General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Wet
Wet Mesic
Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Plant Height: 6-12 inches
Plant Spread: 9-12 inches
Leaves: Fragrant
Fruit: Showy
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Underground structures: Rhizome
Uses: Erosion control
Groundcover
Cut Flower
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Tolerates dry shade
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Fruit is poisonous
Other: All parts of plant are poisonous.
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Suitable for wintersowing
Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Pollinators: Self
Flies
Bees
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Goes Dormant
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM
Other: National Flower of Finland

Image
Common names
  • Lily Of The Valley
  • European Lily of the Valley
  • Our Lady's Tears
  • May Bells
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Convallaria majalis
  • Synonym: Convallaria majalis var. majalis

Photo Gallery
Location: My garden, Ghent, Belgium
Date: 2013-04-26
Location: z5 MA, my garden
Date: 2005-6-29
Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2018-05-04
Location: Indiana  Zone 5
Date: 2010-04-29
Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2016-05-06
Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 4/20/16
Location: Beautiful Tennessee 
Date: 4-13-2014
emerging blooms
Location: Blenheim New Zealand

photo credit: H. Zell
Location: North Eastern Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-05-15
Very Fragrant
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-05-24
Location: Washington
Date: 2016-04-18
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2012-05-10
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa. Zone 8b
Date: 2010-05-01
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2019-10-27
Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2016-04-11

photo credit: H. Zell

photo credit: H. Zell

Image Courtesy of Bloomin Designs Nursery Used with Permission
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: Lake Bluff, Il
Date: 2012-05-07 
Lily Of The Valley
Location: Washington
Date: 2016-04-18
Location: z6a MA, my garden
Date: 2014-05-09
Location: Bronx Botanical garden
Date: 2015-09
perennial garden near conservatory
Location: z5 MA, my garden
Date: 2005-5-29
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: april
newly emerging in spring
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-04-21
Location: z6a MA, my garden
Date: 2015-08-27
Location: The Netherlands, Nature reserve Savelsbos
Date: 2016-09-20
Location: Beautiful Tennessee 
Date: May 4, 2014
"pretty bells"
Location: Joan M. Hardle Memorial Arboretum, Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-05-23
Location: N. Illinois, zone 5b
Date: 2014-05-24
Location: Madrid, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-08

Date: c. 1903
illustration from 'Prof. Dr. Thome's Flora von Deutschland, Oster
Location: Bronx Botanical garden
Date: 2015-09
perennial garden near conservatory
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-05-05

Date: 2003-06-01
photo credit: Olegivvit
Location: Piedmont, California
Date: May 2014
smells wonderful.
Photo by plantcollector
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2006-09-02
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: On the edge of the wood near Imatra, Finland
Date: 2010-05-30
The picture was made by me on the rainy day at the end of May.
Location: The Netherlands, Nature reserve Savelsbos
Date: 2016-09-20
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image Image Image Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on May 20, 2013 8:47 PM concerning plant:
    "Convallaria majalis commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented (and highly poisonous) woodland flowering plant that is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States.

    C. majalis is a herbaceous perennial plant that forms extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes. New upright shoots are formed at the ends of stolons in summer, these upright dormant stems are often called pips. These grow in the spring into new leafy shoots that still remain connected to the other shoots under ground, often forming extensive colonies.

    Convallaria majalis is a popular garden plant, grown for its scented flowers and for its ground-covering abilities in shady locations. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In favourable conditions it can form large colonies.

    All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, including the red berries which may be attractive to children. If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and a reduced heart rate."

    Taken from wikipedia's page at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
  • Posted by Ispahan (Chicago - Zone 6a) on Nov 7, 2011 10:25 AM concerning plant:
    One of my favorite plants for its amazing spring fragrance. It can be a bit invasive at times, but never unpleasantly so. Nothing is more welcome than its sweet fragrance when in bloom!
  • Posted by yurikashtanov (St.Petersburg, or Sochi, or North Smolensk reg., Russia; Los Frailes, Ecuador - Zone 10a) on Jan 9, 2013 5:28 PM concerning plant:
    All parts of the plant are poisonous. However, the plant is used in traditional herbal medicine.
  • Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Sep 19, 2016 9:57 PM concerning plant:
    National flower of Finland.
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 23, 2014 2:08 PM concerning plant:
    Here in Maryland, Lily of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) blooms in late May. It is a lovely, sweetly fragrant flower which has colonized rapidly by rhizomes in my zone 7a garden. It prefers moist soil in shady areas, and the delicate blooms wilt quickly in direct sun. The foliage declines significantly over the summer and can be cut back for the season.
  • Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Aug 22, 2014 1:18 PM concerning plant:
    Useful as an early spring groundcover with a lovely fragrance, but gets rather ratty looking toward end of summer. Can be a bit invasive, but it is easy to pull the pips (to plant elsewhere or share with others). I find I have to thin it out every couple of years as it becomes overcrowded, with fewer blooms. Likes some shade, so makes a good understory to shrubs and trees.
Plant Events from our members
aspenhill On May 15, 2021 Obtained plant
NGA Rick (RickM) - qty 2
aspenhill On May 15, 2021 Obtained plant
NGA Ralph (RalphGamba) - qty 3
aspenhill On May 10, 2017 Obtained plant
NGA David and Pat (greenthumb99 and ecnalg) - qty lot; IB
aspenhill On May 7, 2016 Obtained plant
NGA Ric (RicM) - qty 1; HSG Area 6
aspenhill On May 7, 2016 Obtained plant
NGA Kurt (krobra) - qty 1; HSG Area 5
aspenhill On May 7, 2016 Obtained plant
NGA Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 1; HSG Area 5
aspenhill On May 16, 2015 Obtained plant
DG David (greenthumb99) and Pat (ecnalg) - qty lot; FIB
aspenhill On May 9, 2015 Obtained plant
DG Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 5; CLB
aspenhill On May 31, 2014 Obtained plant
DG Ric and Holly (HollyAnnS) - qty 1; CG
aspenhill On May 31, 2014 Obtained plant
DG Judy (buttoneer) - qty 1; CG
aspenhill On April 26, 2014 Obtained plant
DG David and Pat (greenthumb99 and ecnalg) - qty lot; HSG Area 6
Catmint20906 On May 4, 2015 Bloomed
bisbeegirl On April 29, 2016 Bloomed
First blooms on Lily of the Valley. Wonderful scent.
bisbeegirl On April 19, 2016 Bloomed
Immorality still blooming. Beautiful full, perfectly white multiple blooms. Still buds and blooms. Earliest bloom recorded.
lovesblooms On April 27, 2016 Obtained plant
from trade; multiple rhizomes
antsinmypants On October 4, 2021 Fruit Ripened
antsinmypants On May 4, 2021 Bloomed
MrsBinWY On May 19, 2019 Transplanted
On 5-19-2019, planted 1 plant from the LCMG Plant Sale with Arisaema triphyllum. Didn't see where it came back in 2020.
SuperHappyCamper On February 10, 2023 Obtained plant
Purchased from Lowe's.
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Untitled by growitall May 13, 2014 8:22 PM 2
Untitled by growitall May 9, 2014 10:15 PM 0
Untitled by growitall May 25, 2014 2:30 PM 2

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Lilies of the Valley Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Lilies of the Valley (Convallaria)

« The Lilies of the Valley Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Today's site banner is by Zoia and is called "Volunteer"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.