General description of a plant with fragrant flowers, agricultural techniques for cultivating lily of the valley, breeding rules, problems with growing, interesting facts, species. Lily of the valley (Convallaria) is a monotypic or oligotypic (containing a small number of species) genus of monocotyledonous plants in which only one cotyledon is present in the embryo. Scientists have assigned representatives of the flora to the Asparagaceae family. The natural habitat of all varieties of lily of the valley falls on the territory of Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor; they can also be found in China and North America, where a temperate climate prevails. To date, the plant is listed in the Red Book and is considered rare.
The scientific name was given to the genus of these plants by Karl Linnaeus, who was engaged in the classification of the entire plant world of the planet, known at that time. Based on this, the lily of the valley was named in Latin "Lilium convallium", which translates as "lily of the valleys" or "lily growing in the valley" and previously the plant was attributed to the Liliaceae family. In English it sounded like "Lily of the Valley". And the Russian name "lily of the valley" is most likely borrowed from the Polish language - "lanuszka". This is due to the type of leaves of the plant, which resemble the pointed outlines of the tops like the ears of a fearful fallow deer. Other names for this plant are considered: May lily, convalia, lilies of the valley, shirt, young, as well as a young man or culprit, doe's ear, forest tongue and many others.
Lily of the valley is a herb with a vertical rhizome. 3-5 lower leaves of scaly outlines, with small sizes and sheaths in the form of closed tubes, originate from it. They are usually colored brown, dark purple or light greenish. These leaves are almost always hidden under the surface of the soil. Also, the top of the rhizome is the place from which the pair grows, but occasionally three basal leaf plates. They have an oval-lanceolate or oblong-elliptical shape. The surface of the leaves is smooth, their color is rich juicy green. There is a sharpening at the tops and arched venation occurs along the entire length (when the veins go from the very base to the top).
Between these leaves, at the top of the rhizome, there is one large bud. It is she who gives rise to one single lily of the valley stalk, which can reach 15-30 cm in height. But in some garden forms this parameter reaches half a meter. The peduncle is devoid of leaves, but sometimes there are specimens in which leaves of threadlike outlines are located under the inflorescences.
The formation of leaves from vertical lily of the valley rhizomes is annual, and the flowering process can occur 2-3 times a year. For the first time, lily of the valley begins to bloom when the plant is 7 years old, but by 10–12 years the plant loses its ability to form a flowering stem. Over time, the rhizomes, placed horizontally, rot and the entire root system begins to disintegrate into individual specimens.
In early May, just above the middle of the herbaceous flowering stem, the lily of the valley forms an inflorescence in the form of a brush. It can include 6–20 flowers of a drooping shape. The flowers have a strong fragrant aroma. Long pedicels have a bend and membranous bracts. Since the stem has a spiral twist, all the flowers seem to "look" in one direction, despite the fact that the pedicels originate from different sides of the flower arrow, which has three faces.
Perianth of lily of the valley with six teeth, its color is snow-white or pale pinkish. Its outline resembles a miniature bell. Inside it there are 6 short and thick stamens, which are crowned with oblong anthers of yellow color. The flowers have no nectaries and can only attract insects with their strong scent. But if there are no insects, then the plant is capable of self-pollination.
After flowering, a berry ripens with a couple of rounded seeds inside, the color of the fruit is red-orange.
Agrotechnics for growing lily of the valley, care on a personal plot
- Lighting. The plant is not demanding of natural conditions, it is not afraid of frosts, but it suffers from the action of drafts. It is preferable to plant lilies of the valley in a slight shade from the foliage of trees and shrubs. But we must remember that in a strong shade, the doe's ear will not bloom. If the place is chosen well (there is shade and coolness), then flowering can last for 5 weeks.
- Preliminary preparation before landing carried out in the form of digging the soil (to a depth of 25 cm), fertilize it with manure, but not fresh, but already rotted. Instead of such fertilizer, peat-humus compost is used. It is recommended to guess the time for planting lily of the valley in the autumn or early spring. After planting, the lily of the valley must be watered vigorously until it is accepted. It is important to ensure that during the summer period the site is not overgrown with weeds.
