Perennial Lily of the valley: plant description and growing conditions

HomeAll flowers that start with LPerennial Lily of the valley: plant description and growing conditions

There are many legends about perennial flowers lilies of the valley. They are considered symbols of love and purity, and are often compared to teardrops. In Russia, the backwardness of lilies of the valley is so small that these plants are under the protection of the law. In order not to destroy forest plantations, you can create favorable conditions for growing lilies of the valley in your backyard, the main condition is the presence of moist, fertile soil.

What do lilies of the valley look like and photos of flowers

Lily of the valley belongs to the Liliaceae family. This is the most elegant spring flower with a unique strong aroma. According to the description, the lily of the valley plant resembles a necklace with white bells strung on it.

The genus combines 3-4 slightly different species. Some botanists believe that there is only one species – the May lily of the valley. In the wild, it is distributed throughout Europe and Asia in light broad-leaved forests.

Blooms in May for 10-15 days. May lily of the valley has been cultivated since the 16th century.

This is a perennial plant 20-25 cm high with a creeping underground rhizome. In early spring, 2-3 lanceolate green leaves with longitudinal veins develop from each growth bud. They remain decorative until July-August, and then turn yellow and dry.

As you can see in the photo, lily of the valley flowers grow on a fragile trihedral peduncle formed from a bud, twisted in a spiral:

Peduncle bears 8-12 fragrant snow-white flowers collected in a loose brush. Flowers are bell-shaped. The height of a separate “bell” is 4 mm, the width is 4-5 mm. By the end of summer, lilies of the valley delight with decorative berries-fruits of red or orange color, each of which contains 3-6 seeds.

See how the lily of the valley looks in the photo – its flowers are very elegant:

There are varieties of lily of the valley with pink flowers, as well as double, having 10-12 perianth lobes instead of 6. Varieties with variegated leaves have been bred.

Lily of the valley flowers: cultivation and care

Lilies of the valley are successfully grown near shrubs or under trees . They need moist, humus-rich soil; cultivated loams are well suited.

When growing and caring for lily of the valley during periods of prolonged drought, it is recommended to water the plants. These flowers are frost resistant.

They reproduce by rhizomes. To do this, in September they are dug up, cut into pieces with one or two buds and planted at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. In one place, lilies of the valley can stay for 10-12 years, then the old specimens lose their ability to bloom.

Since the horizontal shoots of the lily of the valley grow rapidly in all directions, to limit their spread around the area with plantings, tin strips are dug in to a depth of 15–20 cm.

Reproduction by seeds is possible, but they require 1-2 freezing periods for germination. Seedlings develop slowly and bloom in the fourth or fifth year.

Lilies of the valley look good in the form of curtains on the lawn, as well as under trees and ornamental flowering shrubs.

Lilies of the valley can be used to produce flowers in winter. They have found application in medicine and perfumery.

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