant does not contain enough essential oil to be obtained by distillation. By extraction with non-polar solvents an absolute of lily of the valley can be obtained, which is not widely used in perfumery. Although it has a pleasant smell, it still loses out to synthetic compounds that more accurately transmit the fragrance of the flower and is also cheaper [6].

The leaves of the lily of the May lily are eaten by larvae of some lenticels, including Anticypa-ci.

The entire lily of the valley plant is poisonous!

Curious information

• Lily of the Valley
• According to another legend, the lily of the valley emerged from the drops of St. George while he was fighting a dragon.
• In 1967 the lily of the valley became the national flower of Finland.
• Lily of the valley is also used in some English translations of songs (Songs 2:1) for the Hebrew word shoshana (usually rose).
• In France, the first Sunday of May is celebrated on the first Sunday of the lily of the valley.
• Stylized images of the valley are placed on the margins of the coats of arms of the cities of Weilar (Germany), Lünner (Norway) and Mellerud (Sweden).

Coat of arms of the city of Veilar

Coat of arms of the city of Lunner

The coat of arms of the city of Mellerud

Notes

From the Encyclopedia of Life website (in English)Retrieved February 22, 2009. From the Grin website (in English)Retrieved February 22, 2009. (English)Retrieved February 22, 2009.Retrieved February 22, 2009.
• Lily of the valley – article from the Great Soviet EncyclopediaRetrieved February 22, 2009.
• Talerlily – article from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic DictionaryRetrieved February 22, 2009.

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Useful

See what is “lily of the May lily” in other dictionaries:

Lily of the May – noun, proportion of synonyms: 2 – Plant (4422) – Phytotoxic (25) Asis dictionary of synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013 … Dictionary of Synonyms.

Maisky Valley – Paprastoji Pakalnutė Status t sritis vardynas apibrėžtis pakalnutinių Šeimos decoratyvinis, vaistinis nuodingasa augalas (konzallaria majalis), paplitęs eupopojejejejed. Is Jo Gaunamas eterinis Aliejus. Atikmenys: Go. Convallaria majalis … … … Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių ždodynas)

May valley (Convallaria majalis L.) – See perennial with underground horizontal and vertical rhizomes. The latter have shortened internodes and an apical bud, which gives the above-ground annual volatility. Horizontal rhizomes have oblong (4 9 cm, nodes with lanceolate … … forest herbaceous plants

May valley – (Crowberry, cinquefoil, rejuvenile grass, early maturing grass, background, hare’s ears, silver) – Convallaria majalis L. Family Lilium. A perennial plant 15 30 cm in height. Rhizome creeping, branched, with numerous roots in the nodes, . … Encyclopedia of medicinal plants

May valley-159. Convallaria Majalis L. … Flora of the Central Forest State Reserve

Convallaria Majalis L. – May valley – cf. 189. Staudier. C. Majalis L. May sp. Pl. (1753) 314. Cheney (1946) 60. Gessner (1953) 212, f. 43. Atlas lect. Ras. (1962) 282, fig. S Y n. S. Linnai Gaertn. M e s t n. N and s in. Fr. Rauguet, Lis des Vallee; it. Mughetto, … … plant guide

Lily of the valley (Convallaria L.) – see lily of the valley from May. Botanical information. Family Liliacea (Liliaceae). Lily of the May (Convallaria Majalis L.). Shrub. Leaves basal, elliptic, large; on stem only a tassel of white, dormant, bell-shaped… … toxicology of poisonous plants

Lily of the valley – (Convallaria), a genus of plants. Lily of the Lily excavation code. A sturdy assemblage with horizontal rhizomes and 2-3 long and minute with twisted leaves. Stem. Up to 20 cm, with unilateral loose tassels of white fragrant bells -. Biological Encyclopedic Dictionary

Lily of the valley – lily of the valley, a genus of perennial herbs (lily of the valley family). 1 species of lily of the valley grows in the forests of Eurasia and North America. Snow-white flowers with a delicate and strong fragrance that were taken in a delicate, languid hand in May. Medicinal (cordial … modern encyclopedia

Lily of the valley is a genus of perennial herbs in the asparagus family. 1 species Lily of May with several subspecies in Eurasia and north. America. A medicinal and ornamental plant … large encyclopedic dictionary

Tallia – planting and care in the open ground, description of varieties

The fresh fragrance of these flowers fills the garden in the heart of spring. Talliliya branch adorns flower beds with its delicately fragrant flowers in the form of white, less often pink bells, which are enclosed in a “cone” of beautiful green leaves. This system with a low estimate of partial shade and requires no maintenance, spreads quickly and widely, ideal for creating flower carpets in shady areas of the garden. We will tell you how you can grow lily of the valley flowers over planting and care in the open ground.

