Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis, is a rhizomatous perennial in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae. Its familiar outline combines fairly broad green leaves with small, fragrant bells. It belongs to many temperate gardens and woodland-style scenes. Rather than remaining in a strictly fixed clump, it can develop a network of underground stems that produces new shoots and gradually extends the area occupied by the plant.The leaves emerge from the base, with an elongated oval shape, a pointed tip and parallel veins. They surround the short flower stalks and contribute much of the plant’s visual presence. This foliage is seasonal: it yellows and disappears naturally towards the end of the growing season, while the rhizomes persist underground. An area occupied by lily of the valley may therefore look bare for part of the year without the plant itself having disappeared.In spring, a stalk carries several small, nodding flowers, often arranged along…
