Delicate spring flower - lily of the valley
In May, spring fully comes into its own, gardens and forests are covered with greenery, and the air is filled with a fresh, exciting fragrance. It blooms lily of the valley, beloved by both gardeners and wildlife lovers.
The herbaceous perennial plant, first described by Karl Linnaeus, can be found today in the forest, it is used for decoration of garden plots and early spring forcing, and is grown as a pot culture. Thanks to breeders, more than a dozen original varieties of lily of the valley have appeared at the disposal of florists, in the photo and in description they are strikingly different from the wild-growing ancestor.
Lily of the valley classification
At the moment, lilies of the valley, like other plants well known to gardeners, for example, Kupena, Poultry and Polyanthes, are part of the extensive Asparagaceae family. The current name of the flower has also changed.
The lily of the valley today became known as Convallaria or Convallaria. Among the people, lily of the valley is also known under other names, for example, forest bell, May or forest lily, smooth, rejuvenated, meadow cherry, dog tongue or hare ears.
Although botanists officially recognize only the European variety of Lily of the Valley, populations growing in the north and east of Asia, as well as in the North American continent, are increasingly recognized as independent.
At the same time, differences in the appearance of plants are minimal, however, the significant remoteness of habitats and the lack of communication between them are a good reason for talking about the presence of three, and sometimes even four varieties of lily of the valley:
- May lily of the valley (C. majalis), which lives almost everywhere on the European continent;
- Keyske lily of the valley (C. keiskei), growing in the Far East, China and Mongolia, and also found in the west of Hindustan.
- mountain lily of the valley (C. montana), which occupies wooded areas in the eastern United States;
- Transcaucasian lily of the valley (C. transcaucasica), growing in the Caucasus, in the Transcaucasus, including the territory of Turkey.
Where does the lily of the valley grow
Lily of the valley is unpretentious, we have excellent adaptability, so it managed to get along in a variety of climatic zones and natural conditions. Moreover, the plant is everywhere:
- shows high shade tolerance;
- prefers nutrient-rich soils;
- does not tolerate drought well.
In nature, lily of the valley can be found in deciduous and mixed, less often in pine forests. The rapid development of the aboveground part and flowering occurs at a time when the soil is still watered with melt water, the foliage on the trees and shrubs has not yet fully opened, and the grasses have not risen. In such conditions, the wintering rhizomes provide the perennial with everything necessary for growth. And in a few years, a dense curtain appears in place of just a few rosettes of smooth oblong-elliptical leaves.
Given the ability to capture new territories, in gardens where lily of the valley grows, the area for it must be strictly limited. Otherwise, the plant can displace other useful crops in several seasons.
Despite the hardiness and adaptability, all wild varieties of lily of the valley are under threat of extermination.The reason lies not only in the beauty of the flowers and strong aroma, but also in the beneficial properties of the plant. Therefore, in Russia, and in a number of European countries and in the American state of Kentucky, the species is taken under official protection.
What a lily of the valley looks like: a description of the plant
Blooming lily of the valley is well known to many. However, the perennial herb culture is not only about graceful bell flowers and leathery smooth leaves.
Most of the plant, namely the branched powerful root system, is hidden shallow underground. Due to the horizontal light brown rhizomes and numerous small roots extending from them, lily of the valley:
- winters well and even with freezing of the soil it quickly recovers;
- one of the first to wake up with the onset of spring heat,
- reproduces successfully in a vegetative way.
The aerial part of the plant consists of shortened shoots and a rosette of leaves. Moreover, the lowest, undeveloped leaf plates are often located under the soil layer. Real leaves appear as they grow. First, they are rolled up into a tight tube, which gradually rises above the ground and opens up. Broad-lanceolate smooth leaf plates are colored deep green, have longitudinal venation and pointed tips.
When two or three leaves are fully formed, bud development begins, turning into a slender flowering shoot, bearing 6 to 20 rounded buds at once. The height of the plant depends on the species and variety. Wild plants, as a rule, are more modest than garden specimens, and European lilies of the valley, not exceeding 15–20 cm, are lower than their Asian and Transcaucasian counterparts, which grow up to 30–50 cm in height.
Since flowering occurs on the buds laid in the previous season, its splendor depends on the quality of care and the growth conditions created for the lily of the valley.
In the wild and many cultivated varieties, the perianths have a simple, miniature bell-shaped shape. There are six stamens and a short pistil inside a rounded calyx with a height of 4 to 9 mm.