Plant description.

One of the most fragrant symbols of spring, the lily of the valley is a beautiful small, docile perennial that is very easy to grow in gardens. Lily of the valley (lat. Convallaria) belongs to a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the Asparagaceae family, which was formerly in the Lily family. The only species of some sources is the lily of the May (Convallaria Majalis), which lives in our gardens. Its Latin name, Convallaria Majolis, means that this plant grows in valleys. Other sources also distinguish the species, L. caeske and L. mountain.

In the olden days, the leaves of valley Majolis were used to produce green pigment. The plant’s juicy color is one of the most important reasons gardeners have a passion for it. For hundreds of years it has been a treasured element of castle and private gardens, which bloomed with a thick green carpet of leaves in front of fragrant flowers.

Its panicle or pink bell-shaped flowers fill the garden in spring with a sweet, slightly musky scent, so it is best planted in a cachet on the patio or in a flowerbed near the entrance.

The subtle and modest flower of this plant hides a high resistance and is ideal as a w/c overlap under trees.

The lily of the valley in the wild grows in the undergrowth, so it thrives in all shady and moist corners of the garden and populates large areas. If conditions are right for it, it grows everywhere and requires no care.

Caution: be careful, the fruits of the valley are very poisonous! The glycosides they contain are toxic to humans and most animals. They can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, weakness and heart failure. Even penetrating the skin on rare occasions, lily of the valley can cause irritation.

Regions of cultivation

The rhizomatous perennial lily of the May lily grows in the underbrush of pine and deciduous forests, in thickets, in meadows in temperate regions of European Russia, also found in Transbaikalia and Primorye. Frost-resistance of lily of the valley: -15 ° C-20 ° C.

Very hardy, easy to grow, lily of the valley quickly takes root and spreads in a new place. It grows best in partial shade on sufficiently fertile, light, moist, well-drained soil.

In the garden, it creates exquisite clumps in the spring and blooms in a carpet of flowers at the base of trees, on a path, in shorts, on the lawn or even in pots.

shape, height.

The lily of the valley reaches a height of 25 cm (maximum 30 cm), it gradually spreads over the allotted space thanks to strong creeping sprawling rhizomes. The plant is quite invasive, once planted, will bloom for many years, easily naturalizing and forming floral, fragrant carpets afterwards.

Leaves

In early spring, green, pointed leaves emerge from a rhizome deeply attached to the ground and can be recognized by their distinctive cone-shaped shape. Seasonal foliage appears before the inflorescences.

The oval, lanceolate, or elliptical leaves are inserted in pairs at the base of a slender indeterminate stem. The leaf blade is 4-20 cm long and 3-6 cm wide. The leaf is thick, ribbed, green, sometimes striped, with narrow lines of almost white or yellow, as in a variety of albostetia.

flowers, fruits.

This fragrant perennial shows off its radiant blooms in spring. In May, sometimes April, depending on the region, a bare straight thin stem appears at the base, surrounded by two large leaves. The small flowers, 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter, in the form of dangling bells with six curved petals, are combined on the flower stalk in an arched brush.

The bells are firmly held on the stalks. Each tassel bears about 20 flowers, 10 of which remain closed. The consistency is waxy and they are white, sometimes pink. In some varieties (Flore Pleno), the flowers are terry.

These bells exude a characteristic floral, fresh, penetrating scent that is highly sought after in perfumery. The heady fragrance of the valley has inspired many perfumers, including Christian Dior’s famous Parfums Diorissimo.

These wonderful flowers with their fragrance and freshness are unfortunately relatively short-lived – 3-4 weeks. The flower branches make very beautiful cut flowers and are used in very elegant, fragrant, small bouquets.

From July, the fragrant bells turn into small round smooth berries of a beautiful bright red color, extremely poisonous if taken orally in large doses.

Interesting varieties

Lily of May blooms in April-May and reaches a height of 20-30 cm. Very hardy and easy to grow, it comes in several interesting varieties with pink, terry or giant flowers.

