Lily of the valley is flower of the month for May

Marcia Kauffman | Victoria County Master Gardener

May 11, 2024

Lily of the Valley (Hoang Thach Nguyen on Pixabay)

Lily of the Valley (Monicore on Pixabay)

Lily of the Valley (Nick Pyr on Pixabay)

Lily of the valley or Convallaria majus, a herbaceous perennial is part of the asparagus family.

It is also the flower for the month of May and is a spring bloomer. Some other names are May Bells, Lady’s Tears and May’s Tears.

The plant has medium green leaves that are 5-10 inches long. The flowers are generally small bell- shaped white flowers, although different varieties can have double blooms, be rosy pink, or have a yellow outline around its petals. The blooms are very fragrant.

Lily of the valley is grown most successfully as a ground cover in zones of 3 to 9 in part sun to shade. While native to the Northern Hemisphere, it also grows in Asia and Europe.

Planting requirements
Lily of the valley grow best in part sun to shade with 5.0 to 7.0 pH soil. This plant will need fertilizer only if the soil is of poor quality. Plant Lily of the valley in the fall before the soil freezes. Be sure to dig a hole large enough and deep enough to fit the rhizome as this is how they reproduce.

Then spread the roots around the base like a fan. Cover the roots and rhizome with hummus-rich soil and deeply water.

Space the plants 6 inches apart giving adequate growing room for each plant. You will need to thin them regularly. It is best to use Lily of the valley as a border next to a driveway or sidewalk as their rhizomes under the soil can be invasive.

Propagating Lily of the Valley

This plant is quite easy to propagate as it grows in clumps. You simply dig up the clump, separate it by pulling gently to separate the plants and roots. Then replant it deep enough to cover the rhizomes and thoroughly water each new plant.

Problems
Lily of the valley can be grown relatively disease free if you space the plants apart and allow air to circulate around each clump. Set clumps 1 to 2 feet apart and single plants 6-inches apart.

When water sits on a leaf can cause leaf rot. It is important to water the soil and not the plant. If you notice the plant is developing patches of rot on the leaves, pluck off the affected leaf. If there is a diseased plant, dig up the entire plant so the disease doesn’t spread.

Two conditions can cause brown leaves. One is too much sun as it is tolerant of morning sun but needs protection from the midday sun. The other condition is being dry, so water thoroughly to restore moisture to the soil Lily of the valley has few pests. Snails and slugs like to eat holes in the leaves which doesn’t destroy the plant but stops more leaves from growing. If you find slugs in the garden, pull back the mulch to dry out the soil as they like moist soil.

You can install commercially purchased bait traps or make your own traps. One suggestion was to set out small container of beer. When you find the drowned slugs in the beer, remove and destroy it.

These plants are toxic as they contain glycosides that can cause cardiac symptoms. If the berries are consumed they can be fatal. It is not only toxic to humans but also dogs, cats and horses. The good news is lily of the valley is deer resistant.

As a child I remember during the month of May, at St. Bernard’s Catholic School we would make a crown for Mother Mary. I can recall using lily of the valley for the crown.

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County.

COMPANION PLANTS
*Cosmos
*Dianthus
*Dill
*Geraniums
*Zinnias

REFERENCES

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS: How to Plant and Grow Lily of the Valley

THE SPRUCE: How to Grow and Care for Lily of the Valley

SOUTHERN LIVING: How To Grow and Care for Lily of the Valley