- Planting in the fall (beginning and middle) carried out after loosening the soil. Rows are formed at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other with a depth of 15 cm. The interval between plants is about 10 cm. The roots should not be bent. The soil is covered by 1–2 cm. After planting, the lilies of the valley are well watered. At the first frost, the plants are covered with mulch.
- Planting in the spring assumes that such plants will not bloom this year and will be painful. The soil is prepared in the fall. After planting, it is recommended to mulch the beds with lilies of the valley immediately. It is recommended to pour a thin layer of humus or peat chips on top. At night, they also cover them with a film to protect them from frost.
- Fertilizers for lilies of the valley are introduced already after a month after planting - they use rotted organic matter. Mineral dressings are not used during this period. For 2-3 years, to increase the decorative properties, lily of the valley needs to be fed with organic preparations, which have a low nitrogen content. This operation is carried out in April - 50–70 grams of fertilizer are applied per 1 m2. The next top dressing is carried out at the beginning of summer, when flower buds are being laid near the lily of the valley and then its flowers will become large.
The substrate is well-moistened, drained, loamy, with neutral or low acidity, rich in organic matter. Before planting, the following substances and fertilizing are introduced into the soil per 1 m2:
- lime up to 200-300 grams;
- humus up to 10 kg;
- potassium sulfate and superphosphate (40 grams and 100 grams, respectively).
How to propagate lily of the valley on your own?
The lily of the valleys can be propagated by grafting (dividing the rhizome) and sowing seeds.
When grafting, you will need to cut off the upper part of the rhizome and plant it in a soil rich in leafy humus, containing clay and sand. The plots are planted at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other. Such plants begin to bloom as early as the 3rd year from the time of planting.
If forcing is required, then even in the autumn period you should stock up on cuttings, cutting off parts from the rhizome from the top, which will not exceed 5 cm in length. You should choose among them those in which the upper bud is the largest with rounded outlines. It is recommended to plant such cuttings in spacious containers. Place 10-12 pieces in each pot. For distillation, very low greenhouses should be made, in which delenki will be grown. Containers with cuttings need to be overlaid with moss or dug in the sand, almost completely, and moss is also distributed on the surface.
Temperature readings during forcing are maintained at about 30–35 degrees. After 20–21 days, the lilies of the valley will begin to bloom. Moss should never dry out. When the "lily of the valleys" is shown above a layer of moss, then the pots are transferred closer to the light source, but first you should arrange a little shading. If these conditions are maintained, it is possible to get conval flowers by the New Year holidays. Such forcing of lilies of the valley was actively pursued in Germany at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Such plants were imported to Russia in large volumes.
In nature, lilies of the valley can reproduce by means of ripe fruit-berries, and the root system of the "lily of the valleys" itself can grow up to 25 cm in a year. And, despite all this, this plant is rare and is listed in the Red Book. With seed propagation, lily of the valley begins to bloom after a 6-year period. At the very beginning of autumn, you need to sow seed so that it can germinate by spring, sometimes it is recommended to sow in the middle or towards the end of the spring period. Naturally, there will be no flowering in the first year after sowing, as the lily of the valley will "try" to go deeper into the soil with its root system. And by the second spring, leaf plates are formed, but they will not open, since outwardly they seem to be strongly tightened. Over time, the lily of the valley will tend upward and these leaves will also open more and more. The opening of each subsequent leaf will be the faster, as far as the first leaf plate opens. It is at this time that the rhizome grows, its outlines become larger and thicker. The plant will try to capture all large areas.
Difficulties in cultivating lily of the valley
When grown in the garden, "lily of the valleys" can be affected by gray mold. The reason for this is too much waterlogging of the soil, as well as if the area with the plant is too thickened. Treatment with fungicidal preparations will help in solving this problem.
When it is noticed that spots with red edging and wounds have formed on the leaves, then this is evidence of the disease Gloeosporium convallariae. Also, yellow spot on foliage is caused by lily of the valley dendronema. For the first and second diseases, fungicide treatment will also be required.
The root nematode is considered the main pest of lily of the valley. To prevent this trouble, it is recommended to treat the soil with nematicides, but there is a more gentle method - to plant several marigolds nearby. But if the defeat has gone far, then it is recommended to dig up the lily of the valley and burn it.