• Rosea blooms from April to May. The height is 20 cm. The plant is stable, fragrant, and pink lilies can be planted along the edge of a border or in a pot.
• The Flore Pleno variety is characterized by its yellow-green leaves and double white bells. It is a hardy perennial for flower beds in shady places.
• ‘Albostriata’ is a variety with white flowers and striped leaves with narrow creamy white lines.
• ‘Fortins Giant’ – The Fortin Geant variety is quite vigorous, 30 cm tall, with white bells.
• ‘Picta’ is a variety with flowers with small red dots. The leaves are green and simple.
• “Striata” (Striata) – flowers are white, leaves are original, green, striped, with narrow yellow lines.
• “Grandiflora” (Grandiflora) – large-flowered variety, grows to 20-30 cm. White flowers appear in April. Frost-resistant.
• “Lineata” (Lineata) – white flowers, green leaves with longitudinal yellow stripes.
• “Hitscherberger Riesenperle” (Hitscherberger Riesenperle) – white flowers, very numerous, on a long stem.
• “Silberconfolis” (Silberconfolis) – flowers white, leaves green with a silvery border.
• “Prolificens” (Prolificens) is a lily of the valley variety with white double flowers and green leaves.
• “Hofheim” (Hofheim) – flowers white, leaves green with a yellow, then white border.

Plants also vary in aroma intensity. Some varieties (“Grandiflora”) smell so strong that they can give you a headache. For potted plants, it is recommended to choose varieties with a weaker scent.

Where to plant, soil requirements

Hardy lily of the valley can be planted in all regions of the middle belt of the Moscow region, where it will form carpets of flowers and willingly sprawl. This is a very hardy plant, after rooting it is quite tolerant to climate, soil and exposure.

As you can guess from the natural location of this flower in the woods, the plant prefers shady places with little sunlight. In full shade it may not bloom well, and in full sun it withers and dies. Lily of the valley tolerates sun only in regions with cool summers. Therefore, it is ideal to plant them on the east side of the house or under tall hedges or shady trees.

Lily of the valley takes root in almost any soil, but prefers:

• sufficiently fertile;
• moist;
• pH within 5-7;
• Well-drained: light soil is optimal, the flower is afraid of excessive water.

Substrate containing some clay and sand is ideal for this plant. To prepare the soil for the lily of the valley, it is worth mixing a little mature compost, manure and peat into the garden soil.

Leave room for this prolific perennial, which can grow endlessly and populate large areas: it will be an excellent groundcover in shady areas of the garden where nothing grows, under trees whose roots it does not evade. However, do not try to plant lily of the valley directly in a bed with other perennials: these delicate white flowers have exceptional power and will quickly absorb the surrounding space. It is better to allocate the plant a secluded place, which it can cover like a green carpet.

A suitable place for planting lily of the valley can be:

• An area under deciduous trees;
• at the edge of a flowerbed or path;
• small delicate touches in stony gardens;
• near the Ganges to enjoy their unique fragrance;
• along a wall to the east;
• in pots.

planting

When to plant lily of the valley? Usually planted in spring, it can also be planted in early fall, starting in September, except during a period of frost.

It is often planted in the fall to enjoy blooms in April and May the following year. If you plant the macaws in the open ground in the spring, you will have to wait a whole year before you can see the lovely, fragrant bells bloom.

May lily of the valley can be planted prefabricated seedlings or rhizomes, the latter method is more popular. Before planting, the rhizomes should be soaked in warm water for half an hour.

Photo. Rhizome of lily of the valley

Scheme of planting. For a good ground cover effect, plant 5 plants per 1 m² at a distance of 10-30 cm from each other, without too much saving mass.

How to plant lily of the valley in the field:

1. Edit the soil well by digging it to shovel length. If necessary, improve drainage by adding compost and sand.
2. Free the soil from weed roots and rocks.
3. Make a hole that is two to three times the size of the rhizome of the seedling.
4. Put a good drainage layer at the bottom of the hole.
5. Add soil by mixing it with the soil.
6. Plant the rhizome upwards and be careful not to penetrate too deeply without damaging the roots, they are fragile. Grasp 2-3 cm and let the buds or leaves come to the surface. The buds should stand at the edge of the soil surface or be barely covered by the soil, the plant does not bloom too deeply.
7. The rhizomes in the soil gently fill them with soil, not trampling or tamping them down.
8. The distance between individual plants should be 10-30 cm.
9. Water thoroughly.

Plant the lily of the valley in a pot:

1. Place a layer of bloated tonka or gravel in the bottom of the pot or container.
2. Plant the macaularia in a mixture of compost or gymnosperm.
3. Water.

Cultivation and care

MAIGLOBCHEN is a perennial that requires only minimal care. It is one of the most unpretentious plants that cannot tolerate only strong sunlight.