The first lilies of the valley open on the lower part of the stem, then the turn of the middle and upper buds comes.
Depending on climatic and weather conditions, this can happen from the second decade of May to June. On average, flowering lasts two to three weeks.
How lily of the valley reproduces
If the weather is not too hot, white scented bells cover the entire brush and do not fade for a long time, making it possible to form a lot of ovary. When the lilies of the valley are blooming, the air is filled with an incredibly strong fragrance. It is the smell that attracts many bees and other pollinators to the flowers.
The successful work of insects leads to the appearance of rounded berries, which increase in size as they ripen and change color from green to brown, and then, by the middle of summer, to bright orange or red. Inside, the fruit is divided into three chambers, each containing 1–2 large seeds.
The berries are in no hurry to fall and often become food for birds and rodents. Thanks to this, lilies of the valley successfully appear where this plant has not been found before. However, this breeding method is unlikely to suit those who want to see lily of the valley flowers not in the photo, but in their own garden.
If the lily of the valley is grown from seed, the plant will bloom only after 6-7 years. Therefore, flower growers prefer to use vegetative propagation of the culture using root cuttings.
After transferring to a new place, a strong division with the rudiments of leaf rosettes quickly takes root and, with proper care, in 1-2 years will delight you with fragrant flowers-bells.
Types and varieties of lilies of the valley with a photo of flowers
Graceful fragrant flowers have long attracted human attention. Long before Linnaeus, lily of the valley was known to the peoples inhabiting the modern countries of Europe, Russia, Asia. This is evidenced by the mention of the plant in the legends of the ancient Romans and Germans, Slavic tribes, as well as the use of culture for medicinal purposes.
Since the 16th-17th centuries, when a fashion for bouquets and flower decoration of costumes and hairstyles arose in France and other states, lilies of the valley have come in handy. Not only did they perfectly show themselves in the cut, but also served as a natural flavoring agent, a kind of perfume that mask unpleasant odors.
The demand for flowers was so great that plants from the forest migrated to gardens and flower beds. Thanks to careful selection, large-flowered varieties of Convallaria grandiflora appeared already then. These plants are distinguished by slender flower stalks, towering above the green foliage and bearing up to 20 large white buds.
Another achievement of breeders is the appearance of lilies of the valley, the flowers of which are painted not in the traditionally white, but in a pale pink or lilac shade. The photo gives a visual representation of what the Convallaria Rosea lily of the valley looks like.
Not wanting to dwell on the result, the enthusiasts of this amazing spring crop have created a group of Convallaria Prolificans varieties with terry corollas. The brushes of these plants look especially magnificent, while fully retaining both durability and a wonderful aroma.
Lilies of the valley with original foliage are no less in demand among lovers of garden flowers. These are variegated forms, the leaf plates of which, depending on the variety, are decorated with strokes, stripes or strokes of contrasting tones.
Garden lily of the valley Hardwick Hall is distinguished by leaves with a wide, irregular yellow border.
The plants of the lily of the valley Albostriata are doubly decorative during flowering, and afterwards remain incredibly attractive thanks to the bright leaf plates covered with longitudinal stripes of yellow.
More golden reflections on the leaves of the Aurea cultivar. On some leafy plate greens, the color remains only in the form of thin stripes, the rest is painted in milky yellow tones. Light, as in the photo of lily of the valley flowers, can be shoots bearing flowers.
Use of lily of the valley
In the garden, lilies of the valley are actively used for landscaping areas under the crowns of trees and tall shrubs. May bloom allows the territory to come alive while large plants have not yet entered full force.
A perennial ground cover culture does not require special care, it winters easily in the European part of Russia, it goes well with such popular species as aquilegia, irises, and blueheads blooming a little earlier. Moreover, by the middle of summer, the decorativeness of lilies of the valley falls. To maintain the freshness of the foliage, the plant is watered, and experts recommend cutting off the remaining peduncles with the resulting berries so as not to weaken the flowering of the next year.
Lilies of the valley can be grown indoors, and you can also achieve early appearance of flowers by planting healthy rhizomes stored in autumn in a pot.
If lilies of the valley are collected for a bouquet, it is better to give preference to brushes that have not fully opened. Cutting is carried out in the morning or evening hours, when there is no direct sunlight. Due to the strong smell, lily of the valley flowers should not be left in living quarters, especially in children's and sleeping rooms.