Wednesday, May 16, 2012

"Lily of the Valley" - Regal, yet simple!


"Lily of the Valley"—Regal, yet simple!

Is that Grandma Mary’s perfume I smell… or are lilies of the valley in full bloom?  The fragrance of lilies of the valley is quite distinctive—different from the scent produced by other lilies.  You may love the intense aroma (or not!) but either way, you likely can identify Convallaria majalis  simply by its scent.

The lily of the valley loves shady areas and thrives as a woodland plant.  It is extremely prolific and sends out underground rhizomes forming a thick mesh beneath the soil level, as well as stolons above ground.   When digging lilies in early spring to share with a friend, you may be surprised that these dainty, delicate blossoms are supported by a tenacious network of rhizomes and roots, often 12” deep.  You will need a SHOVEL in order to share—not a hand trowel!

In spring 2011, lily of the valley received special attention in England when Kate Middleton decided her bridal bouquet  would follow an old royal tradition and be comprised primarily of lily of the valley, in lieu of more exotic plants.  Kate’s bouquet was reminiscent of a simple, olden-days country wedding.  Lily of the valley grows well in the United Kingdom (as well as in some parts of the USA), and Kate made her decision to utilize British-grown flowers in her bridal bouquet.   Lily of the valley can be grown easily in the Southeastern Wisconsin region; you need a bit of shade, a bit of space, and a few rhizomes from a friend or nursery.

NOTE:  If you have small children, please remember the lilies’ leaves, flowers and  late-season orange berries are quite toxic, so please plant where they would be inaccessible to curious children.

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
 (Wikipedia provides this 19th century illustration of Lily of the Valley)

No comments:

Post a Comment