It is highly recommended to touch the small red berries of the mahogany with gloves on, as they are extremely poisonous.

Water, loosen.

Once MAIGLÖBCHEN has been planted in the spring, it should be watered regularly for the first few months after planting so that the root system can develop deep. The plant likes damp soil, where it blooms well and grows lushly: 4-6 weeks after planting the plants should be watered once a week, but then they get along alone, just as long as it is not dry. In hot regions, water lily of the valley all summer.

If you care for lily of the valley in a pot at home, they need to be watered regularly – as soon as the soil begins to dry out.

Until the lily of the valley covers the surface of the ground, feed it, remove weeds and loosen the bottom.

fertilizer

MAIGLÖSTCHEN love humusy soil: in the fall, apply compost under the base of the plants, the next spring they will bloom lushly. Additional fertilisation of the lily of the valley does not need to be done. You can apply compost in early spring and during flowering, but be careful not to overdo it with nitrogen – the result can be excessive leaf growth to the detriment of the flowers.

Cut back, remove leaves?

After blooming, wilted flower stems can be cut back to avoid poisonous fruit that can attract children and pets.

If the plant becomes too invasive, it is worth digging up or replanting some of the rhizomes to limit their spread.

The question newcomers often ask is: Do lily of the valley leaves need to be plucked and when should they be plucked? You don’t have to pluck lily of the valley leaves after they bloom, even if they don’t look very spectacular. They are still gathering nutrients for the fall that will help them bloom next year. Dry leaves can only be removed in October. However, if there is a weakening of the flower over the years, the lily of the valley can easily be protected during the year to give the plants more room.

Flower Relief.

The valley is ideal for distillation. To distil the “flowers,” the rhizomes should be warmed in a warm tub at rest (such as a cool basement) and then planted in a room with temperatures over 20 degrees. In 2-4 weeks the flowers will appear, with which you can decorate a summer party or a New Year’s table!

The rhizomes used at home can be planted in the garden after flowering and used again for distillation in 2-3 years.

Diseases, pests

The lily of the lily of the valley has very few enemies, it is susceptible to few diseases, which are afraid only of heavy, dense, excessively moist soils, cause gray rot and gray columns on the stems. This disease leads to the death of the plants. Therefore, it is important to plant them in well covered soil.

Propagation

How to properly propagate lily of the valley to enjoy it from May? Sowing seeds is a long and unpredictable method, especially since lily of the valley multiplies naturally. Spreading lily of the valley with seeds is possible with fresh seeds until October, but it will take at least 2-3 years for the stems to emerge.

We recommend dividing rhizomes, this is very easy to do in the fall. Divide the oldest bushes to save space and plant a new bed in the garden.

How to divide lily of the valley?

In October, when the leaves turn yellow, carefully dig up the shrubs with small garden pitchers. Remove dry or damaged leaves. Divide the plants with a sharp knife. Each part should be about 6 cm in size and have visible vegetative buds, from which the next year’s strelitzia will develop.

This is a very strong plant. Don’t worry if some of the roots get damaged. You just need to transplant parts of the shrubs right away to a new spot in the garden or in pots. Transplant them into well-compacted soil, which is enriched with compost in wells about 5 cm deep.

Landscaping Uses.

Lily of the valley is especially fresh and restrained in woodland, natural gardens, where it forms carpets of white or pink flowers in spring.

Because of its fragrant, beautiful flowers, it is beautifully presented with other perennials:

• Navel;
• Perennial pelargoniums;
• Epimedium;
• Brunnera large;
• Shield of Redsorus;
• Hot.

The valley is fragrant, with blooms of ground-deck plants accompanying blooms of other fragrant peroral or small spring bulbous plants, e.g:

• Muscari;
• Anemones;
• Hyacinths;
• Spray;
• Narcissus;
• Tulips;
• primroses;
• white transparency;
• Violet;
• Barberry;
• Dichondra creeper;
• Creeping ivy.

Lily of the valley in nature finds its place under the cover of deciduous shrubs – azaleas, roses. Fresh green leaves of lily of the valley are good with contrasting leaves of early or evergreen ferns or fine-toothed lapwing, ivy.

Tips. If you don’t put the lily of the valley in a small, enclosed room, its smell and the stagnant water of the vase it is in can cause headaches. Care must be taken to ensure that the water in which the flowers stand is not drunk by a child or a pet, and that it contains toxic substances.

Garden May lilies of the valley are easy to plant, grow and care for, beautiful spring flowers associated with the allure of the awakening forest.