Interesting facts about lily of the valley
All parts of the lily of the valley contain the substance konvallatoxin and are very poisonous. Therefore, it is recommended to wear gloves when working with the plant. But, despite this, the Lily of the Valley species is included in the pharmacopoeial lists of many countries as a medicinal plant. In Russian medicine, it became known about it thanks to S. P. Botkin. The herb, leaves and flowers of the plant are used as raw materials for the manufacture of medicines. They are collected and dried at a temperature of about 50-60 degrees.
In addition to the poisonous substance in the lily of the valley, there are cardiotonic glycosides, which serve as derivatives for such drugs. On their basis, tinctures and "Korglikon" are made. Medicines are prescribed, for example, convaflavin (a total flavonoid drug) for expelling bile in cholecystitis and cholangitis.
Lily of the valley is also known to perfumers for a long time, since the oil of this plant can give people confidence, promotes creativity, perseverance and sobriety of thought.
Many peoples have legends and stories about this beautiful plant with fragrant flowers.
Types of lily of the valley
- May lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). The native growing area falls on the territory of many European countries, including Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. This also includes the countries of the Caucasus and most of Russia. In nature, the plant settles in deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests, and you can also find it on the edges. When a plant is already many years old, its root system becomes branched and consists of a large number of small and thin root processes that creep at a shallow depth under the surface of the soil. The height of this herbaceous perennial is 15-30 cm. Basal leaves are usually 2-3 units. Their shape is in the form of an oblong ellipse, there is a sharpening at the top. The stem of this variety can reach a maximum of 30 cm in height. The racemose inflorescence is made up of small flowers that hang from the pedicels. Their shape is similar to a spherical bell, along the bottom of which there is a serration in the form of six petals bent outward. In the inflorescence, there are up to 20 flowers, snow-white or light pinkish in color, with a scent. The flowering process occurs from May to June. In June or early July, fruits ripen in the form of a spherical berry. The color is orange-red, its diameter is about 6-8 mm. It contains one and a pair of seeds with spherical outlines. Reproduction takes place both by seeds and by a vegetative method - by dividing rhizomes. If the lily of the valley develops from seeds, then under natural conditions it will begin to bloom at the 7th year of life. The following year, the apical bud, which crowns the rhizome, continues it, and two (occasionally three) leaves begin to grow from it, but the appearance of a flowering stem is not guaranteed annually.
- Lily of the valley (Convallaria keiskei) is also called the Far Eastern lily of the valley or Kuyske lily of the valley. It prefers to grow in light deciduous forests, where there is an abundant litter of moss, where there were once clearings, as well as in meadows that are located in the floodplains of waterways. The native range is found on the territory of Russia in Transbaikalia, as well as in the taiga regions of the Far East, Primorye, on the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, and also found in Northern China and Japan. Some biologists believe that this type of lily of the valley is a subspecies of May lily of the valley. The plant has a long rhizome with many branches. The leaves, located from the very bottom, have the outlines of scales, their color can be either brown or purple. In height, the flowering stem is able to reach up to 18 cm. The length of the basal leaf plates does not exceed 14 cm. The flowers open up to one centimeter in diameter, their number varies from 3 to 10 units. The top of the petals has an ovoid-triangular shape. The fruit is also a ball-berry of bright red color. The variety bears its name in honor of the Japanese botanist Keisuke Ito (1803-1901), this is how the scientist botanist from the Netherlands Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Mikel immortalized the memory of his colleague.
- Mountain lily of the valley (Convallaria montana). Native lands fall on the territory of North America, and even there the plant can be found only in the mid-mountain zone, which includes the states: Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, such a lily of the valley is not uncommon in Virginia and West Virginia. Scientists are also of the opinion that this species is a subspecies of the May Lily of the Valley. The root system is quite developed, and the stem does not differ in terms of height. The shape of the basal leaves is lanceolate, their length reaches 35 cm with a width of no more than 5 cm. In a racemose inflorescence, there are from 5 to 15 buds. Their outlines are broadly bell-shaped, if you measure their length, then it does not exceed 8 mm. The flowering process stretches from the middle to the last days of May. After flowering, closer to the autumn days, fruits ripen in the form of reddish-orange berries. Its diameter reaches 9 mm, inside there are three chambers for several rounded seeds.
More about the features of planting lily of the valley and caring for it in the following video:
